The Alphaville Herald

Battle of Prize Delta – Part Three: Rule, Britannia!

by Alphaville Herald on 05/07/08 at 4:09 pm

Why would we surrender, ol’ bean? We’re in your base, musketing your doods

by Caine Constantine

In June, the musket-wielding armies of British conquest fought a prolonged battle to claim Prize Delta and the Task Force Marines as the newest colony of the British Empire. The Marines, however, refused to be anyone’s subjects. And so, a day later, the British came back again to claim what they thought was theirs. This time, though, they planned to stay.

More conflict seemed inevitable, despite the previous epic battle, in which the Marines were gunning down the British by the dozens using their modern day machine guns, and the British retaliating through volley fire of their 18th century muskets. Despite the mismatch, the British forces – mostly composed of Ordo Imperialis, with some volunteers from other groups like the Alliance Navy – had been victorious. Facing even the “metal birds” and “witch magic” that British flagman Water Halbert pointed out, the King’s men had carried the day.. Now they even went so far as to claim that they were the owners of Prize Delta. British General Ruin Nefarious made this clear, saying “TFM is actually the Colony of Lamestein – we are reconquering it for the Crown”.

Caine Constantine: So the new rulers of Prize Delta and the Task Force Marines, which you are calling now the people of the Colony of Lamestein, are the British Empire?
Ruin Nefarious: Exactly.
Intus Infinity: They had a temporary uprising. We crushed them
Rei Kuhr: They will be heavily taxed, as a reward.
Aelus Janus: FOR COUNTRY, FOR THRONE.
Ruin Nefarious shouts: Fuck representation!

Their first assault had been one of total conquest. But the battle seemed to wane after the occupation of the base. The British had later realized that in leaving Prize Delta after their victory, they had made a great mistake in claiming their colony – they did not occupy the Marine base long enough to truly stamp onto them the mark of defeat.

And so on June 12th, 2008, soldiers of the British Empire returned in force. I asked General Nefarious for information on what brought them back in such force.

Caine Constantine: What has brought Britain back to the battlefield today?
Ruin Nefarious: One of my men misplaced their wallets.
Ruin Nefarious: We’re relocating it.

Caine Constantine: And how is the battle going?
Ruin Nefarious: Splendid, thank you. I stubbed my paw, toe, thing. Otherwise fabulous.

By the time I made it to the battlefield though, the fight was well underway. A lone Marine, rigonet Aeghin, greeted me as I arrived on the scene.

rigonet Aeghin: Hey caine
Caine Constantine: Hello, I wish I could talk more but they are gunning for me!
rigonet Aeghin: This fight is like the worse fight i been to
rigonet Aeghin: The enemy are pretty good

Caine Constantine: How is it the worst?
rigonet Aeghin: Yea this is like a battlefield of dead
rigonet Aeghin: Bombs going off
rigonet Aeghin: Shooting people
rigonet Aeghin: this is like a nightmare

In his summary, rigonet had a point. Prize Delta was built to look like a warzone, but today it was truly hellish. The Marines had made some changes to their lands – barbed wire and roaring flames made their imposing lake of lava all the more deadly.

The Marines had blocked out much of the hub and so the British were unable to replicate the strategy they had used the day before. Now, instead of moving north to bombard the Marine base from a secondary compound like they had in the last battle, they had to take the decrepit town south of the main Marine base, and then storm the base’s main entrance.

British troops gave their war cries before moving out for close-quarters combat.

Knightblade Fayray shouts: FOR KING AND COUNTRY!
Aeriese Descenna shouts: Long live Imperator Aryte I !

Task Force Marines were holding the city, but their numbers were thin. Two defenders were originally all that stood in the way of the King’s hordes when I arrived on the scene.

The town provided a lot of opportunity for cover in the form of wrecked buildings and cars, but the British were ready for a concerted push west into its heart. Embedded with them, I followed closely as British troops moved along the southern edge of Prize Delta towards the town center. Marines caught by surprise were soon picked off.

The British were now ready to hold the position and wait for reinforcements to trickle in before moving on. But British soldiers – still armed with muskets shooting once every ten seconds, at best – were still exponentially outgunned.

One of the Marines – Christopher Compton – came at the British position armed with automatic weaponry. The first volley had missed Christopher, and as they reloaded their muskets, the Marine managed to gun most of them down and killed me as well.

He was cut down by British soldier MikeMurdock McMillan, who survived to bring the dead soldiers back to the site. He also was kind enough to bring me back and form the British soldiers into position so that they could defend me.

MikeMurdock McMillan: protect the reporter, men!
loki Cramer: i got this side covered, Caine

As Christopher returned for more, British soldier loki Cramer hit him as he aimed to gun us all down and head back to the town center.

Christopher Compton (speaking to me): how i didn’t kill you i don’t know…
loki Cramer (firing at Christopher): leave Caine alone!

With Christopher showing no signs of slowing down, British soldier Johann Wilberg jumped to engage him up close, keeping him from the still thinly numbered British lines. Jumping at him without even a burst of gunfire he sprung into action just as Christopher took down another one of the British defenders.

I apologize for the grainy shots here, but at this point the sim was lagging badly and it was either me getting grainy shots on low graphics, or getting no shots at all.

Here, Christopher chases him as Johann brings him to the other side of the building. The two are unable to shoot well at such close range, with such hectic movement – but the British are now able to marshal their forces as Johann keeps the Marines busy.

Eventually, Christopher took Johann down – and for a brief moment, the town belonged to the Marines; Christopher was the last man standing in the heart of the town.

in Marine base. General Nefarious and the keeper of the colors, Failius Falta, soon seized the outer wall of the base and began to lay siege to it.

British Captain Failius Falta was perhaps the most inspirational British soldier of the battle. Armed with nothing more than the Union Jack and a colonial khaki uniform, he and his companion Mr. Sluggans repeatedly charged the Marine base in an attempt to raise the flag and rally the King’s army forward.

He had managed to breach Marine defenses multiple times – even making his way to the base and flying the flag in between Marine soldiers trying to run out into the battlefield, but he usually soon killed.

Caine Constantine: A picture, please, Mr. Falta?
Failius Falta: ‘Ello old boy. And certainly sah, it’d be a pleasure.

Captain Falta, though unarmed, was still in charge of leading his men to the Marine stronghold and was eager to show the power of the British Empire.

Ruin Nefarious: Captain Falta.
Ruin Nefarious: Take your lads up to the east ridge!
Failius Falta salutes!
Failius Falta: TALLY HO BOYS!! BLOOD AND THUNDER!

Other soldiers had their own means of fighting the war on the psychological front. British soldier Easy101 Wilber chose to mount a firebreathing, winged horse, and fired his musket at the Marine base from atop the fearsome creature.

But while British forces were proud to show off their colorful methods of 18th century combat, the Marines had no reason to be laughing. They were now surrounded in their own base.

British snipers had taken the high ground and had the base entrance closed off.

Other snipers were picking off Marines from behind their base.

Captain Falta was patrolling the entrance to the base, completing the seal.

Nevertheless, the Marines were defiant and still fighting vigorously. They were silently bottled up, waiting to slaughter any British forces who crossed Captain Falta’s line of patrol and made it into the base.

Scattered British forces made their way into the Marine base, and somehow made it to the lowest level of the compound. The battle took an extreme turn for the worse for all parties though, when somehow, a group of British and Marine soldiers were blown through the lowest floor of the base into the lowest level – a watery, muddy cavern with no way in or out.

This was where the final fight of the battle of Prize Delta would go down. Conditions were very poor and lag was evident – pictures here are also unfortunately grainy

Ruin Nefarious shouts: FORM RANKS
Ruin Nefarious shouts: LINE UP

The battle became even more intense when teleports went down. Now, death meant only a brief freeze before gameplay resumed as normal for the lucky victim.

Both sides took the opportunity to demand terms.

loki Cramer shouts: Surrender and you will be spared and your nightmare will end!
Johann Wilberg shouts: Surrender, chaps. And you might be spared!
Thompson Aeon: surrender u fuckin brits!
Thompson Aeon: british army is 100% noobish

In the finest line of the whole battle, General Nefarious made the British position very clear.

Ruin Nefarious shouts: Why would we surrender, ol’ bean? We’re in your base, musketing your doods.

British forces quickly gained numerical superiority, and though Marine Third Admiral Mayra Roffo’s guns had done a fine job of holding the British off, superior numbers and downed teleporters meant that they were of little use now.

The British were coming for her.

After closing in, one British soldier unsuccessfully demanded Admiral Roffo surrender the Marines, by making the demand right into her ear.

Johann Wilberg: Surrender.

The fight became very personal at this point. Bullets weren’t working, so perhaps verbal barbs would do the job.

PEACE Acorn shouts: you lot are fucking nuters!
Ruin Nefarious shouts: Thou mother art swine, sir!
Ruin Nefarious shouts: I thumb my nose at you, sir.
Agares Tretiak shouts: Your father was a hamster, and your mother smelt of elderberries!

Soon enough, the British unilaterally declared victory.

Ruin Nefarious shouts: We are in control, men!
Ruin Nefarious shouts: HUZZAH!
Ruin Nefarious shouts: HUZZAH!

As teleports slowly came back in and deaths resumed, I had to ask whether the King’s glory was worth this slaughter.

Caine Constantine shouts: Gentlemen, is the king’s glory worth all your lives?
Reiken Birge shouts: YES IT IS GOOD SIR!
Knightblade Fayray shouts: ITS WORTH OUR LIVES AND MORE!

I then decided to ask the Marines whether the British claim of victory was fair.

Caine Constantine shouts: TFM, are the British in control of this base?
Thompson Aeon shouts: cain stfu u guys didnt do shit
Thompson Aeon shouts: does it look like ne of us r offline or dead
Thompson Aeon shouts: u guys r just noobs who swarm ppls bases 30 2 4
Johann Wilberg shouts: We didn’t do anything?
Kazuhiro Schnyder shouts: Angry little bugger
loki Cramer shouts: well its more “our” outpost now than there base sir
loki Cramer shouts: Your base is ours, it is full of OUR men
loki Cramer shouts: You used machine guns and we used single shot muskets which are horribly inaccurate and we won
loki Cramer shouts: Your men gave up!
loki Cramer shouts: Huzzah!
Reiken Birge shouts: FOR THE GLORY OF THE KING!

Marines were leaving the field of battle, and those returning were quickly killed. Only scattered resistance remained, and so the British began to colonize Prize Delta.

Their first act in doing so was the rebuilding of the bridge over the sim’s great lava chasm.

Johann Wilberg shouts: I fixed your broken bridge, good beans!
loki Cramer: As you can see, we repaired their bridge
loki Cramer: Under our control, the sim is much more peaceful.

And so, fighting in brutal, close quarters combat in a part of Prize Delta that was neither fit for man nor beast, the armies of the British Empire were victorious. They retired to their home in Titan for the celebrations. With most of the Marines gone, there was nobody in Prize Delta to talk to, so I tagged along back to the home of Ordo Imperialis.

The victory celebration looked much like the last one – with one notably different attendee. King Aryte Vesperia was there to review his victorious soldiers.

I asked the soldiers about some of the happenings of the battle.

Caine Constantine: How did you succeed in the face of modern weaponry like metal birds and machine guns?
ShadowFang Blessed: INFERNAL CONTRAPTIONS!
Diablos Korobase: With British Grit, determination and a stiff upper lip
Kytec Switchblade: Threw more men at it, that’ll solve this rubbish.

Then, I found out that in addition to a lost wallet, there were other motives for the battle – and that the war might still continue.

Caine Constantine: What was different about today’s battle as opposed to yesterday’s?
loki Cramer: yesterday we fought for tea, today we fought to find our mans missing wallet
Kazuhiro Schnyder: Yes my wallet was lost sadly, but it was found!

Caine Constantine: And did the TFM take the money inside of it?
ShadowFang Blessed: OH SHI- I LOST MY WALLET! WE NEED TO GO BACK!
Thunder Rahja: We can try to go reclaim the money tomorrow.
ShadowFang Blessed: D: but
ShadowFang Blessed: my money
ShadowFang Blessed: AND MY FREE TEA CARD
Kytec Switchblade: Bloody bad nuff’ they don’t pay their damned taxes, the king will rightly have their heads for this.
Aeriese Descenna: TFM stands for Tea Filfering Muggers, eh lads?

The leader of the assault was a bit reluctant at first to accept his position as the British King, and claimed another title.

Caine Constantine: Is your King Aryte Vesperia?
loki Cramer: Huzzah!
Knightblade Fayray: RIght-O!
Reiken Birge: Aye!
Aryte Vesperia: I am merely a humble Royal Governor.

Caine Constantine: If I may ask another question, who came up with the idea of this adventure?
Aryte Vesperia raises his hand. “My bad.”

Many of the Task Force Marines were insistent that the British were baseless, landless, hopeless “noobs.” Would they figure things out and strike back at Ordo Imperialis and their allies?

Caine Constantine: Has TFM struck back here at all? Do you think they even know that the British are a creation of Ordo Imperialis?
Aryte Vesperia: They have no clue.
Aryte Vesperia: One of their members shouted “you don’t even have a base” while we were withdrawing.

I asked about the situation with the teleporters going down in the base during the battle – I wanted to make sure it was the same for everyone, and not just myself. Though I was later told this was the case, Captain Falta had a fine answer to my question.

Caine Constantine: Did the teleports go down during the fight in the depths of the TFM base?
Failius Falta: I didn’t notice. I was too busy drinking port from my hip flask.

So, once again, the keeper of the British flags was drinking on the job. But, he had done good work regardless. There was still some confusion over the identity of the King – confusion which could not be tolerated considering so many of the British were ready to die for their King.

Caine Constantine: Is there anything else you would like to say to sum up today’s battle?
Kytec Switchblade: Long Live the King!
Thunder Rahja: FOR THE KING!
ShadowFang Blessed: FOR KING VESPERIA
Aeriese Descenna: Aye! God save our lord Aryte!
Diablos Korobase shouts: GOD SAVE THE KING!!!!!!

Aryte Vesperia clears his throat.
Aryte Vesperia: GOVERNOR.
Agares Tretiak: God save the Queen’s governor.
Kazuhiro Schnyder: Yes kin- er…. GOVERNOR

But many brought up the point that the would-be King’s bride, Ryoaku, was Queen. So, wouldn’t Aryte be King?

Caine Constantine: Governor Aryte, do you confirm that you are now King of the British?
Aryte Vesperia: I don’t know. We just voted Ryoaku queen, and I kind of married her.
Kytec Switchblade: She was queen first and now she’s married to you XD
ShadowFang Blessed: MAKE UP YOUR DAMMED MIND! GOVERNOR OR KING?!
Aryte Vesperia: That would make me King.

And so in a bold step that no British monarch ever took, the King scrapped his title and declared himself one rank higher.

Aryte Vesperia: Oh hell, forget Kingship. Emperor.

Caine Constantine: I think King Aryte has just declared himself the British Emperor.
Aryte Vesperia: All in favor of Aryte for Emperor?

It was at this point that every Briton there raised their hands and shouted a “HUZZAH!” in the name of the new Emperor’s ascension.

Caine Constantine: Then it is Emperor Aryte Vesperia, ruler of Titan and Prize Delta?
Aryte Vesperia: Ha ha, we’ll go with that!

And so it was done. The new Emperor once again congratulated his troops, and I took my leave of absence.

Talking later with Marine Third Admiral Mayra Roffo, she congratulated her own troops for the valiant stand they made against superior British numbers. They had the Marines outnumbered again perhaps three to one. The fight was intense – but the Marines had picked up a lot of lessons for the future, as well.

The British later returned for more skirmishing in the coming days, but their first two expeditions to Prize Delta were fine contributions to Second Life military history. The Task Force Marines, especially considering their age and size, put up a good resistance each time. Nevertheless, the British prevailed though tactical prowess and sheer force of will.

Would the war ever end? Aeriese Descenna to me, “Our attacks will cease once the TFM start paying their damned taxes and start working the land”. In light of this, it seems unlikely that the war will end soon..

But the Battle of Prize Delta – all three of its phases, from the first Merczateer attack to the final British occupation – were examples of the stuff that makes Second Life combat so interesting. Many people have complained of the problems of the platform – lag, substandard graphics compared to computer and console powerhouse titles, and so on – but the truth is that only with this platform could you get the precision skill of the Merczateers and other militaries like them, or the sheer enjoyment provided by the musket wielding soldiers of the British Empire.

It can be done on other mediums of course, but with a lot more difficulty. Prize Delta was not just the baptismal fire of the Task Force Marines, and not just another attack for the Merczateers or for the tea-driven British volunteers of Ordo Imperialis, but continuing proof of the versatility, variety and vitality of military combat in Second Life.