06-14-2012, 04:14 PM | #11 | |
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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The basic idea is to give them experience in administration and leadership, but without building a power base. Putting younger sons into the Church is sort of the same idea, except that serving as a Bishop or Abbot actually is frequently a position that carries a certain amount of soft power.
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An ongoing narrative of philosophy, psychology, and semiotics: Et in Arcadia Ego "To an Irishman, a serious matter is a joke, and a joke is a serious matter." Last edited by Lord Carnifex; 06-14-2012 at 04:17 PM. |
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06-14-2012, 04:15 PM | #12 | ||
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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I had considered the application of secrecy to successions separately before but this is an interesting alternative I haven't thought of before. I think it might work better if there was a discrete group devoted to maintaining this system that is neutral and independent with respect to other factions. Of course they will have their own schemes but it won't necessarily align with other factions and since their existence is based on their neutrality they would be hard to bribe. If they can't reverse their decision there wouldn't be much they could do to control the ruler once selected. I'm envisioning a conclave that selects it's own members and handles the marking of children, keeping of records, and selection of the next ruler based on bloodline and demonstrated ability. Quote:
A quibble, but Majordomo of the palace is a pleonasm. A Majordomo is a mayor of the palace. Last edited by Sindri; 06-14-2012 at 04:23 PM. |
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06-14-2012, 04:17 PM | #13 | ||
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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While this sucks for the guy who got assassinated, my point is that as far as damage to the country goes, it's a lot less of a problem than any of the options that lead to civil war. As a side note, one of the benefits of electoral systems is that they generally don't result in this type of shenanigans. Avoiding democracies for the moment, you could look at examples such as the papal succession. |
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06-14-2012, 04:21 PM | #14 |
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: East of the moon, west of the stars, close to buses and shopping
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
Or the Habsburg succession. Mind you, those don't necessarily work either (see, for example, a large number of Medieval anti-popes and eventually the Avignon papacy), but at least you didn't get massive civil wars tearing up Europe every few generations.
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06-14-2012, 04:32 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
Similar to TBC's idea, one system I've used before is that the monarch (in this case, the title used was 'Regent') keeps the name of his designated successor in a safe in the royal bedroom. When he dies, the Chancellor opens the safe - with many, many witnesses - and reveals the name.
The Regent is free to change his mind and prepare a new document naming a different successor at any time. He's free to privately or publicly reveal who it is. He's even free to lie. Another system I've used is slightly more malign. The duchy was a traditional "oldest living son" with some fairly complicated rules if there is no legitimate heir. However, there was an entirely seperate priest class (the priesthood of the earthquake god, who is attributed with having made the natural harbor the duchy depends on) who, once a generation on the old Duke's death, would choose one member of the ducal family - including the heir apparent - to be buried alive. So they're empowered to weed out obviously unfit candidates and "trim" the family tree from time to time. Assassinate the popular old duke hoping to take his place? Better be paid up with the right people or they'll be digging a hole for you before you can move in to the ducal palace.
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An ongoing narrative of philosophy, psychology, and semiotics: Et in Arcadia Ego "To an Irishman, a serious matter is a joke, and a joke is a serious matter." |
06-14-2012, 04:36 PM | #16 | |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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of course, if you want a game based on intrigue.... |
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06-14-2012, 04:36 PM | #17 | |||
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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Well yes but a situation in which such shenanigans are prevented is not one in which a system even metaphorically like the Kafes system would appear and thus not on topic. |
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06-14-2012, 04:54 PM | #18 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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Usually restructuring the succession isn't the way of doing this. Probably the most reliable method is having children relatively late, then going into retirement or semi-retirement once the heir is an adult. |
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06-14-2012, 05:09 PM | #19 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
How's this then:
Assuming a level of technology suitable to the average cyberpunk game (TL 9ish in GURPS terms?) every heir to the throne is hooked up at birth to an incredibly complex VR computer simulation sort of like the Matrix. Each is put in a position as sole ruler of an empire within the simulation, and each of the empires has an historical rivalry with the others. Basically the heirs to the throne are tested by competing with each other in the ultimate war game while living a "real" life within a completely controlled environment. If you want more of a medieval feel you could always use magic instead of tech. |
06-14-2012, 05:13 PM | #20 | |
Aluminated
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: East of the moon, west of the stars, close to buses and shopping
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Re: Golden Cages and Succession
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Yes, this is quite poetic.
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I've been making pointlessly shiny things, and I've got some gaming-related stuff as well as 3d printing designs. Buy my Warehouse 23 stuff, dammit! |
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brainstorm, low-tech, low-tech companion 1, politics, social engineering |
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