City Building in Middle-Earth

In each turn you will generate resources. Each unit of population will generate 2 resources of one type (food/wood/stone/metal), or 3 if that resource is abundant in the area. Population is split equally between tasks, so working three resources (food/stone/wood) with a population of six will have two workers on each. While populations can produce fractions of a unit if not split equally (2.6 stone), only whole numbers are used when all output is totalled (2.6 stone + 2.6 stone = 5, not 5.2).

Food is first consumed locally (to feed the population), half of the excess is used to fuel growth in that settlement, and the other half is distributed into a global pool which all settlements grow from. No growth occurs in devastating winters. The size of the food surplus determines recovery time, and if another devastating winter occurs before that time is up you can suffer population losses.

Wood is needed for shipbuilding.

Stone is needed for major building projects like roads, fortifications, and cities.

Metal is needed to outfit army units.

At the end of the turn, 'free' population can be distributed as you like to either establish a new settlement, train military units, or improve output of the settlements they came from.

Each settlement has a few metrics of success.

Population does the jobs, pay their taxes, and are consumed to make military units. They also produce two units of a specific resource, with location adding bonuses or maluses to production.
Taxes are a function of population, and give you gold that you need to carry out improvement actions.
Resources are generated depending on town location, with towns near forests producing lumber, towns in open areas producing foods, and towns near mountains providing metal. All settlements have the chance to find quality stone. Buildings can also expand production, but population are equally divided between tasks.

Military units cost upkeep (infantry 4, cavalry 6), with infantry being the main-line troops and cavalry being used for flanking and breaking the enemy. Your military capacity increases by 1 for every 10 population (military units don't count). Going over your military capacity will increase the upkeep cost of all your units by the percentage you are over the cap by (having 11 military units with a capacity of 10 will make upkeep 10% more expensive).

Military units are produced by paying the cost in the military tab and consuming a free unit of population of the culture you want the unit to be (Northmen or Dunedain). Dunedain are superior soldiers, but Northmen gain a morale bonus when garrisoning a Northmen-culture town.

Settlements have at least one resource that they produce better than normal, usually associated with the region they are in. It is possible that a settlement will also produce stone.

Settlements must have 10 or more population before they become minor cities and can build fortifications.

Colonizing a new area requires a minimum of two population from the nearest area with a city (a settlement with ten or more population). So if Bree is the closest city you can take free population from Bree, but not Ost Falasuin. It costs 10 gold per population (so a minimum of 20 gold.



Ered Luin is a mountainous region with easy access to metals, and is also the site of Thorin's Halls, the major dwarven settlement west of the Misty Mountains. The Blue Mountains are home to the diminutive goblins, weaker cousins of the orcs.
Orodsîr is a Dunedain settlement established by survivors of Arthedain, and provides the capital of Ost Falasuin metal and iron from the mines. (Food/Stone/+Metals/Iron)
Security: None
Danger: Low (Goblins)
----------
Baranduin is a mighty river that flows from Lake Evendim to the mouth of the sea, providing arable land along its length. It is largely secure, but the occasional orc presence wandering down from the north can make it less safe.
Ost Falasuin is the capital of the Chieftain of the Dunedain, Lord of Arthedain. Its position near the cape of Eryn Vorn provides access to timber, while the plentiful fishing ensures its food needs are met. (+Food/+Wood/Lebethron)
Cor Wilishar
Iach Sarn
Security: 1
Danger: Low (Orcs)
----------
Minharaith is the land between the Baranduin and Gwathlo rivers, once the heartland of Cardolan. The primeval forests have all fallen, leaving behind arable land and vast plains. The free passage of hill-men and orcs across it have left it dangerous to the lone traveller.
Tharbad is the old link between Gondor and Arnor, but has been effectively independent for some time and has now officially severed all ties of loyalty with the North-Kingdom.
Argond
Thalion
Security: None
Danger: Medium (Men, Orcs)
----------
Enedhwaith marks the border between Arnor and Gondor, consisting primarily of grassland and forest. In recent history it has fallen to lawlessness and in the place of the Dunedain Kingdoms new orders of middle-men and mixed-blood tribes have risen to squabble over the area.
Lond Daer
Security: None
Danger: Medium (Men)
----------
Bree-Land is centrally located, and benefits by proximity to the Old Forest and other small woods. However the scattering of orcs and evil men after the Battle of Fornost are still felt here, with marauding bands of orcs and men threatening those who leave the safety of Bree. Worse still are the Barrow-Wights of Tyrn Gorthad, who make passage down the North-South road all but impossible.
Bree has long been a trading center, first for the Old Kingdom and then Arthedain. While able to sustain itself, it is a long way from its heyday, and is the core settlement for Northmen in Eriador. (Food/Wood)
Security: 1
Danger: High (Orcs, Men, Barrow-Wights)
----------
The Shire
Security: N/A
Danger: Low (Orcs)
----------
Nenuial is that ancient and hallowed lake that bears the city of Elendil on its shore. Long abandoned it is home now to tribes that have descended from the hills of Emyn Uial and roving orc-bands.
Annúminas
Barketta
Security: None
Danger: Medium (Orcs, Men)
----------
The North-Downs were the center of power for Arthedain, with the city of Fornost Erain holding the capital and its farthest northern reached marked by the minor town of Athilin. Those days have gone down into shadow, and now the North-Downs are home to orcs, ruin, and worse.
Fornost Erain
Athilin
Security: None
Danger: High (Orcs, Men)
----------
The Lone-Lands watch over the Last Lonely Bridge and the road to Imladris, but has long since been abandoned.
Amon Sul
Security: None
Danger: High (Orcs, Men, Wolves)
----------
The Trollshaws are aptly named, but the proximity to Imladris has prevented any fell power from gathering strength.
Fennas Drunin
Security: None
Danger: Medium (Orcs, Trolls)
----------
Rhudaur was subverted long before Angmar annexed the kingdom, and the ruins of Cameth Brin are occupied by the scions of that kingdom, savage men who now dwell in the squalor of the fallen Arnorian successor state.
Cameth Brin
Security: None
Danger: Medium (Orcs, Trolls, Men)



Excel sheet of income and trade.

Well that seems fairly explicit. Thank you for the input.



The as-yet-unnamed settlement for the scattered and disunified people of Arthedain is established in spring TA 1976 on the west bank of the Baranduin, where the Brandywine River meets the Great Sea, Belegaer. After a harsh winter in Forochel, and before that an even more disastrous campaign against Angmar, only a few survivors remain together with Chief Arvedui, Last King of Arthedain. Fortunately some small scraps of the Fornost treasury escaped from the sack with which to rebuild. More vitally, the palantiri of Amon Sûl and Annúminas remain intact and safe, housed now in the great roundhouse constructed in the center of the settlement.

The ramshackle collection of houses of mud and thatch is a far cry from the ancient glories of Arnor, but it is a safe haven. Protected by a palisade of wood and on the bank of the river there is enough to keep everybody out of the rain, but it's a near thing. Scouting the surroundings of this area, which has not seen prolonged settlement since the old days of Numenor, reveals that the area has been almost totally deforested by the rapacious consumption of timber required for the great fleets of Westernesse. But the land can be cleared easily enough, it's location along the banks of the river and flats providing plentiful potential farmland. For the moment fishing is supplying the city with food.

While not local, there are sources of stone, metal, and wood. The Blue Mountains to the north-west are heavily forested around their treacherous slopes, and the First Age dwarven halls have been abandoned and fallen into ruin. Across the river to the south-east, the forests of Eryn Vorn offer a more easily accessible source of timber. While the terrain is easily suited to the production of food, the others will all be more challenging.

Food is plentiful - both fishing and farms are available.
Wood is scarce - logging camps only give 3 wood, not 5.
Stone is rare - quarries only give 2 stone, not 5.
Metal is rare - mines only give 2 metal, not 5.

This combined with the remote location will make trade challenging and less profitable. Of course, once you have your footing secure you could encourage emigration from the city to those areas, losing population and establishing satellite settlements under your suzerainty. They would certainly be able to extract much more of the required resources, which you could then buy from them.

For now however, almost half your workforce is...not working. The former military men are finishing setting up the core of the future settlement, and then you will have to decide where to direct them. Fortunately at this early stage food is payment enough for their work.

[ ] Food is vital, and the fishermen can teach your former soldiers their trade. Moreover it will instantly expand the food supply, rather than sowing the fields and waiting a year.
[ ] The sea is bountiful beyond measure, but strife may arise from competition. It would be better to encourage them to take up farming this fertile land instead.
[ ] The felling of trees is at the core of prosperity, in the building of houses and boats. Scarce it may be, but it is needed.
[ ] Stone is the foundation on which civilization rests. It can trammel the river and erect mighty walls.
[ ] Metal is the basis of our survival, in the arming of men and the mining of precious things. There is money to be found in it, and strength too.

Although the settlement may not be large yet, people are already struggling with just calling it 'the settlement' or 'the town'. While a name may be grander than it deserves at present, it is a title to aspire to as well.

[ ] Minas Thelyn (Citadel of the Steadfast)
[ ] Ost Falasuin (City of the Shore)
[ ] Dol Baranduin (Head of the Baranduin)
[ ] Cerin Esgar (Circle of the Shore)


Settlement
Population: 2

Districts
City Center

Housing
City Center: 2

Food
Fishing: 3 Food (Population: 1)

Wood

Stone

Metal


Tax: 2 Gold (Normal).
Treasury: 12 Gold.
Food: +1 (1/3)
Wood: 0
Stone: 0
Metal 0