The Campaign Builder's Guild

I like your character!The area on the north side of the lake is indeed in play. It is good quality farmland, though too cold for rice, with its main crops being wheat and millet. I have no objections to General Xu claiming the territory.

A General Summary

To recap, the base measure of tax income for any state is 1 tael per 1000 of population per season. Population additionally determines your available military manpower, being 4% of the total population. Your available elite military manpower is 3% of your general military manpower. Military units, which are companies of 100 men unless otherwise specified, are recruited via the expenditure of keresic, metal and taels. Keresic and metal are your vital resources, and are produced from the following realm improvements:

Metal: Low Capacity Mine (Construction cost: 125 taels / Production per cycle: 15 units of metal) -> Additional mineshafts (Construction cost: 200 taels / Production per cycle: 25 units of metal) -> Expanded Mine (Construction cost: 550 taels and 20 metal /Production per cycle: 55 units of metal) -> Mining Complex (Construction cost: 1200 taels, 50 metal and 20 keresic / Production per season: 100 units of metal)

Keresic: Keresic Well (Construction cost: 150 taels and 5 metal / Production per cycle: 10 units of keresic) -> Tall Derrick (Construction cost: 500 taels and 20 metal / Production per cycle: 30 units of keresic) -> Keresic Field (Construction cost: 1500 taels and 60 metal / Production per season: 70 units of keresic)

These improvements may only be built on identified sources of their respective resource. Those that reside within or near to your territory will be indicated to you prior to the commencement of the game. At this time, vital resource improvements are the only ones that are stringently regulated by the GM. If you have an idea for another improvement that might impact your state, be it a national bank or a string of fortifications, include an investigation and/or build order (including what you are spending) in your turn orders, and I will see that it is done!

Players may recruit agents to carry out specific tasks. Your agents will have a broad specialty that you will indicate to me in their recruitment (ex. espionage, siege warfare, political repression). To recruit an agent requires the expenditure of 100 taels, and an additional 10 taels per turn to fund their work. Your agents will grow in ability as you employ them in their indicated capacity, or in others.

Each state begins the game with a stability score of 4/10. This score will increase or decrease depending on your accomplishments, political decisions, and any other change in circumstance that might come to pass as a result of your actions.

I will not be implementing trade resources at the outset of the game. The Talic Merchant Republics who were given license to trade in Quoyo by the Honwen Emperor are at war. As such, there is no regular system of export for these goods at this time. As the game progresses, I will consider the implementation of these resources in a regulated capacity.

Prior to their entrance to the game, each player receives 600 taels, 20 metal, and 20 keresic to spend on military units, resource improvements, and - in consultation with myself - unique improvements.

Creating your Nation

To vie for the Mandate of Heaven, you must decide which cultural group is dominant in your realm, and thusly, which group your leader belongs to. Additionally, please indicate to me where in Quoyo the territories of your state are located. Your primary options, and their attendant base modifiers, are as follows:

Anglic: You are an Anglic Count enfiefed by right of conquest in this foreign land. The Anglic nobility was exiled decades ago from Angaland, a nation far away across the Western Sea. The vile Republic triumphed, and the nobles fled, or lost their heads on the block. These exiles have since wandered the world, and have become known in many places as adventurers and fierce mercenaries. Your people flock to Quoyo as word spreads of rich lands for the taking.

- Science and reason rule in Angaland, and the exiled Angals maintain this tradition, and their fearsome technological weapons. Their common infantry fight with the breech-loading rifle, or man rotary guns to reduce their enemies in seconds. Their Lords and Knights rule the battlefield with their treads - metal machines armed with cannon and armoured against it - or afoot, encased in steel plate, wielding gruesome heatblades. Anglic dreadnaughts, though few in number, are feared on the Sea of Sen, and not even the Jainese dare challenge them.

Anglic states possess the incompatible bureaucracy modifier, and receive only half the base tax income from the native population. They also possess the associated tenancy modifier, allowing them to collect twice the base tax income from the Anglic population with no penalty.

Anglic states possess the military obligations modifier, and their base manpower from the Anglic cultural group is 10% of the total Anglic population.

Anglic states possess the exile trade network modifier, and their base income is increased by 5%.

Jainese: You are a Jainese Sojai, pirate lord of a haven on the coast of Quoyo. Though the Osojai of the League refuse to recognize your authority or right, wary as they are of what may come when either the Prince or the Magician triumphs in the North, you may yet convince them with your growing wealth and power.

- Though the Jainese traditionally fight with shiveraxe and the quoyo-nu. They eagerly adopt the breech-loading rifles of the Angals, and rumours spread that the Osojai seek to emulate the awesome power of the Anglic ships, raising steel hulks laden with cannon in their harbours. On land, the Sojai wade into battle ensconced within their colossal suits of armour - oyoro. Animated by ritual magic, and fueled by the energy of Keresic - the Earth's Red Blood - they are nigh unstoppable.

Jainese states possess the fukushu tribute modifier, and receive an additional 1% of base tax income for every 1000 men under arms, up to 10%.

Jainese states possess the wave raiders modifier, and receive additional advantages in combat during amphibious landings and commerce raids.

Yua: You are a rogue Yua General. The realm has been shattered, and you seek either to preserve your dominion from the spreading chaos, or to profit by it, and have the men and women of Quoyo submit to your will.

- The Yua engage their enemies with innumerable masses of troops armed with shiverpikes, shiverswords and the quoyo-nu. The sheer human weight of a Quoyese army is often sufficient to overwhelm its opponent. Like the Jainese, Yua nobles make use of great animated armours in battle. Taking the form of the wolf, the langshia are rightly feared for their ability to tear apart enemy formations single-handedly. Afoot, the nobles of Quoyo fight deftly with the solar lance, scouring their enemies from the Earth with beams of light.  

Yua states possess the scholarly meritocracy modifier, and their improvements are completed faster.

Yua states possess the motivated commoners modifier, and their militia units receive an additional morale grade.

Note: You are not required to play as one of the above national types. In consultation with myself you are free to create your own cultural group, within reason.  

Your Character

I encourage you to be creative in the establishment of your character. Tell us about his or her history, and how this individual became a military and political leader. What goals does your character have, and how do they intend to accomplish them? Tell us of the establishment of your state amidst the chaos that consumes Quoyo, and what has been accomplished in the two bloody years since the murder of the Honwen Emperor.  You will be receiving unique modifiers for both your leader and your nation based on what you write!

If you have any questions, comments, require additional information, etc. do not hesitate to ask.

Somehow this reply got deleted!

LD, north of the lake is a perfectly acceptable location for your state, and you are welcome to it. The land is reasonably fertile, as much of Quoyo is, though it is too cold to grow rice. The primary crops are wheat and millet.

Thank you. That sounds good; what sort of metals or access to trees is there in that location? I may want to tweak my desired location a little depending on the answer.

Also, how will our initial population be decided; I notice that population is tied to income.
Should we start determining how we allocate the money to spend now? Or should we wait until more rules/details are developed?

Everyone will have access to at least one metal deposit and one keresic deposit within or bordering on their realm, to ensure fairness. However, the quality of these deposits will differ depending on rolls that I will be making. Your chances of receiving a rich metal deposit increase as you near the western edge of the map, and your chances of receiving a rich keresic deposit increase as you near the southeastern edge of the map. Population will be determined by me, based upon my amalgamation of the shared narrative the players will be making when they write about their nation during the creation stage. A general rule of thumb is that the nearer you are to the centre of Quoyo, which is roughly around Anseng, the higher your population will be. However, I am going to be ensuring a general fairness of starting conditions, and I will just have to ask all of you to trust me.

At the moment I don't have too much more in the way of rules and details to post, unless you specifically want something clarified. I decided that instead of mechanizing every aspect of the game, that it would probably be more fun and interesting if I left some elements freer in form.

I can honestly say that you probably shouldn't worry about things like availability of timber or food. Unless some kind of exceptional circumstances develop that would warrant you to receive some sort of bonus or penalty in relation to something like that. 

Well the timber question is from a tactical standpoint moreso than just a resource standpoint. If there's a forest between me and an enemy- that's a good defense- if it's just plains, then I'm more open in certain areas than in others. (Thus why the availability of woods will affect where I'd prefer to put my country... since I'd rather not get rolled over in the first 10 turns like someone on the Plains of Rohan in the Lord of the Rings RISK game :D).

I appreciate the clarification on the metal and keresic deposits.

I suppose then what you are saying is that it's time for us to make our initial purchases of items?

[ic=People of He]Often thought to be Velams, the people of He consider themselves otherwise. When asked about their story, their tales, passed from generation to generation, tell of a serpentine divinity that emerged from the sea and chose them as the guardians of the world. This god, named Lóng, would bestow powers upon an individual that would allow him to preserve the fragile balance of this world. The house He, chosen in times now forgotten, have ruled since then.

Their rule was not without being doubted, or even challenged. Especially after violent natural disasters, but also during the reign of less ethical or less upstanding rulers. In the end, superstition won over realistic reasoning and they could never muster an adequate opposition to counter the House of He. Besides, the people had grown accustomed to them as rulers, and in fact appreciated them.

The people of He do not think realistically when it comes to borders. As guardians chosen by the heavens, they, in fact, believe the entire world is theirs to govern. However, they tolerate the presence of foreigners, which they more commonly call barbarians, in their world; as long as they keep a reasonable distance from the Shéwén shí héliú, or Serpentine Rivers, their mother-land.[/ic]

[ooc=Notes]He is pronounced like hay, with a very distinctive "H" and a short "ay".

Also, this is the story of the people. I have yet to craft a story of my current ruler. Since this was done I thought I'd post it up.[/ooc]

Additional Improvements

Defensive

Blockhouses - A network of strategically placed blockhouses, serving as strong points along a given line of defence. Blockhouses are situated so as to provide advantageous angles of fire on an advancing enemy. The blockhouse is a near universal fortification, though their appearance may be dissimilar across cultures. A blockhouse is not meant to resist siege equipment or heavy artillery, and will not stand long withstand any such barrage. A blockhouse network is best employed as a component of a wider defensive strategy.

Construction cost - 150 taels to adequately cover 100 li (or 40 miles). Takes two cycles to complete.

Garrison - The garrison serves as both a defensive fort and a permanent military encampment, and is one of the premiere tools for any leader to extend his or her influence over a wide swathe of territory. Capable of resisting a siege for a moderate period of time, and possessing fortifications strong enough to resist a light artillery bombardment.

Construction cost - 250 taels per garrison. Takes three cycles to complete.

Fortress - A true centre of military power, Quoyese and Jainese fortresses are typically imposing monolithic structures of stone and wood, surrounded by walls and lesser fortifications. Bastions are an essential component of any fortress, allowing the quoyo-danu mounted upon them to outrange and destroy those employed by the enemy. A fortress is an enormous structure, capable of withstanding a lengthy siege and resisting an impressive artillery bombardment. Fortresses often protect vital strategic approaches, protect towns and cities, or serve as centres of political power.

Construction cost - 750 taels and 10 metal per fortress. Takes four cycles to complete.

Star Fort (requires the modern engineering modifier) -

Construction cost - 1000 taels and 15 metal per Star Fort. Takes four cycles to complete.

Coastal Gun Emplacements (requires the modern engineering modifier) -

Construction cost: Variable. Monitor caliber guns: 60 taels and 5 metal per five emplacements. Destroyer caliber guns: 320 taels and 15 metal per five emplacements. Dreadnaught caliber guns: 900 taels and 40 metal per five emplacements. Base time to complete: 1 cycle, increasing 1 cycle per caliber of gun.

Essential Improvements

Production

Arsenal - A gathering of craftsmen and labourers under the aegis of the state for the efficient production of weapons, vehicles, and constructs. Reduces the recruitment time of initially available massive units by one cycle. Necessary for the production of massive units more advanced than those initially available.

Construction cost - 250 taels, 10 metal. Takes 2 cycles to complete.

Shipyard - A shipbuilding facility of great size and productive capacity. Possessing the necessary drydocks, cranes and on-site manufactories for the construction of large and powerful vessels. Reduces the recruitment time of naval units of Monitor-level or lower by 1 cycle. Necessary for the construction of ships of Destroyer-level or greater.

Construction cost - 500 taels, 30 metal. Takes 3 cycles to complete.

Here's an inital lineup of spending...

So we won't have an initial mine or keresic well drilled on our property? IF not, how long will it take to construct one (I understand the Yua have an advantage in constructing one faster). This seems to be important given that some items cost maintenance. What happens when maint. can't be paid?

--
Nobles, -130, -10, -6
Banner, -50, -2
Mine, -125
Keresic, -150
Militia, -15
Militia, -15

Bump.

I'll post a character soonish - it would be great to get a quick list of all the things we need to include in a character/nation writeup.  It might be good to have some kind of template or common format so that our entries look the same...

Yeah, a template would be really cool. :)