I understand "Entrenched Position" or "Manicured Garden", but why do we have provinces like "Shameful Display" and "Meditation of the Tao"? Minor gripe but why couldn't these be "Yujo House" and "Contemplative Temple"? Anyone have the same thoughts?

28 minutes ago, Hordeoverseer said:

I understand "Entrenched Position" or "Manicured Garden", but why do we have provinces like "Shameful Display" and "Meditation of the Tao"? Minor gripe but why couldn't these be "Yujo House" and "Contemplative Temple"? Anyone have the same thoughts?

Yes thats pretty weird.

Im more ok with the "gereric characters" but they could care a little more with this kind of stuff since l5r fans really care about lore and references, despite some mechanics dont make sense thematically I think this is important to dont loose L5R essence.

I think since conflicts can be political too it represents an issue that the clans are fighting over. There is a Shameful Display between two samurai and now the clans are fighting over it. In a military battle they are killing each other on the field of battle over the honor and consequences and in a political one there are legal arguments and social consequences of such an event. It also makes sense on the effects of the card. One side takes the higher honorable ground and the other defends the display and is dishonored for association. Similar arguments could be made about interpretations of the Tao.

20 minutes ago, Goshiu said:

I think since conflicts can be political too it represents an issue that the clans are fighting over. There is a Shameful Display between two samurai and now the clans are fighting over it. In a military battle they are killing each other on the field of battle over the honor and consequences and in a political one there are legal arguments and social consequences of such an event. It also makes sense on the effects of the card. One side takes the higher honorable ground and the other defends the display and is dishonored for association. Similar arguments could be made about interpretations of the Tao.

I think this nails it. Not every "province" is a physical place, because not every conflict is a physical battle. The term "province" is what creates confusion here, but they had to call the place on the table where the conflict is occurring something, and in a shout-out to the CCG, they chose "province". I suppose they could have used a term like "locus" or "focal point" or even "location", but those are kinda meh. Now, yes, military conflicts occur at "Meditations on the Tao" (those guys are having a REALLY spirited debate, I guess) while political conflicts happen at the "Entrenched Position". On the face of it, those things don't really make sense, but it's actually a pretty good compromise all around, IMO.

They are places and events that are located/occur on your territory, right? So wether its a place or event, it hapoens somewhere in your lands, hence in one of your provinces. Just see it like you can meditate on the tao on a place or build trenches on it. You just chose to do one or the other.

Let's say you're a Crane duelist. And then let's say you spotted some no-good dishonorable samurai engaged in a Shameful Display with your younger sister. Now let's say your family's honor demands you address this situation to preserve your sister's reputation (clearly he was forcing himself on her, the brute). Pretty sure that's heading toward a duel, which is quite military in nature.

54 minutes ago, DGLaderoute said:

I think this nails it. Not every "province" is a physical place, because not every conflict is a physical battle. The term "province" is what creates confusion here, but they had to call the place on the table where the conflict is occurring something, and in a shout-out to the CCG, they chose "province". I suppose they could have used a term like "locus" or "focal point" or even "location", but those are kinda meh. Now, yes, military conflicts occur at "Meditations on the Tao" (those guys are having a REALLY spirited debate, I guess) while political conflicts happen at the "Entrenched Position". On the face of it, those things don't really make sense, but it's actually a pretty good compromise all around, IMO.

Sure it does. After failing to dig them out by force, you turn to negotiations to get them to give up that land, or the imperial court to get a decree forcing them to.

Most provinces can be made to make sense when you consider the various forms a "MIL conflict" or "POL conflict" can really take. Not every MIL conflict is a full military skirmish. It could be anything from a duel, a sake house brawl with political repercussions, a shadowy infiltration all the way up to a full-on city/fortress siege, depending on the characters, element(s) of the conflict, conflict cards and provinces involved. Similarly for POL conflicts.

A MIL conflict at Meditations on the Tao could be duelists fighting over the correct interpretation of a line from the Tao of Shinsei or just a show of superior balance in a mock duel and so on.

Indeed, it feels like the province cards are supposed to represent places but also events and situations occuring in the location.