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[Lav]

Current game status as of June 2, 2009.

A total of 10 dwarves in the fortress. 3 dwarves are available for takeover.

201 Spring Turn: played by Lav. Finished.
201 Summer Turn: played by Grail. Finished.
201 Autumn Turn: played by Emmanovi. Finished.
201 Winter Turn: played by Org. In progress.
202 Spring Turn: played by Goron. Waiting.
202 Summer Turn and later: open for application.

(original message text follows)

A new game is starting with the following rules:

1. The fortress will be running a democracy. This means seven participants and direct democracy in the beginning, and some form of representative democracy later when the number of dwarfs becomes too high. All major decisions are made by voting of participants. Fortress structure and design suggestions are accepted if they are supported by majority vote, otherwise I will just try to fit the demands to the best of my ability.

2. Fortress initial size and location are displayed in the attached images below.

3. Everyone who is willing to participate PMs me the name and skills of his dwarf. Only the first seven applications are accepted, the rest are placed in the waiting queue.

4. Once new immigrants show up, they are assigned to people on the waiting queue in exactly the same order.

5. Initial equipment will be chosen by the initial seven players. All disputes are to be decided by a democratic vote.

6. Updates will be roughly seasonal. Spring, Summer and Autumn updates will be tied to caravan arrival (so both trade, trade agreements and plans for the future can be discussed at the same time), while Winter update will be done on the 1st day of winter. Exact format of the updates is open for discussion (I think a zipped savegame upload should suffice).

7. In case of any crisis (ambushes, sieges etc) the player who happens to be the leader of the settlement at that time will be entitled to make decisions without consulting others. He may draft anyone and order them around, whatever. However openly suicidal orders will be rejected and his actions may and will be judged by the entire community as soon as the martial law has passed.

8. Economy is turned OFF. All dwarves basic needs (read: food, booze and a bunk bed in the barracks) should be fulfilled, anything extra might be requested by the player but whether his demands will be taken into account or not is up to the entire fortress to decide.

9. There is no involuntary draft. Players decide what jobs their dwarf will do and what jobs he will not do. The only exception is according to clause 7 (crisis-time management). Of course if you happen to be the only direly-needed glassmaker and everyone is asking you to be a glassmaker and still you refuse then your needs might not be met in time or not met at all (check the previous paragraph for details).

10. Additional laws and regulations may be put into effect if accepted by majority vote. Punishment for violating these player-installed laws cannot of course be done with game mechanics but can and will be modelled (imprisonment, exile, bodily harm, pit fights, whatever).

Embarkation location maps:





Technical issues. I'm running vanilla 40d11. Nuff said.

Current recruitment status: 7 participants. New applications will be placed in the waiting queue until some immigrants show up.

[Martian]

With my new dwarf Voksdon (metalcrafter/glassmaker) I make a motion that we trade metal goods (Dolomite should give us magnetite and platinum) while planning on building huge things (aboveground tower for the military?) out of [clear?] glass in the long term.

I also vote for an anvil with magnetite, wood and stone (to build the initial furnaces out of) so we can forge our own axes. We shouldn't take more than 10 logs IMO.

[Lav]

The King was waiting, impatiently pacing back and forth inside his chambers. Finally the First Advisor came in with a deep bow.

"So, assuming by your face they are still playing with those crazy ideas?", asked the King.

"True, My Majesty. But I think that a proper application of force..."

"No force is necessary", the King interrupted. "I have an idea on how to kill two goblins with one blow. I shall issue an edict declaring the foundation of a new settlement, based on those crazy ideas. Let the idiots play with that stupid 'democracy' for as long as they wish. Don't you think it will be great? I will look like a good and wise ruler, all troublemakers will flock to their place of exile voluntarily and without any need for excessive violence and when their petty 'democracy' project results in utter ruin - it will serve as an example to all other hotheads. Hey wait, that's three goblins with one blow. Nice, eh?"

"Definitely so, my Lord. But still I have a slightest shade of doubt. What if they, despite all odds, will succeed?"

"Hmm, you might be right. Better not leave anything to chance. But hey, wait a second", the King walked to the obsidian cabinet and shuffled through the maps. "There! It's a perfect place. It has everything a true dwarf needs. But there are two important problems. First, according to the reports from three hundred years ago, there once was a demonic infestation in the area. You know as well as I do that these hellish critters never really go away. They should still be there, waiting for some idiots to stumble upon their lair."

"That is really wise, my Lord. And what is the second problem?"

"Oh, just look a bit to the north-east. There's a goblin tower nearby. And since the location is near the major river, our dear friends the goblins should have no problems finding the new settlement. And to be frank, I don't think they will waste their limited brainpower trying to discern the philosophical differences between the new settlement and the rest of our dwarven civilization. And one more thing..."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Well, you know, those goblins are actually trading with the human town way upriver. So I think that... well... just in case those goblins are even more stupid than I think... Just send them a message with our next caravan going in that direction, and let our liaison make sure that the message is delivered to the goblin traders. Nothing rude, mind it. Just a neutral-toned declaration that we are claiming these lands and will tolerate no foreign interference."

[Lav]

A few more technical issues.

First, population cap will probably be capped at 60. This is more then enough IMO both for the purposes of democratic procedures and for whatever projects the game will be running (personally I never could understand why there's any need for more dwarfs). But what's more important, this will prevent the settlement from getting a baron, thus keeping the democratic atmosphere.

Second, exact embarkation details are up to player to decide. I just found the best location and tried to squeeze as many features (more features = more fun) into as small an area (smaller area = higher fps) as was humanly possible. But if the majority decides to tweak the area, that's fine with me. In fact, pretty much anything can be changed by the majority vote. It's democracy after all. :-)

Third, I assume the dwarf skills will be maxed at embarkation. This means that the group has at least 1570 points (probably slightly more) to spend on things so you can plan from here.

[Emmanovi]

With my new dwarf Voksdon (metalcrafter/glassmaker) I make a motion that we trade metal goods (Dolomite should give us magnetite and platinum) while planning on building huge things (aboveground tower for the military?) out of [clear?] glass in the long term.

I also vote for an anvil with magnetite, wood and stone (to build the initial furnaces out of) so we can forge our own axes. We shouldn't take more than 10 logs IMO.

(I presume this is the place for voting and debate? If not, chastise us at will.)

As Hunter with some small skill in marksdwarfship, I can see the need for a well-equipped military and the capacity to forge our own weapons from the outset. However, in case of a shortage of wood where we embark (those mountains might enroach upon the "woodland"), I suggest we take more than 10 logs - nearer 20 would be a better mark, so we have a little stock in case of initial hardship.

Also, as animal trainer, I recommend we bring at least two dogs and a cat, although the more of the former we bring, the better equipped we will be should some of them fall. If our budget can stretch to it, bringing a couple of extra livestock, say a horse or a cow or two, would be excellent, as then we can begin breeding from the outset, enabling us to create a stable source of food which we can exploit quickly or keep in case of need.

May I ask each founder of this Democracy to state their identity and possibly outline some of their policies regarding fortress running, their ideals for this fortress and, of course, their embark interests? So far it seems we have:

Voksdon (Martian): Metalcrafter/Glassmaker
Emmanovi (Emmanovi): Hunter/Marksdwarf/Animal Trainer

(I'm aware that of the time of writing we have two, but I ask our new members to introduce themselves, then we can know where we stand. Ideally we need to know what skills our honourable founders have, but of course we can adjust things slightly if needs dictate.)

Apologies for the already moderately lengthy post, but I should like to propose a name for our settlement: Tinöthokol, Equalvoice.

[LegoLord]

Mega Edit:  The site looks good to me.

[Emmanovi]

Can I have a proficient mechanic/marksman/shield user/ambusher  named Legon, but not be eligible for elections by not having a beard?  (I get the impression that it is an election-succession game from #7; I'm I right about that?)

He's a half-idealist, half-realist.  He tries to be friendly but sometimes comes off as a jerk, largely because of his somewhat paradoxical political standpoint, but also a little because of being slightly anti-social and OCD.

3. Everyone who is willing to participate PMs me the name and skills of his dwarf. Only the first seven applications are accepted, the rest are placed in the waiting queue.

This might elicit more response...

[LegoLord]

Mistake post.

[Lav]

It's no problem if applications are placed here instead of PM inbox.

And we have 4 participants already.

Discussion and voting will be done in this thread for now. I assume that most of the time the consensus will be reached relatively quickly. For later time when we have more people I will make/find some voting script so we could save the bandwidth on the low-content posts like "I support variant A".

P. S. Regarding the starting equipment. I suggest that instead of discussing minor details from the start, everyone first tells what they want to take and why. Then those who wish suggest entire projects, trying to incorporate the demands (or not) and optimize the starting equipment set. Then these builds can be discussed, modified and accepted as a whole. My practise shows that this is the fastest method because otherwise the discussion will quickly drown in minor issues of whether 10 or 12 kittens should be taken.

[Martian]

I am a bit of a minimalist, I think you only need picks, axes, an anvil and some food to start with. The rest is entirely optional and can be made on the site. The food is actually optional as well.

I suggest this:
1 Anvil
5 Bauxite (or other stone)
2 Magnetite (Axe, and crossbow)
2 Copper nuggets (picks)
20 logs
30 turtles (shells)
15 Rum
15 Beer
25 Plump helmet seeds
10 Pig tail seeds
5 seeds of every other
<Animals>

I think we should get a cloth industry up and running fast as to have lots of bags for sand and lots of ropes for animals. Just tie up 20 dogs and shove the puppy's in cages until they grow up. Then its either the butcher or the animal trainer.

I think after settling in we should get a metalcrafting industry going. Then I say we build some clear glass megaprojects [massively overpay the human caravan for trade goods and order wood. You'll get a huge amount next time round].

[Emmanovi]

Third, I assume the dwarf skills will be maxed at embarkation. This means that the group has at least 1570 points (probably slightly more) to spend on things so you can plan from here.

I am a bit of a minimalist, I think you only need picks, axes, an anvil and some food to start with. The rest is entirely optional and can be made on the site. The food is actually optional as well.
I suggest this:

1 Anvil 1000☼
5 Bauxite (or other stone) 5*3=15☼
2 Magnetite (Axe, and crossbow) 2*18=36☼
2 Copper nuggets (picks) 2*6=12☼
20 logs 20*3=60☼
30 turtles (shells) 30*2=60☼
15 Rum 15*2=30☼
15 Beer 15*2=30☼
25 Plump helmet seeds 25☼
10 Pig tail seeds 10☼
5 seeds of every other 5*4=20☼
<Animals>

Total: 1298, by my reckoning, leaving us 272. (Please say that I added it up correctly.) For that we can take 4 dogs and a cat (my suggestion) and have 197 remaining to accomodate other people's needs.

In terms of industries, I think a crafts industry, possibly combined with the selling of mechanisms, is a good early industry to boost wealth and create some initial trade goods quickly and with minimal effort, but again it would depend upon the skills we have available. If we do have the delightful Proficient Mechanic from earlier, well, that's just excellent. =]

That would also make two available hunters, so using butchering as part of our food supply seems also a good plan.

[Hilscher]

"Industry?" Grail asked, running thick, calloused fingers through his braided beard locks. His voice was like gravel, and his thick, sinewy arms clenched and unclenched on his pick. "Well, I can see the value of some of this stuff. I think it's a bit much in places. Personally I think the plump helmet is a miracle food given to all of Dwarfkind by the Gods. A well run farming plot and finely crafted mechanisms can buy a dwarf pretty much all he needs. I'd be interested in seeing everybody with either a pick or an axe in hand if we're going to go through with this. Smells awful bad if'n ya ask me, though. We all know the king don't like us, and now he's suddenly decided to give us our own mountainhome? Well, I ain't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. We'll show everybody that a government of the people can work just as well on the large scale as it does on the small. My policy for mountainhome management is to see to food and booze production first, defenses and fortifications second, and projects to increase the quality of life third. All other considerations are below these three pillars of a successful outpost. As for a list..."

For a moment, the multi talented Grail trifled through his pockets. Suddenly, he pulled out a frame of wax and a stylus, and began to etch dwarven runes into the soft material.

1 Anvil
1 Copper Pick
1 Of Each Type of Meat and Seed
26 Plump Helmet Spawn
21 of each type of Alcohol
16 Turtles
26 Logs
* Stone, Metal

He turns it around and shows it to the others.

"I've seen my share of expeditions, and the most successful always have an abundance of growers and miners. I don't typically see Anvils taken along; prefer to trade for them in the autumn myself but I ain't gonna make a quibble about it. Seems that an anvil is coming whether I like it or not an' that's fine. If we're makin' our tools on site, though, I'd like to see us bring along a modicum of supplies. First off, I ain't goin' no where without a pick. They don't call me 'The Pickmaster' fer nothin'. It'll be useful for defense, an' I volunteer myself to serve as the fortress guard if the need arises until we get a proper military. Second, we should spend the relatively small amount to bring one of each kind of meat. It'll provide us with a bit of food in the interim, but the main thing is it'll provide us with a lot of barrels we can put to good use. I'd like to see a lot of booze, perhaps as much as 21 servings of each kind while we get our farming industry up. Now, I'm a miner and engineer by trade, but I don't snub my nose at agriculture. I pitch in and pick the 'helmets just like every other Dwarf at harvest time. It's a valuable industry. A lot more cost effective than a cloth or meat industry, if you ask me. I'll go along with the turtles, but I'd suggest a lower amount. Shells and bone crafting ain't a shabby way to deal with waste. I'm definitely on board with that. I know we're going to a forested area, too, but we ain't bringin' an axe, and I gotta insist we either take an axe or some lumber. The lumber is cheaper, an' it'll allow us to hold over until we've got a wood burnin' furnace up so we can actually put our forge ta use! I mean, if'n we don't take wood OR an axe, gonna be a mite bit hard to power the forge, yeah? Whatevers left of our charter at that point, well, feel free to spend it on cats and dogs and stones and metal. Buyin' an anvil really sets us back, though, and I'd just like to say one more time that I feel it's a mistake. I said my piece."

Grail goes quiet, scrapes the wax board clean of the runes, and scratches his beard contemplatively.


---

'Grail the Pickmaster'

Skills: (No Label for all)
-Miner
-Siege Engineer
-Mechanic
-Siege Operator
-Building Designer

Digs, Makes Mechanisms for traps out of stone, builds and runs siege engines, does architecture, and serves as pick-armed soldier against early threats to the fortress. (May magically morph into a female depending on the whims of others. I wanted to write my opinion on starting gear in narrative form so for now he's male.)

[Martian]

Personally I feel that taking 21 amounts of alcohol and one meat of everything is cheating. So I vote against.

The reason there's no axes or picks is that we will forge them on site (build forges with the bauxite, burn the logs for charcoal and use the ores brought) and so save 310 bucks (30 ore instead of 340 in tools). We could also take more magnetite and have iron crossbows with iron bolts right from the beginning.

[Lav]

Current recruitment status: 7 participants.

Emmanovi: Emmanovi, Ranger (competent ambusher, competent animal trainer, marksdwarf, hammerdwarf).
Martian: Voksdon, Metalcrafter (proficient metalcrafter, proficient glassmaker).
LegoLord: Legon, Mechanic (proficient mechanic, competent marksman, novice shield user, novice ambusher - I dropped the requested skill set by 1 point to fit into 10 points limit).
Hilscher: Grail, Brewer (miner, mason, building designer, skilled brewer).
Goron: Goron (or Kumiko if female), Mason (proficient mason, proficient mechanic).
Katsuun: Kat, Planter (proficient grower, cook, weaver, novice clothier).
Org: Treebeard, Woodcutter (proficient woodcutter, competent grower, herbalist).

[Hilscher]

((So many mechanics, I think I had better switch my skills. Three mechanics is just too redundant. Or is changing skills to fit the party's needs not kosher? This will be my first community/succession game.))

((Skills: Miner, Mason, Building Designer, Skilled Brewer))

((Jobs: Defense, Mining, Masonry, Stone Detailing, Architecture, Brewing))