Game Session 7: Committee Deliberations

In the aftermath of the siege and sack of Constantinople, the successful surviving leaders must come to decide the practical matters of now ruling the empire they have come to rule.

At the beginning of this class the professor will make a final accounting of the sack of Constantinople.

The game moves on to debate in committee to decide the: 1. election of a new emperor; 2. election of a new patriarch of Constantinople; and 3. partition of empire. The scope of the decisions to be made will be directly affected by the March Pact deliberations, and depending on those choices, one or more of the committees may not need to meet. For instance, if they chose an emperor before the attack on the city, there is no need for an imperial election committee.

The procedure is for each faction leader to appoint members to committees. The four leaders nominate committee members in order of the leaders’ overall fama:

• The first person nominated for each committee is the chair.

• Nomination to the committees happens simultaneously, so the total size of the committees need not be even at the end. (e.g. Boniface may appoint all his faction members to the imperial election committee to try and guarantee his election as emperor, even if that means he has no say in the patriarchal election or partition of lands).

• Students may even appoint rivals to different committees to keep them off committees in which they may threaten their interests.

If there is enough time, the three committees then deliberate on what to do and will continue the debates next class.

After all committees have completed their deliberations, all players will be asked if they accept the judgement of the committees and the decrees of the emperor. If everyone (or enough of a majority) agrees, then final points are awarded and the victory is considered. If there is no agreement, things get difficult.