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[LordBucket]

Also lets use our 50 coins to have the peasents begin constructing a Port,
use the construction team too. Compensate them as much as possible with the 50 coins.

-1

 * We're still waiting for clarification on some points. We appear to have no food, there might be 9 months until our next food/income tick, and that's our last 50 coins.
 * We're on a river, not an ocean. It's unlikely that there will be any large freighters coming through. A small dock is all we really need, and given the phrasing of this post, we probably already have that.
 * There's no need to pay our construction crew, because they're working as volunteers who've chosen to do this instead of working the farms and paying tithe.
 * Not sure how you'd use the last 50 coins to get materials to build a port and then pay them with those same 50 coins.

The peasents will then have more money, so they can uby more things.

Personally I would rather keep our peasants penniless and dependant on us. See the thread title. We're a feudal lord, not a banker.

[Evil Marahadja]

LordBucket:

1. Regarding the archers. The reason why they will hurt your food income is that most of their meat goes to you. Meat is quite a luxury ware and therefore expansive. You give them common food, and they give you meat. More and less.

2. You have no personal stockpile, since you got here a few months ago you haven't collected any taxes yet. But your village have their stockpile filled, so you do not have to worry about starvation at the moment. You still have to trade your food for coins. Thats why it is a good idea to build a granary.

3. You live near a river, which is the most place to create a settlement, combine that with your small estate. And there is not a lot of trees large enough to build buildings larger than small huts.

4. You could build it, it you cant place it to close to the river, since the ground there is to moisy. (I assume, correct me if I am wrong). So you could build a fortress at some distant from the village, but not a wall directly around it. 

5. Most of the houses are small huts containing materials as hay, clay and in some cases wood.
 

And Bucket have a good point with not giving the peasants money. Its only rich lords like you who actually use coins in a large scale here at the contryside. Most people stick to barter.

[Mr. Palau]

Also lets use our 50 coins to have the peasents begin constructing a Port,
use the construction team too. Compensate them as much as possible with the 50 coins.

-1

 * We're still waiting for clarification on some points. We appear to have no food, there might be 9 months until our next food/income tick, and that's our last 50 coins.[addressed by GM]
 * We're on a river, not an ocean. It's unlikely that there will be any large freighters coming through. A small dock is all we really need, and given the phrasing of this post, we probably already have that. [river boats can be quite big]
 * There's no need to pay our construction crew, because they're working as volunteers who've chosen to do this instead of working the farms and paying tithe. [Was refering to the peasents, sorry about it not being clear]
 * Not sure how you'd use the last 50 coins to get materials to build a port and then pay them with those same 50 coins. [Can pay peasents to chop down trees to get wood to make most of the port, even nails can be made out of wood so it is merely a question of how much longer it will take because we are forcing the peasents to chop down the trees. Also can use clay, which GM mentioned peasents make houses out of, to form the bulk of the port. Simply have them make it into bricks and sun-dry the bricks.]

The peasents will then have more money, so they can uby more things.

Personally I would rather keep our peasants penniless and dependant on us. See the thread title. We're a feudal lord, not a banker. [If they have more money there is more economic activity so we can get more taxes. We can put the taxes toward fudning an army to repress the peasents. they would still be dependant on us for buying their grain and selling it down or up river.]

Also he mentioned that the river is connected to the occean so we are basicly just a little bit farther away from everything on the occean. its also plausible to make boats with hulls shallow enough to traverse rivers, yet deep enough to traverse the occeans. The vikings accomplished this and this is the reason they were able to strike so deeply into the European continent, just follow the major rivers.

This really all depends on the size of the river. If it is one of the larger of the rivers in the area, we should be able to sail some pretty big boats on it. Of course unlike the freightor I showed you they would be much smaller, and not made of steel. But I rember from history class last year that the Chinese in the Tong dynasty had three story river boats that were the size of very large houses, so it is possible.

[Maldevious]

Instead of a port let's set up a monthly market. Encourage people to gather on our lands and engage in commerce, with a very small tax for our troubles. That way we get paid directly (versus sending out merchants and having Ti tax them on their return).

[Mr. Palau]

Instead of a port let's set up a monthly market. Encourage people to gather on our lands and engage in commerce, with a very small tax for our troubles. That way we get paid directly (versus sending out merchants and having Ti tax them on their return).

I was assuming the town already had one of those but if it doesn't this is by all means necessery, and would be required before a port would be succesful.

[Wayward Device]

Instead of a port let's set up a monthly market. Encourage people to gather on our lands and engage in commerce, with a very small tax for our troubles. That way we get paid directly (versus sending out merchants and having Ti tax them on their return).

I was assuming the town already had one of those but if it doesn't this is by all means necessery, and would be required before a port would be succesful.

+1

I think we need a gimmick to attract people to the new market once it opens. How about a anvil throwing contest (gah, do we even have a blacksmith?) with a prize of one of our precious gold coins. If I'm right about their value (i.e. we could just about fully equip ourselves as a knight if we spent all of them) then one should be worth about a years wages as an unskilled laborer. That would be a worthy prize, might attract a blacksmith if we don't have one, won't hurt our finances to much and would further impress upon our subjects how awesome and generous we are. If we do go with this, I say we enter the contest as well, but make sure not to win (if we are actually capable of wining.)

Alternatively, if our hunters can catch a bear we can have a good old fashioned bear baiting. Yay for blood sports!

[Mr. Palau]

Instead of a port let's set up a monthly market. Encourage people to gather on our lands and engage in commerce, with a very small tax for our troubles. That way we get paid directly (versus sending out merchants and having Ti tax them on their return).

I was assuming the town already had one of those but if it doesn't this is by all means necessery, and would be required before a port would be succesful.

+1

I think we need a gimmick to attract people to the new market once it opens. How about a anvil throwing contest (gah, do we even have a blacksmith?) with a prize of one of our precious gold coins. If I'm right about their value (i.e. we could just about fully equip ourselves as a knight if we spent all of them) then one should be worth about a years wages as an unskilled laborer. That would be a worthy prize, might attract a blacksmith if we don't have one, won't hurt our finances to much and would further impress upon our subjects how awesome and generous we are. If we do go with this, I say we enter the contest as well, but make sure not to win (if we are actually capable of wining.)

Alternatively, if our hunters can catch a bear we can have a good old fashioned bear baiting. Yay for blood sports!

Why not be simple and have a large stone throwing contest if we are going to have a throwing contest at all?

[Wayward Device]

I suppose, but anvils. Anvils! It doesn't really matter. We just need some sort of cool trial of strength. After all, the main point is for people to be entertained. We seem to be playing it smart, happy serfs is a recipe for a strong fief. Please tell me we'll be using the word enfiefed in this thread! As in "My Liege, I wish to relinquish the fief you enfiefed to me".

But we really should look into the blacksmith situation though.

[Evil Marahadja]

I was assuming the town already had one of those but if it doesn't this is by all means necessery, and would be required before a port would be succesful.

You do have a small local market hosted by and for your own people. Although you could try to expand it with suggestions mentioned above. And you still have to decide about the milita, and the granary.

[LordBucket]

still have to decide about the milita

Don't pull hunters off food production, just get our 5-man volunteer militia into training

Actually, related...you said three months had passed over the course of our "first move." Shouldn't they have already made some progress?

and the granary

What about it? We've already spent 50 coins on materials and designated a work crew for it. Kind of expected it to be finished already. 3 months is long time to build one building.

EDIT: Actually, re-checking the last update, the granary looks like it is finished. What is it that still needs to be decided about it?

You could build it, it you cant place it to close to the river, since the
ground there is to moisy. (I assume, correct me if I am wrong)

No rammed earth construction next to the river seems pretty reasonable to me. On the other hand, you mention "hay and clay" housing, and I assume you mean straw, then those houses are probably made of Cob, which is basically mud mixed with straw and hand-packed into layers and allowed to dry. It's slower to build than rammed earth because you have to wait for each layer to dry before applying the next layer, but it's easier and probably faster than making bricks.

Trivia: In the infamous Holy Grail annoying peasant scene, that's what they were doing in the mud. They were building a cob house.

On the other hand, if we have straw, then straw bale construction is an option that would work right up to the beach.

Also he mentioned that the river is connected to the occean so we are
basicly just a little bit farther away from everything on the occean.

And there's a city, Narsis, where that river meets the ocean.

If you were a freighter captain, would you take your ship to the established major trade hub on the ocean, or would you sail past that trade hub, risk taking your ship on a river, all while sailing or rowing against the current, in order to get to a village with only 100 people in it?

[Evil Marahadja]

Actually, related...you said three months had passed over the course of our "first move." Shouldn't they have already made some progress?

Some of your decisions will be made in a retro perspective. So if you choose the militia, they will have trained three mounts. And yes, they have made a little progress. But they need a proper trainer and some equipment before they can be considered something near a real soldier.

DIT: Actually, re-checking the last update, the granary looks like it is finished. What is it that still needs to be decided about it?

Weather to let peasants use it or not. If you do, you will have a smaller personal storage. But the villiage will be better prepared for a bad harvest year.

e
On the other hand, if we have straw, then straw bale construction is an option that would work right up to the beach.

Then that will work! Although with your small workforce, it will take a long time to create some proper defences.

I am considering how long the turns will be in the future, do you guys have a suggestion?

[Maldevious]

From my personal experience, I'd say have each turn be a set amount of time (which can be later revised if necessary). One or two months, probably.

[Maldevious]

Also +1 to bear baiting, strength contests, and perhaps an eating contest at our market - let's try to get some buzz, people!

[Doomblade187]

I am considering how long the turns will be in the future, do you guys have a suggestion?

How about one month per turn?

[LordBucket]

granary

Weather to let peasants use it or not.

Shared granary usage for now

if you choose the militia

I see several supporting votes for militia, one for hiring the archers, and one for "don't hire archers but send them to look for the raiders."

militia

they need a proper trainer and some equipment before they
can be considered something near a real soldier.

We'll be doing the training personally for now. As for weapons, dwarven wrestling, wooden spears and/or bows and farming implements for weapons, plus the leather armor we specified on the previous page.

Price check on metal weapons and armor

Then that will work! Although with your small workforce,
it will take a long time to create some proper defences.

Yes, but since we're short on funds, once the mill is finished it doesn't look like they'll have much else to do until our next income tick anyway. 9 months is a good chunk of time.

I am considering how long the turns will be in the future, do you guys have a suggestion?

I'd say three months for now. We don't really have much to do until our next income tick, which isn't for 9 more months. I think we'd rather avoid turns that consist of "ok, we have no money or food, and an untrained military so we sit and wait until next turn." We can shorten the turn length later once we have more people and materials to work with.