Originally posted by BanDHMO:

"O Divinity, I have a small humble request. ....

Player: Granted! (maybe a very small honor boost)
Player: Denied! (not really any consequences)

The guy telling what he/she wants.
Player has two options: grant or deny.
Important is that this request should be something personal and not related to cities or places. "

Kind of makes sense. The thing I was unclear about is what level of supplicants and therefore requests you had in mind. If it's people who are too high-level it might start looking like a city-related event that you said to avoid, but if it's too low-level then it could seem strange, as in "who let all these beggars direct access to the Emperor". :) Anyway, I took a stab at it (assuming it starts with the intro you posted and ends with the options you gave). If it's too low-level stuff, we can later dilute them with higher-level ones. After all, occasionally low-strata subjects could get to ask something of a ruler.


("emperor_request_text_1", "My second son is a good soldier and a very loyal citizen. It was always his dream to serve in your guard, but last month a sickness overtook him just in time for his test fight with the centurion and he was refused. He is well now, but the centurion will hear none of it. The post is too important, he says, to give anyone second chances. ^^I know my boy will make the best guard you've ever had, if you only give him a fair try.")

("emperor_request_text_2", "I know you must be very busy, so please forgive me for asking. I am writing a play for my artist troupe to take on our grand tour of all cities in your empire. It would mean so much to us if you read it and gave your opinion. We all greatly respect your taste in art.")

("emperor_request_text_3", "My family have been jewelers in Rome for generations. We have come into possession of a gemstone so clear and bright that it outshines anything we have seen before. Me and my best craftsmen worked diligently to make it into the most beautiful ring. I am here to present it to you, oh Divine, as a sign of our gratitude and loyalty. We ask for nothing but your favor in return.")

("emperor_request_text_4", "Sorry to bother you with this, but we've been laughed at by everyone else for asking. My family is from the country and I just moved here with my daughter for her to apprentice at the temple. We rented a cheap insula apartment to stay in. I know it's not the best, but it seemed OK. I didn't know that the building across the street was a brothel! Now, every night the street is filled with rowdy drunk men and the lustful screams are so loud that we can't sleep! Now the owner says we have to pay him for a year whether we live there or not. ^^Please, will you release us from this contract? My daughter is a chaste girl and a future priestess. I can't let her outside in a place like this.")

("emperor_request_text_5", "I am the leader of a dance troupe and it would be our pleasure to perform for you and your court. We ask for no pay, of course, only your attention.")

("emperor_request_text_6", "My love and I, we ran away from our families. They wouldn't let us see each other, but we are in love. You are the Divine, the embodiment of all that is good, you must understand what we feel. Would you take us under your protection as clients and let us marry? We are eager to serve you any way we can, only to be together.")

("emperor_request_text_7", "We were clients of a wealthy and respectable man. He was happy to take our modest presents all our lives and when my son came of age, our patron gave him employment on a fishing boat. My son paid his respects too when he was alive. But now the seas took our son and we are too old and frail to work. Our patron gives us too little to survive and we are desperate. Please, can you help? We've been loyal for generations and it's not right for us to starve now.")

("emperor_request_text_8", "I have come on behalf of my merchant guild to express our continued support and appreciation for you. We are honored to continue to do business in Rome. It is our privilege to present you with a modest chest filled with samples of our finest goods as a gift. Would you grant me a few moments of your time to peruse them?")

("emperor_request_text_9", "I have a gift as a blacksmith, even my teachers agree and they are the best in the Empire. I helped make some of the finest armor for centurions and even generals! Now my apprenticeship is over and I was supposed to start as a full journeyman craftsman, but the craftsman I was to replace decided not to retire. The guild rules restrict how many craftsmen there can be and now I can't become one. The guild elders are too attached to their traditions and rules to change them for me! ^^Please, help me become a blacksmith in the city. I don't want to go back to my village and spend my life making horseshoes!")

("emperor_request_text_10", "My family has long been in a feud with our rivals and it keeps escalating. Nobody has been killed so far, but we have now come close to it and I'm worried we might soon. They also think it's gone too far and we've been trying to agree on a way to mediate. Unfortunately, we cannot agree on a respectable person to preside over the mediation. ^^If the Emperor was to appoint an honest mediator, however, they would surely agree. Please find such a person for us.")

The Rome town hall is long: The idea is to have to low people spawn next to the entrance because they are allowed to enter but not come closer to the improtant people who spawn away from the entrance. There the player will notice them. They are waiting there in the hope that Caesar hears them and talk to them, when he enters.
But I think it could also be "lower nobility" problems. But what you wrote sounds fine so far.

"The Rome town hall is long: The idea is to have to low people spawn next to the entrance because they are allowed to enter but not come closer to the improtant people who spawn away from the entrance. There the player will notice them. They are waiting there in the hope that Caesar hears them and talk to them, when he enters.
But I think it could also be "lower nobility" problems. But what you wrote sounds fine so far."


Alright. Here's a bunch more then. I'm realizing that these are a lot harder to come up with than I thought and with multiple people ready to ask them every time the player walks along town hall, they might get repetitive quickly unless there's a lot of them. Still, maybe we'll fill them in over time or possibly others in the community want to pitch in with their ideas.

One thing I struggled with when writing these is genders, because I'm not sure we can assume the gender of the supplicant or the player for that matter. I mostly get around it by having a parent (who can be either gender) talk on behalf of their son/daughter, and try to avoid pronouns when talking about the Emperor. Even the title itself implies gender because English sucks :(. "Divine" is neutral, but gets clunky if used too many times in a row. I'm sure you've run into this somewhere already. I don't know if you have a way to deal with this using scripts or it's just not a priority.


("emperor_request_text_11", "I am the second child of an old noble family. We may not have the wealth and influence of today's great powerhouses, but it is enough to afford me the liberty to study and follow politics, which is my great passion. I am in awe of your genius and everything you have done to advance the glory of Rome, oh Divine! However, I do have different views on a couple of subjects that I would like to share with you. ^^I assure you I am no beggar and my family does not stand to benefit one coin from these proposals. I only want to help you and serve Rome. If you would grant me a half hour to explain my views, it would truly be a blessing.")

("emperor_request_text_12", "I... I don't have anything to ask, oh Divine. I only want to be in your presence! Can I touch you?")

("emperor_request_text_13", "I come on behalf of two dozen veterans, who have been loyal to Rome through many campaigns. They have been retired after honorable service and given the frontier land owed to them, even with the river running through. It was said to be good wet farmland.^^But when they arrived to settle, they saw that the river flooded and widened, washing away most of their lands and turning the rest to swamp. They are now left with nothing after sacrificing so much in service to the Empire, and their commander is refusing to give them land elsewhere. The veterans are hoping you will help right this injustice.")

("emperor_request_text_14", "I beg you to right a horrible mistake that brought wrath on my family. We have long feuded with another minor noble line and it was mostly words and small scuffles until they made up a lie that we slandered and disrespected you. Now our holdings have been vandalized, our associates beaten, our taxes raised twice, and every official rules against us because of these lies. ^^None of them are true! We've always been loyal to you and we'll prove it any way and any time you like! Please, will you give your forgiveness and clear our name?")

("emperor_request_text_15", "You! It's all your fault! I had three sons and you took them all in your stupid wars! The oldest was so proud to serve in the legion, but he never returned! His brothers then enlisted to avenge his death and now they are dead too! ^^I have nothing to live for now, you evil, bloodthirsty bastard! Go ahead, have me executed already! Give me death instead of living like this!")

("emperor_request_text_16", "Be careful, oh Divine! Please, be careful. I had a vision. Your enemies plotting, attacking. I saw them strike you in the back, like they did great Caesar! Oh, no! It's too late! The blood! The blood!!!^^Don't go to the Senate tomorrow! Don't go! Please, don't go!")

("emperor_request_text_17", "I think my neighbour is a Parthian spy. He likes to dress in their styles and always goes to the market at the same time, like maybe he is meeting his Parthian masters there. And yesterday, he returned some money he borrowed from me. One of the coins he gave me, it was a Parthian silver piece! ^^I told some officials, but they didn't listen. I think they are paid off by Parthians too! You should have this investigated, oh Divine!")

("emperor_request_text_18", "Our family's estate was split between me and my accursed brother on my father's dying wishes. But now, my brother's side turned out to have a big silver vein and he's getting richer than a king off the mine. My side has only sheep. ^^This is not fair! I think my brother should give me half of his silver.")

("emperor_request_text_19", "I am the best chef in all of Rome! And it's not just my opinion. The highest of people have tasted my work and none were dissatisfied! I was thinking, it is an injustice that the great Emperor has never tried it. ^^Let me help with your next feast, oh Divine, and if you like it, maybe a lucrative partnership can blossom?")

("emperor_request_text_20", "I am here representing my tailor guild. We would like to present you with this most exquisite dress, fit for any of the beautiful ladies in your palace. It would be our pleasure to see noble ladies in your favor adorned in our work. ^^Will you accept our humble gift?")

("emperor_request_text_21", "I am here on behalf of my master, whose family owns expansive vineyards in southern Italia. This carved ivory flask is filled with the best vintage wine, and ten barrels of it will be delivered to your kitchen, as a sign of my master's respect and loyalty for you, oh Divine. ^^Will you accept this humble gift?")

("emperor_request_text_22", "As a philosopher, I have spent many years pondering the meaning of life. Finally, I think I have discovered it now! ^^I would be honored if you were the first I shared my findings with. All I ask is an evening of your precious time to journey to the Truth with me.")

("emperor_request_text_23", "My daughter wants to be an actress and dancer, despite our family's noble lineage. We tell her that polite society considers actors to be no better than prostitutes, but she is as stubborn as she is talented! ^^I love her too much to crush her dreams and marry her off for politics, but I can't have her performing in some dirty theater either. Could you take her to use her talent for you and your court at the palace? Nobody'd dare say there's shame in serving the Emperor.")

("emperor_request_text_24", "I am an old veteran and ever since retirement I've been growing grain at my farm. I came up with this idea to train plants just like I trained soldiers. I took some grains from Italia and grew them on my retirement plot where the climate is different. At first they weren't as good as grain native to the area, but now they are doing better. ^^I really think with time I can train grain to grow where it can't right now, in the extreme reaches of the Empire. I just need money to do the training. Your treasury won't even miss it, but it's a wealth to me!")

("emperor_request_text_25", "I will openly admit that as a shipwright I have a mercantile interest in showing you this, but it's remarkable nonetheless. What I have are drawings from travelers, depicting great ships of the kings of the far East. They are as big as a palace, and just as opulent! ^^Of course, I'm not suggesting you order such a ship for yourself today, but if you could spare a few minutes to take a look at the drawings, I think you will be impressed.")

"One thing I struggled with when writing these is genders, because I'm not sure we can assume the gender of the supplicant or the player for that matter. I mostly get around it by having a parent (who can be either gender) talk on behalf of their son/daughter, and try to avoid pronouns when talking about the Emperor. Even the title itself implies gender because English sucks :(. "Divine" is neutral, but gets clunky if used too many times in a row. I'm sure you've run into this somewhere already. I don't know if you have a way to deal with this using scripts or it's just not a priority."
You can do this with code, but for me it is usually not a priority. For player I always assume he is male, though the option to play as female still exists I dont guarantee to work properly in all cases. Anyway just to let you know: For player it would work like this:

"I am the {son/daughter} of an important family."

Son will be used if player is male, daughter if player is female.

For AI:

"I am the {reg0?her:him} of an important family."

But thats not important for you, I can change it myself if I want. I only wanted to show you how it would work so you can sea its easy.

"Alright. Here's a bunch more then. I'm realizing that these are a lot harder to come up with than I thought and with multiple people ready to ask them every time the player walks along town hall, they might get repetitive quickly unless there's a lot of them. Still, maybe we'll fill them in over time or possibly others in the community want to pitch in with their ideas."

Yes, I know that. I hope I will find a way to solve this. I must admit I havent written anything for that know, so if I also write something like 25 texts like you did we would have 50, that should be enough.

btw emperor_request_text_12 is really funny.

Hehe, yeah. There should be more stuff like request 12, I think. An emperor should be at least as worshiped as a rockstar by some of his hardcore fans, considering emperors were literally deified.

Here's 10 more, so now you are only 15 away from 50. :) But, I think the cool thing about this structure you came up with is that the syntax is really simple and more would be really easy to add in the future, so if anybody has an idea later, the number can grow over time. It's just tough to sit down and come up with a lot of them at the same time.



("emperor_request_text_26", "Wow... a real {Emperor/Empress} {himself/herself}! I thought {he/she}'d be taller... ^^Wait, oh no! I didn't mean to say that out loud! Please don't hurt me!")

("emperor_request_text_27", "My noble master attended your last feast and was greatly impressed with the entertainers. He would like to ask if you would let him hire one of your musicians for a feast he is throwing to honor the anniversary of his marriage.")

("emperor_request_text_28", "My dad is, like, always busy at the Senate and my mom is governing the home at Rome, so they left me in charge of the country villa. My friends dads are the same, they all have, like, something important to deb-HIC-debate or something stupid like that. It's really boring. So, like, me and my friends have been throwing these SICK feasts at our villas and we thought it'd be so awesome if you came to party with us! They're all your biggest fans, just dying to meet you!")

("emperor_request_text_29", "Forgive me for asking, my {Emperor/Empress}, but only you can help me. My father left me in charge of his villa while he went to attend the next Senate session. Me and my friends kind of, accidentally, burned down one of the buildings, and if he finds out, he will make me wish I was burning in the eternal fires of Hades. ^^I already have workers rebuilding it, but they won't finish in time. I need just one more day! Please, can you give the Senate something else to discuss for an extra day? I know I shouldn't ask, but I'm dead otherwise.")

("emperor_request_text_30", "My {Emperor/Empress}, the magistrate presiding over my trial was a... well, he made a mistake, if I put it generously. The evidence clearly was in my favor, but he ruled for my accuser. Now my business is hurt for hundreds of denarii, and unjustly so! ^^Please, can you overrule the magistrate and have another official hear my case?")

("emperor_request_text_31", "My master runs a weaponsmithing cartel that supplies arms to your Guard. He would like to invite you to a feast in your honor at his country villa. He wants you to know that they are willing to do what it takes to convince you to renew their contract.")

("emperor_request_text_32", "One of your legions passed on my land a few months ago. The foraging soldiers requisitioned a herd of my sheep in your name and left me with this paper promising payment. I still can't get any official to pay me for it, though, and now tax collectors are demanding a share of the herd I don't even have!^^I ask that you make the men who took my property in your name pay the debt and my tax, since I couldn't raise the sheep they took and pay the taxman.")

("emperor_request_text_33", "My {Emperor/Empress}, these are very hard times for shipping in Ostia port. We had a monstrous storm like we've never seen before. It sunk three of my family's four ships all at once and now we don't have enough money to fix the fourth for another voyage. We tried moneylenders, but so many traders are in the same position and money is hard to find. ^^I'm hoping, maybe you would be kind enough to lend us money? We've always earned our money and don't want to rely on public grain dole. I swear we will pay it back.")

("emperor_request_text_34", "Over a year ago a legion passed by our village and a pair of your horsemen scouts asked to spend the night in our home. They were polite and paid generously for everything. We thought only good of them until a few months later we saw that our daughter was with child! The boy was born healthy and looks just like that young soldier!^^I've gone to the legion and everywhere I could now, but they all just laugh at me. Please, help me find that scout and make him pay for what he did!")

("emperor_request_text_35", "A learned {man/lady} such as yourself is doubtlessly familiar with the debates on the shape of our world. I am, of course, the proponent of round earth. Great minds from Pythagoras to Strabo provided plenty of evidence to that end, yet there are still some who insipidly insist it is flat! I have devised a way to prove this once and for all, by measuring the angle of the sun at high noon on the same day in different cities around the Empire. ^^All I need is some money to make it happen. You won't even notice such a meager sum, but it is more than I can ever hope to afford. Would you be my benefactor, oh Divine?")

"Hehe, yeah. There should be more stuff like request 12, I think. An emperor should be at least as worshiped as a rockstar by some of his hardcore fans, considering emperors were literally deified.

Here's 10 more, so now you are only 15 away from 50. :) But, I think the cool thing about this structure you came up with is that the syntax is really simple and more would be really easy to add in the future, so if anybody has an idea later, the number can grow over time. It's just tough to sit down and come up with a lot of them at the same time."

Many thanks! :D

OK, five more to a nice round 40, and maybe I'm done for now. As you noticed, some of them are partly jokes. I tried for a balance between being too serious and turning the whole thing into absurdity, so that when you write some of yours, you can dilute it with whatever you want for the mix you'll be happy with. :)


("emperor_request_text_36", "My {Emperor/Empress}, I come to you as a concerned parent and citizen. This new fad for foreign theater troupes is ruining our children! They watch these crude and colorful dances, become infatuated with foreign customs and seek to imitate them instead of growing up as proper Romans enjoying classical Greek plays and our wholesome gladiator shows! It is ruining our families, and on behalf of all good parents of Rome I petition you to ban these troupes from playing in our city and polluting our culture.")

("emperor_request_text_37", "My family have been making the best olive oil in this city for hundreds of years. We even supplied Caesar's kitchen at one point! Nowadays times are hard and my shop is one of the few left. Living in Rome is expensive and cheap oil is imported from the provinces.^^My {Emperor/Empress}, I don't want to seem like a beggar for his own mercurial interest, but if you do not act, this city will not have much of an oil industry left soon. Please, increase import taxes on provincial oil.")

("emperor_request_text_38", "I am most loyal to you, but my neighbour is a disloyal and despicable snake, oh Divine. He says the craziest and most revolting rumors that I do not even want to repeat. He even said once that Nero did not kill himself! I bet that snake is just waiting to stab you in the back when his beloved Nero returns. ^^You should have him punished for treason before he can betray you!")

("emperor_request_text_39", "They are going to kill my beloved Fortissimi! I beg you, please pardon him! We've been close all our lives. I know he accidentally killed three men, but that's just how he is, and now they have sentenced him to fight in the arena for it! He can't fight, he's a kind and gentle soul! He doesn't deserve to die. I promise I'll keep an eye on him and he won't kill anyone else.^^Please, please, don't let them kill my lion!")

("emperor_request_text_40", "Oh Divine, we have been greatly blessed by your presence at our wedding and once again thank you for finding the time to attend. We are about to celebrate the birth of our first child and would be beside ourselves with joy if you would grace the event with your presence again.")

Originally posted by BanDHMO:

OK, five more to a nice round 40, and maybe I'm done for now. As you noticed, some of them are partly jokes. I tried for a balance between being too serious and turning the whole thing into absurdity, so that when you write some of yours, you can dilute it with whatever you want for the mix you'll be happy with. :)


("emperor_request_text_36", "My {Emperor/Empress}, I come to you as a concerned parent and citizen. This new fad for foreign theater troupes is ruining our children! They watch these crude and colorful dances, become infatuated with foreign customs and seek to imitate them instead of growing up as proper Romans enjoying classical Greek plays and our wholesome gladiator shows! It is ruining our families, and on behalf of all good parents of Rome I petition you to ban these troupes from playing in our city and polluting our culture.")

("emperor_request_text_37", "My family have been making the best olive oil in this city for hundreds of years. We even supplied Caesar's kitchen at one point! Nowadays times are hard and my shop is one of the few left. Living in Rome is expensive and cheap oil is imported from the provinces.^^My {Emperor/Empress}, I don't want to seem like a beggar for his own mercurial interest, but if you do not act, this city will not have much of an oil industry left soon. Please, increase import taxes on provincial oil.")

("emperor_request_text_38", "I am most loyal to you, but my neighbour is a disloyal and despicable snake, oh Divine. He says the craziest and most revolting rumors that I do not even want to repeat. He even said once that Nero did not kill himself! I bet that snake is just waiting to stab you in the back when his beloved Nero returns. ^^You should have him punished for treason before he can betray you!")

("emperor_request_text_39", "They are going to kill my beloved Fortissimi! I beg you, please pardon him! We've been close all our lives. I know he accidentally killed three men, but that's just how he is, and now they have sentenced him to fight in the arena for it! He can't fight, he's a kind and gentle soul! He doesn't deserve to die. I promise I'll keep an eye on him and he won't kill anyone else.^^Please, please, don't let them kill my lion!")

("emperor_request_text_40", "Oh Divine, we have been greatly blessed by your presence at our wedding and once again thank you for finding the time to attend. We are about to celebrate the birth of our first child and would be beside ourselves with joy if you would grace the event with your presence again.")

many, many thanks!
Though I havent read all yet and I made some changes.
Something I want to mention: I wanted to remove the term Emperor as for me it doesnt sound immersive and I replaced it with Caesar or divine Caesar, if it fits (sometimes also Princeps or Augustus). In my opinion more immersive. For female I just took Augusta. (with copy and paste its easy to change that)

Also its better not to mention that Nero killed himself, I just changed it to "Nero died". Because in next version, when the player overthrows Nero there are several decisions which leads to Nero gets killed in different way.

Awesome, Caesar is even better. The only thing with that is there was also a place in event 37 (EDIT: also event 16) where they talk about Caesar meaning Julius, so if everything else is Caesar meaning Emperor in general, it'd be good to change that place to Julius Caesar. Although it's not important and works regardless. Your edits are always appreciated, btw!

Originally posted by BanDHMO:

Awesome, Caesar is even better. The only thing with that is there was also a place in event 37 (EDIT: also event 16) where they talk about Caesar meaning Julius, so if everything else is Caesar meaning Emperor in general, it'd be good to change that place to Julius Caesar. Although it's not important and works regardless. Your edits are always appreciated, btw!

I think I already changed it. But thanks for the reminder.