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[GreatWyrmGold]

Fair point, i just get the feeling she will be fine with that.

So do I, but you never know.

[kahn1234]

Currently, spend time with Marna and maybe think in depth about the marriage.

I'd also think about setting in motion the enlargement and improvement of much fo what we have. we want larger and more profitable workshops, mines, warehouses etc and better roads in the country (gravel roads would be better than crude mud tracks).

Also, maybe build a water wheel onto the furnace/blast furnace/smith to operate the bellows and other machinery. Medieval armour factories made plate armour cheap as chips and, especially in the late era of the medieval period, even commoner units and non-noble professional units were completely outfitted with plate encasing their arms, torsos, heads and necks (but not the legs except faulds and tuilles/tassets (thigh defense attached to the cuirass). apparently there was a belief that leg armour put you at a disadvantage).

Finally, i think we should make our main infantry force of spear-men (in mail shirts and brigandine armour with heater or kite shields) and polearmsmen such as Billmen with in mail+brigandine or partial plate armour. This would compliment our archer forces (maybe equip them with leather armour or light brigandine?) well. As for archer side arms, maces, mallets and 1 handed swords (all 3 of which were the side arms for English longbowmen) would do finely.

Chainmail is beyond our means right now, we have one armourer. One. Mail is far far too labor and skill intensive. Not to mention that brigandine and chain together would significantly impact mobility and endurance.

Which is why i advocated the construction of an armour factory using water wheels to power automatic smithing points to manufacture good quality steel plate. Only needs 1-3 armourers to operate properly, may even run fine with 1 armourer. Would mean our guys could have decent plate armour and other metal based lighter armours (example:light brigandine for archers and skirmishers). Plus, any surplus armour could be sold.

This would, however , mean we have to have access to steel. Blast furnace needs to be built.

[Gervassen]

All of this depends on finding a metallurgist of appropriate skills, since we're limited by what manpower is locally available. Blast furnaces were exceedingly rare in the general timeframe, and it appears that the resulting pig iron was hard to make into steel until the bessemer process in 1850. The medieval answer seems to have been more smiths beating and refining the pig iron.

[kahn1234]

All of this depends on finding a metallurgist of appropriate skills, since we're limited by what manpower is locally available. Blast furnaces were exceedingly rare in the general timeframe, and it appears that the resulting pig iron was hard to make into steel until the bessemer process in 1850. The medieval answer seems to have been more smiths beating and refining the pig iron.

Hence automated hammers. Medieval armour was fantastically strong. To make the process easier, cheaper and less manpower intensive they build armour factories that had rows of huge heavy hammers that were powered by water wheels that constantly hammered the metal out and cleansed it of impurities (which, unlike iron/steel from Japan, had very few impurities to begin with).

An armour factory wouldn't need a person to be a master. he only needs to guide the machinery. It can wait however until we have better armourers and smiths. I just though another export might be helpful and if we put out word we are constructing an armour factory, we might draw skilled metal workers, armourers, weapon smiths and blacksmiths to us quicker.

[Origami_Psycho]

All of this depends on finding a metallurgist of appropriate skills, since we're limited by what manpower is locally available. Blast furnaces were exceedingly rare in the general timeframe, and it appears that the resulting pig iron was hard to make into steel until the bessemer process in 1850. The medieval answer seems to have been more smiths beating and refining the pig iron.

Hence automated hammers. Medieval armour was fantastically strong. To make the process easier, cheaper and less manpower intensive they build armour factories that had rows of huge heavy hammers that were powered by water wheels that constantly hammered the metal out and cleansed it of impurities (which, unlike iron/steel from Japan, had very few impurities to begin with).

An armour factory wouldn't need a person to be a master. he only needs to guide the machinery. It can wait however until we have better armourers and smiths. I just though another export might be helpful and if we put out word we are constructing an armour factory, we might draw skilled metal workers, armourers, weapon smiths and blacksmiths to us quicker.

That would be all well and good, but it depends upon which period of the medieval ages we're in, 'cause that sounds like something in the late medieval ages, and we might be in early/high medieval.  But if we can do that it would be friggin awesome.

[kahn1234]

All of this depends on finding a metallurgist of appropriate skills, since we're limited by what manpower is locally available. Blast furnaces were exceedingly rare in the general timeframe, and it appears that the resulting pig iron was hard to make into steel until the bessemer process in 1850. The medieval answer seems to have been more smiths beating and refining the pig iron.

Hence automated hammers. Medieval armour was fantastically strong. To make the process easier, cheaper and less manpower intensive they build armour factories that had rows of huge heavy hammers that were powered by water wheels that constantly hammered the metal out and cleansed it of impurities (which, unlike iron/steel from Japan, had very few impurities to begin with).

An armour factory wouldn't need a person to be a master. he only needs to guide the machinery. It can wait however until we have better armourers and smiths. I just though another export might be helpful and if we put out word we are constructing an armour factory, we might draw skilled metal workers, armourers, weapon smiths and blacksmiths to us quicker.

That would be all well and good, but it depends upon which period of the medieval ages we're in, 'cause that sounds like something in the late medieval ages, and we might be in early/high medieval.  But if we can do that it would be friggin awesome.

In reality, there is nothing in an armour factory that would limit it to the late period. Its just a clever construction of gears, leather belts, wood and metal. Essentially a water mill with hammers and anvils instead of grinding wheels, bellows, buzzsaw etc.

The only reason they were built in the late period is due to the advent and growing use of gunpowder and the need for better armour. Had gunpowder started becoming widely used in the early high period (aka the late 1100's) armour factories would have started to spring up in the early 1200's.

[Maldevious]

Year 4, October

Automated armor factory is a bit beyond your people's expertise at the moment. Remember, assembly line was a big breakthrough (Venetian Armada then not until Henry Ford, really). Not saying it can't happen, but you'll need to search the land for some of the smartest, most creative, and most technically sound craftsmen to do something like this. Huge undertaking.

Overcome with joy, you decide with Lady Marna that you will be married at some point in May, and, as is tradition, the ceremony will take place in the Duke's castle. You'll be responsible for a small party of your personal entourage, and the wedding rings, but that is it.

With the harvest happening and the festival, you don't have much time for other projects. You manage to find a work crew to replace your crude mud roads with gravel roads throughout your land, however. You also find that, when you ask about the warehouse, the merchants from the town have enlarged it on their own.

The harvest is fine, quite average really. Taxes are collected, and you pay them in turn. The festival begins, and you notice a much larger contingent of archers this year. Throughout the festival, you introduce Lady Marna to your people formally, announcing your engagement. The people seem to take to her quickly, as she has a great personality and is comfortable interacting with commoners.

Once again, people from all across the County, and even the Dukedom, arrive for your festival. Your merchants make a killing off of it, and you have more money in your coffers than you can ever remember. The archery contest is a smash hit, and five of the competitors actually sign up for your militia on the spot.

At the end of the month, Lady Marna bids you farewell, and tells you that she will write you every week until your wedding. What shall you do for November? You still haven't decided on how to reform your militia, so that'd be a good spot to start.

Spoiler: "Sir Samuel Stone" (click to show/hide)

Age: 22 (February birthday)
Good Health
Elite Fitness
Literate
Natural Archer
Fine Man of the People
Above Average Swordswman
Above Average Rider
Average Etiquette
Average Woodsman
Novice Spearman
Novice Legal Mind
Novice Shield User
Novice Lancer
Poor Rhetoric

Spoiler: "Equipment and Possessions" (click to show/hide)

Weapons
Militia-grade Short Sword
Fine Longsword
Iron Lance

Armor
Mail Shirt
Brigandine Armor
Fur cloak and leggings
Iron Shield

Transport
Felucca
Mottled Grey Hunter

Housing and Misc.
Brick and Lumber Manor
Average Clothing
Silver Sun Necklace with Gold Pendant
Bound New Testament
Book of Laws
Cask of Beer
Stone Weights

Spoiler: "Feroshire (Capital Town)" (click to show/hide)

Treasury - Medium-high
168 Citizens
Services and Housing
Nice Communal Housing
Nice Inn
Small Courthouse

Defense
Wooden Palisade

Trade and Travel
Brick Roads
Medium Brick Paved Market
Modest dockyard
Two-way Ferry

Industry
Large Clayworks
Smokehouse
Watermill (Lumber Mill and Grindstone)
Growing Shipyard
Brewery
Stables
Small Furniture Workshop

Spoiler: "Your Land" (click to show/hide)

Medium population (Loyal)
River Parlon (fertile banks on both sides, light forest to the north)

Farming
Nice parcel farms south of the river (two plantings per season)
Fine Communal Farm
Small Vineyard

Defense
Average Barracks, Armory, and Obstacle Course with Furnaces and Forges
Jousting practice field

Trade and Travel
Gravel Roads
Medium Warehouse

Industry
Small Fishing Fleet
Mines north of river (silver, copper, gold, iron, gems)
   * Small community of miners in communal houses

Spoiler: "Your Forces" (click to show/hide)

Average Iron Weapons
Average Iron Armor (Brigandine and shield)

Ranged
Five veteran Archers
Five regular Rangers
Fifteen regular Archers

Melee
Ten veteran Spearmen
Ten regular Axmen

Reserve
Ten green Watchmen

Spoiler: "Your people" (click to show/hide)

Skilled Potters
Above Average Jewelers
Above Average Trappers
Journeymen Miners
Journeymen Metalworkers
Journeymen Masons
Journeymen Furniture Builders
Novice Horse Breeders
Novice Weaponsmiths
Novice Armorers

Spoiler: "Nearby" (click to show/hide)

Market Town of Carshire - One day's ride on main road
Folesden - Land of Count Foles - Downstream
   * Curbiston - County Seat of Folesden
Land of Sir Denton - Upstream
Land of Sir Percival - Adjacent to Sir Denton's land, across the river
Hemswood Abbey - Far Upstream - Known for dark beer
Lands of Duke Erran - Across the river to the north - Used for hunting

Spoiler: "Known Lords by Rank and Relationship" (click to show/hide)

King Edward Geronos IV, Lord of the Falls, Keeper of the Flame, Seer of the Dawn - Vaguely remembered

Duke Erran - Pleasant

Count Aaron Foles - Your Liege Lord - An angry drunkard - Suspicious
Count Gorgan - A fine fighter - Introduced
Count Zanders - Introduced

Sir Blake Denton - Friendly
Sir Alan Percival - Friendly
Sir Uriel Lope - Count's Marshall - Unsure
Sir Melvin - Lady Marna's brother, Duke Erran's nephew - Polite
Sir Ivanson - A renowned jouster - Introduced

Lady Marna - Infatuated

Spoiler: "Important Citizens by Occupation" (click to show/hide)

Alan Alanson - Squire, Captain of the Watch
Fin - Captain of the Militia
William Dent - Steward, Mayor
Victor Irlof - Master of the Market, Treasurer
Curtis Stumpf - Miner, Councilman
Ian Wood - Carpenter, Councilman
Marge Kannity - Brewer

Shipwright
Architect
Armorer
Weaponsmith

[kahn1234]

I'm not sure where we are taking our military but i have some ideas for various parts of our industry.

Try to attract skilled tailors and carpenters to enlarge our small furniture workshop into a medium or, preferably, large Furniture and clothing mill which can produce not only normal, 'commoner' clothing and furniture but also high class clothing and furniture. Should net us a tonne of extra trade, influence and money. And also give them apprentices.

Also, we should get onto the task of trying to attract intelligent people and skilled metal workers/armourers/blacksmiths/weapon smiths etc to help us advance our metalworking industry. I will get us an armour factory even if it kills me. Do you have any idea how much money we'd make, trade we'd receive and influence we'd gain from pumping out good/high quality metal armour at such a rate? We already have the money to fund such an endeavour (profits from our mine, taxes and existing trade).

Also start enlarging the agriculture even more. We might want to think about trying to set up a dairy and meat industry, and maybe broaden the number of cereal grains, fruits and vegetables we grow. We dont want to suffer the same disaster as the Irish potato famine because we forgot to enlarge our agriculture to support a burgeoning population, as happening in real life.

[Origami_Psycho]

We need some sappers.  Start an engineering corps.

[Talvara]

seeing as quite often ideas that are brought forth here require alot of smart/knowledgeable people... maybe we should take some steps to try and attract those sorts of people.

We could begin with building a library and start buying books for a good price. if the shipping merchants learn we pay good coin for good books, they might make an effort to find a nice book when they know they'll pass our little city again.



on another note, We should take special care that we'll have a proper facilities for her Falcon.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Neither hawks or falcons are suitable house-pets because they have spectacular mode of excretion, they are tradionally kept on special perches standing in sand, the mews. Richard II let build the Royal Mews at Charing Cross in London, and the office of Master of the Mews is still extant. "
http://www.shm-qa.net/monograph/grethe_Falcons.shtml

which were apparently called Mews...

I'm sure it would be a heartfelt and thoughtful surprise for when Marna moves into our estate.

[kahn1234]

seeing as quite often ideas that are brought forth here require alot of smart/knowledgeable people... maybe we should take some steps to try and attract those sorts of people.

We could begin with building a library and start buying books for a good price. if the shipping merchants learn we pay good coin for good books, they might make an effort to find a nice book when they know they'll pass our little city again.



on another note, We should take special care that we'll have a proper facilities for her Falcon.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Neither hawks or falcons are suitable house-pets because they have spectacular mode of excretion, they are tradionally kept on special perches standing in sand, the mews. Richard II let build the Royal Mews at Charing Cross in London, and the office of Master of the Mews is still extant. "
http://www.shm-qa.net/monograph/grethe_Falcons.shtml

which were apparently called Mews...

I'm sure it would be a heartfelt and thoughtful surprise for when Marna moves into our estate.

Seconded.

Libraries and maybe a school or college for scholars? If we get large enough, we could even construct a small university.....

[LordSlowpoke]

Let's take this money, get some wedding rings, and build semimanor-quality housing for our peasants. All of them.

the wealth must trickle down, trust me on this one

[Gotdamnmiracle]

Guys, I think we are skipping some wild steps.

Let's build a stable, try and improve our bow struchture (What if we made composite bows with varnish or a coating to make the glues and such waterproof? Alternatively we could start working on peltests using javelins and the like.) Let's only outfit our axemen and spearwielders in armor for now, seeing as our archers never took any casualties and need to retain ability to move.

Let's focus on, this year, getting our horse project up and running and as a second deal trying to improve upon our bow design or just getting mobile archers.

We should look for the smarties as well but that should be our main concern while still completely outfitting our guys and getting the cavalry up and running.

[kahn1234]

Guys, I think we are skipping some wild steps.

Let's build a stable, try and improve our bow struchture (What if we made composite bows with varnish or a coating to make the glues and such waterproof? Alternatively we could start working on peltests using javelins and the like.) Let's only outfit our axemen and spearwielders in armor for now, seeing as our archers never took any casualties and need to retain ability to move.

Let's focus on, this year, getting our horse project up and running and as a second deal trying to improve upon our bow design or just getting mobile archers.

We should look for the smarties as well but that should be our main concern while still completely outfitting our guys and getting the cavalry up and running.

You seem to be stuck in the Ancient period. Peltasts, mobile archers and composite bows went out of fashion because they became ineffective.

Longbows and recurve bows are far superior to composite bows.

Peltasts dont have the firepower to penetrate medieval level armour.

Mobile archers mean archers without support. Most medieval armies had ample numbers of light cavalry that could chase them down. The preeminent archers in Europe - the English - had static archer formations defended by heavily armoured and armed commoner billmen in heavy mail/partial plate armour stood behind rows of sharpened wooden stakes further supported by light cavalry, mounted knights, dismounted knights and professional full time soldiers either with spears or swords. The only mobile archers i can think of in Europe were mounted eastern archers.

[Gotdamnmiracle]

seeing as quite often ideas that are brought forth here require alot of smart/knowledgeable people... maybe we should take some steps to try and attract those sorts of people.

We could begin with building a library and start buying books for a good price. if the shipping merchants learn we pay good coin for good books, they might make an effort to find a nice book when they know they'll pass our little city again.



on another note, We should take special care that we'll have a proper facilities for her Falcon.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Neither hawks or falcons are suitable house-pets because they have spectacular mode of excretion, they are tradionally kept on special perches standing in sand, the mews. Richard II let build the Royal Mews at Charing Cross in London, and the office of Master of the Mews is still extant. "
http://www.shm-qa.net/monograph/grethe_Falcons.shtml

which were apparently called Mews...

I'm sure it would be a heartfelt and thoughtful surprise for when Marna moves into our estate.

Seconded.

Libraries and maybe a school or college for scholars? If we get large enough, we could even construct a small university.....

Does anyone remember my large college of war idea?