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Author Topic: Political, economical and religious systems  (Read 1302 times)

Ekaton

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Political, economical and religious systems
« on: January 02, 2016, 06:26:30 pm »

I'd like to share with you my own idea of how different systems can affect the world and its rules. This could provide great variety to the game and each civ would have a chance to become unique in its own way. Some civs would obviously stick to their ways as they are now (Elfs being the same tree-lovers they are now) but mainly dwarves and humans can create different economical and political systems that would result in their laws being different, cities, people having different customs etc.

Basics

I. Each country has one of the systems and up to several features.
II. Each of those affects different aspects of the world - how the world looks (feudalism means castles, imperialism means legionary fortresses like those of the Romans, free cities means different cities, each with their townhouse and city council chambers etc.)
III. A tendency towards towns/castles/villages means which is dominant in the worldgen and which develops fastest
IV. Mountain dwarves always have a tendency towards mines and mountainhomes and the difference lies in ownership of the mines and of caravans.
V. Features are furtherly personalising civs.

Economical systems

I. Free market - there is a strong tendency towards cities, merchant families enjoy a dominant position in existing political bodies, there are no or very little customs resulting in much larger goods exchange than in other systems resulting in lower prices and more ships/carts etc, number of ships/carts is largely influenced by the safety of the seas/roads and governments tend to want to make those safer; if they are unsafe, there are fewer caravans but those are larger and better protected
II. Trade monopoly - there is a state monopoly on trade - ships and caravans are owned and commanded by the state, buying goods for lower prices than in free market system, the exchange is smaller and caravans tend to be large and well protected, there is a preference towards castles, nobles enjoy a dominant position in existing political bodies
III. Corporatism - there are several corporations that enjoy certain privileges, resulting in them enjoying the dominant position in existing political bodies and them dictating the prices and organising trade, the prices tend to be quite high, there is tendency towards towns
IV. Protectionism - this is free market internally but most exchange between civs is halted because of the tariffs, the prices are consequentially higher and there are fewer caravans/ships, the merchants enjoy dominant position in existing political bodies, there is a tendency towards towns
V. Planned economy - the state decides what is produced and for how much it is sold by different laws, the prices are fixed and supply/demand is not working properly, resulting is smaller exchange, there can be monopolies on trade and on international trade, there is a tendency towards cities, the nobles are enjoyig a dominant position in existing political bodies
VI. Primitive economy - simple exchange with nothing more sophisticated than that, favours villages and castles, no-one enjoys dominant position but the rulers or local leaders, the exchange is rather small and tends to be local
VII. Feudal economy - land is owned by the nobles, there is tendency towards castles and villages, fiefs tend to trade little, wanting to produce just what they need
VIII. Elfs - loving trees, living in their trees, trading for what they can't produce, really easy

In practice:
- Dwarven civ with free market would have mines owned by mining companies, one with feudal economy would have mines owned by lords or mayors, one with planned economy owned by the king
- Human civ with free trade will be open for trade and happily buy goods from dwarf fortresses but a protectionist one won't

Political systems

I. Despotic monarchy - the monarch is all that matters, he can kill and imprison whoever he wishes, he can make and change laws freely, he is surrounded by advisors with no power but the power to convince him, monarch's real power lies in his army and generals tend to be important figures, there is a strong tendency towards castles and villages
II. Feudal monarchy - the monarch enjoys his powers based on the principle of him being chosen by the gods, he can change laws freely but his nobles enjoy certain privileges, so that he can't imprison them without a reason, there is a strong tendency towards castles and villages
III. Monarchy of the nobles - monarch's powers are limited, the real power lying in the hands of the nobles though their council which makes and changes laws and has rights to deliver justice, there is a strong tendency towards castles and villages
IV. Monarchy of the merchants - monarch's powers are limited, the real power lying in the hands of the merchants though their council which makes and changes laws and has rights to deliver justice, there is a strong tendency towards towns
V. Constitutional monarchy - monarch's powers are limited, the real power lying in the hands of his subjects though their council which makes and changes laws and has rights to deliver justice
VI. Theocracy - state is ruled by an ultimate religious figure who is the messenger for the gods, he can change and make laws freely and imprison or kill any person, there are chapels and temples in every town, castle and village
VII. Counicilary theocracy - same as the previous one but with religious council ruling
VIII. The guilds - the guilds rule through their respective cities, each one enjoying a high degree of autonomy, each city's guild makes and changes laws and together they rule the army proportionally to their size, there are no castles and villages belong to the cities
IX.  Democracy - people choose their representatives who make and change laws
X. Empire - emperor is ruling with the help of he Senate which names the successor, there are Legions of soldiers commanded by the senators, justice is delivered by courts and emperor has the power to overurn them and to deliver justice himself
XI. Tribalism - the bloodlines rule, make and change laws, the strongest one becomes the tribe's leader


Religious systems

I. Organised religion - the religion is governed by a head of the religion, there is a hierarchy among priests and the church tends to be well represented in civ's governing bodies, the religion has its holy scriptures and can prosecute for defying them
II. Organised anti-theism - religion is suppressed and illegal
III. Atheism - there is no religion
IV. Shamanism - there are loosely organised shamans who perform their rituals which can vary greatly between the shamans, no holy scriptures, lots of myths, no hierarchy, shamans live in huts
V. Non-organised religion - similar to the previous one but with slightly more similar rituals, priests live in temples, a lot of myths, there are no official scriptures
VI. Elitist cult - there is a cult that is restricted to local elite, they practice secret rituals and have their holy scriptures
VII. Religious pluralism - there are different cults co-existing in the world

Criminal justice systems (if monarchy where king is the judge - those are in the absence of him and political crimes should always be heard by the monarch)

I. Independant judiciary - justice is delivered by courts instead of nobles, judges can be appointed or elected
II. Judiciary councils - justice is delivered by councils - city, village councils and warrior councils in the castles
III. Retaliation - justice is delivered by the victim and his family
IV. Noble justice - nobles are judging the commoners

Economical features

I. Focus - basically what the civ focuces on producing and gets bonus for in terms of more skilled workers - metal goods, food, wood, furniture etc.
II. Banking - the civ has a strong banking system which adds to its wealth and increases trade
III. Land trading - the civ has a strong land trading system that means more caravans and safer routes
IV. Sea trading - the civ has a strong sea trading system that means more ships and safer seas
V. Xenophobia - the civ's trade is restricted for members of other races
VI. Cosmopolitism - the civ's trade is more open and there are more members of other races in civ's sites

Political features
I. Caste system - people are divided into certain casts with varying degree of influence
II. Slavery - the civ accepts slavery
III. Plutocracy - those who can afford it get more influence
IV. Aristocracy - the noble ones get more influence
V. Meritocracy - the most worthy ones get more influence
VI. Military citizenship - to become a full citizen one must serve in the army
VII. Conservatism - civ is ruled according to ancient customs that are nearly impossible to be changed
VIII. Local governance - towns and villages enjoy high degree of autonomy in matters of self-governance
IX. Military rule - soldiers get more influence
X. Scholasticism - civ promotes knowledge, there are more libraries, scholars etc.

Religious features

I. Fanatism - members of other religions are persecuted
II. Monotheism - there is only one god
III. Multiple scriptures - there are many holy scriptures that are causing religious tensions among one religion
IV. Sentient sacrifice, non-sentient sacrifice
V. Holy objects - anything really; goblets, swords, shields; using them gets religious meaning and they are rarely or never traded for; holy animals too
VI. Tree-loving - obviously
VII. Night cult - cult focused on the creatures of the night
VIII. Sacred gardens - cult maintains secret gardens in which sacred animals might live
« Last Edit: January 02, 2016, 06:34:22 pm by Ekaton »
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Salmeuk

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Re: Political, economical and religious systems
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2016, 07:50:41 pm »

Posting this to the suggestion forum would find you more replies, though I suspect your idea has already been suggested. Also, the idea of categorical economic / political systems without an eye to the specifics of each and every case is pretty outdated. Free markets often arent free / democracies are rarely controlled by the people / etcetcetc
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mirrizin

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Re: Political, economical and religious systems
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2016, 10:35:36 am »

Also, any internal governance system will be inevitably overridden by the player, unless you want to make some truly fundamental changes to the game.
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Bumber

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Re: Political, economical and religious systems
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2016, 12:48:54 pm »

Posting this to the suggestion forum would find you more replies, though I suspect your idea has already been suggested.
It would also inevitably be found by GoblinCookie, and then consequently be drowned in page-stretching arguments that never really go anywhere.
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Ribs

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Re: Political, economical and religious systems
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2016, 03:34:42 pm »


I'd like to share with you my own idea of how different systems can affect the world and its rules. This could provide great variety to the game and each civ would have a chance to become unique in its own way. Some civs would obviously stick to their ways as they are now (Elfs being the same tree-lovers they are now) but mainly dwarves and humans can create different economical and political systems that would result in their laws being different, cities, people having different customs etc.

I think that a lot of what you are suggesting will be included in the fabled Fortress Starting Scenarios release, as it will "expand framework of law, custom, rights, property and status as needed to provide a variety of scenarios". So when that's out, I get the feeling we'll have a better idea of how things will work out.


Posting this to the suggestion forum would find you more replies, though I suspect your idea has already been suggested.
It would also inevitably be found by GoblinCookie, and then consequently be drowned in page-stretching arguments that never really go anywhere.

Oh God. I'm never contributing to that madness again, though. It took me a few deleted posts but I have finally learned my lesson.
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