War is a goal, an end, and a means.

It is a crucible of innovation, it is what diplomacy is built around, it is an engine of progress and advancement.

Until we reach the age of industrialised total warfare, discarding warfare is beyond incomprehensible, War is the method of a acquiring wealth, land, concessions, happiness, allies and even peace.

Yes it is a risky proposition that is best made with realistic goals and expectations, but it is by no means redundant, useless or foolhardy. Simply put, an empire ill practiced in the arts of warfare and its consequences, is an empire ill prepared to stand against those who are well practiced in the craft.
 
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War is a goal, an end, and a means.

It is a crucible of innovation, it is what diplomacy is built around, it is an engine of progress and advancement.

Until we reach the age of industrialised total warfare, discarding warfare is beyond incomprehensible, War is the method of a acquiring wealth, land, concessions, happiness, allies and even peace.

Yes it is a risky proposition that is best made with realistic goals and expectations, but it is by no means redundant, useless or foolhardy. Simply put, an empire ill practiced in the arts of warfare and its consequences, is an empire ill prepared to stand against those who are well practiced in the craft.
I doubt we'll ever lack for practice in war, considering the fact that we have nomads on our boarder.

The biggest reason I think that everyone is kinda salty about the Trelli war is that no one expected them to be a peer power to us, especially after the poor showing they had in the King of the Hill War.

So when it turns out that we are stalemating them, and that we won't really be able to push and take any land, and the slaves hate our guts and will likely be crushed as soon as we leave anyways, the whole thing seems like a pointless and costly waste of time.
 
Has the US government actually used the Grain Reserve? Because if after eighty years of having emergencies we never touched it, I can see why we'd dump that thing.

This really reminds me of the tax crisis: the stats say we're mostly fine, but the narrative keeps hinting that doing what we're going is not working and if we want to succeed we need to make some kind of a change. That's why I say we do something that means we technically won and then stop.

A strategic grain reserve help us achieve stability in food prices when we don't touch it in time of emergencies by providing a floor in time of good harvest, and to prevent people from rioting over food price in time of poor harvests.
 
The biggest reason I think that everyone is kinda salty about the Trelli war is that no one expected them to be a peer power to us, especially after the poor showing they had in the King of the Hill War.
People are salty because everything we tried to do was turned on its head.

We tried to take advantage of a civil war as an opportunity to hit the Trelli while they were weak, and just ended up uniting them.
We tried to "do the right thing" by helping the slaves and were instead seen as backstabbers by our allies and opportunists by the slaves themselves.
We tried to eliminate a strategic geopolitical threat, and just ended up hardening them against us and marking ourselves as enemies and not merely rivals.


We paid in blood and tears all to accomplish a great deal less than nothing. That is why people are salty.
 
A strategic grain reserve help us achieve stability in food prices when we don't touch it in time of emergencies by providing a floor in time of good harvest, and to prevent people from rioting over food price in time of poor harvests.

Anyone know where I can find some solid information on this thing and how it's been used? None of the sources I can find seem very academic.
 
Anyone know where I can find some solid information on this thing and how it's been used? None of the sources I can find seem very academic.
Governmental Accountability Office - Paper by Comptroller
http://www.gao.gov/products/OSP-76-16
LA Times Opinion
Want food security? Bring back a national grain reserve
World Grain.com overview of international situation
Strategic grain reserves

These aren't "academic" but they're informative articles by trusted entities.
 
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Governmental Accountability Office - Paper by Comptroller
http://www.gao.gov/products/OSP-76-16
LA Times Opinion
Want food security? Bring back a national grain reserve
World Grain.com overview of international situation
Strategic grain reserves

These aren't "academic" but they're informative articles by trusted entities.

The first one is useful, but I'm looking for an overview of what actually happened back when we had the reserve more than I am for policy proposals.

Doing something that's morally good should be a bonus and not the reason for the actions of a nation in non-fantasy settings.

I don't mind doing good for good's sake, but only if we're sure about it. If we want to free slaves that's fine. If we kind of want to free slaves but are prepared to give up if it's too hard, then maybe let's not start in the first place.
 
Doing something that's morally good should be a bonus and not the reason for the actions of a nation in non-fantasy settings.
An additional reason I'm salty about this vote is because a supermajority voted for who was in hindsight a terrible option over moralization and warmongering without any meaningful thought to the consequences. It might as well have been a pavlovian response.

However, given that I am one of the only 28 people who voted to stay out of it as compared to the 73 that voted to support the rebelling slaves, I thought it more sensible to propose a set of reasons for saltiness that would generalize to more than just the original dissenters.
 
The first one is useful, but I'm looking for an overview of what actually happened back when we had the reserve more than I am for policy proposals.
from the la-times article

The modern concept of a strategic grain reserve was first proposed in the 1930s by Wall Street legend Benjamin Graham. Graham's idea hinged on the clever management of buffer stocks of grain to tame our daily bread's tendencies toward boom and bust. When grain prices rose above a threshold, supplies could be increased by bringing reserves to the market — which, in turn, would dampen prices. And when the price of grain went into free-fall and farmers edged toward bankruptcy, the need to fill the depleted reserve would increase the demand for corn and wheat, which would prop up the price of grain.

Following Graham's theory, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a grain reserve that helped rally the price of wheat and saved American farms during the Depression. In the inflationary 1970s, the USDA revamped FDR's program into the Farmer-Owned Grain Reserve, which encouraged farmers to store grain in government facilities by offering low-cost and even no-interest loans and reimbursement to cover the storage costs. But over the next quarter of a century the dogma of deregulated global markets came to dominate American politics, and the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act abolished our national system of holding grain in reserve.
 
People are salty because everything we tried to do was turned on its head.

We tried to take advantage of a civil war as an opportunity to hit the Trelli while they were weak, and just ended up uniting them.
We tried to "do the right thing" by helping the slaves and were instead seen as backstabbers by our allies and opportunists by the slaves themselves.
We tried to eliminate a strategic geopolitical threat, and just ended up hardening them against us and marking ourselves as enemies and not merely rivals.


We paid in blood and tears all to accomplish a great deal less than nothing. That is why people are salty.
I don't disagree.
I myself was salty when the update first dropped and I realized that this was a pointless endeavor, but I guess the amount of time in between the updates made the salt go away. I'm just kind of resigned to it now, since there's really no way to "fix" it.

If we peace out, the Trelli get increased trade power, the slaves hate us forever, and the Trelli hate us forever.
If we make a slave nation, the Trelli get increased trade power, the Trelli hate us forever, and a possibly hostile and aggressive nation is created on our boarder.
If we continue the war, then we spend more turns trying to get the straights, possibly have to peace out anyways, lose trade power to the Trelli, and generally lose time and resources in an almost pointless war.

There really is no good option anymore, and I've kinda gotten to the same point as Yshuyn ("Fuck it, whatever, you nerds do what you want") and just waiting out the war turns.
 
I myself was salty when the update first dropped and I realized that this was a pointless endeavor, but I guess the amount of time in between the updates made the salt go away. I'm just kind of resigned to it now, since there's really no way to "fix" it.
Ironically, the only way to fix this is to keep fighting; that is the only option with any hope of getting us out of this mess in a decent condition. The problem is that while more fighting has a chance to fix things, it is far more likely to make things worse. AN has clearly stated that the war is grinding on with no sign of progress, that our people are getting tired of it, and that even the advisers responsible for the war think we should put an end to it. And yet, people are unwilling to back down and accept the mess that they made out of things - so here we go with one more update worth of war.

*shrugs*. It will end eventually, one way or another. Likely when the next crisis drops and the voterbase immediately rushes to deal with it like an ADHD squirrel. Nevermind the fact that if we ended the war now, we could spend our time on prevention instead of treatment.
 
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War is a goal, an end, and a means.

It is a crucible of innovation, it is what diplomacy is built around, it is an engine of progress and advancement.

Until we reach the age of industrialised warfare, discarding warfare is beyond incomprehensible, War is the method of a acquiring wealth, land, concessions, happiness, allies and even peace.

Yes it is a risky proposition that is best made with realistic goals and expectations, but it is by no means redundant, useless or foolhardy. Simply put, an empire ill practiced in the arts of warfare and it consequences, is an empire ill prepared to stand against those who are well practiced in the craft.
War is a method that works in some situations and not in others. It can solve a problem or exacerbate it. It can win treasure or waste it, can improve technology or squander it, inspire patriotism or foment dischord, take land or lose it, earn concession from enemies or force concessions from ourselves, cheer a people or make them grieve, win allies or lose them. It can make lasting peace or ensure endless bloodshed.

The goal is never the war itself but some purpose that the war will serve. War is too costly and destabilizing to be an end.

Well my lesson here is: Don't try to be moral in war just go for the landgrab.
Doing something that's morally good should be a bonus and not the reason for the actions of a nation in non-fantasy settings.
I don't think this is the right lesson to draw.

We can do something purely because it's the right thing to do. But doing the right thing as a nation is politically difficult. Much of the time it's a real struggle to figure out what the right choice is. If you want good results you've got to think very far ahead and be willing to make unpleasant or unintuitive choices. It's a real sacrifice, but I think it's worth it, both mechanically and narratively.
 
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I don't think this is the right lesson to draw.

We can do something purely because it's the right thing to do. But doing the right thing as a nation is politically difficult. Much of the time it's a real struggle to figure out what the right choice is. If you want good results you've got to think very far ahead and be willing to make unpleasant or unintuitive choices. It's a real sacrifice, but I think it's worth it, both mechanically and narratively.
I think the right lesson to draw is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that when you try to do "the right thing" without thought to the consequences, you do far more harm than good.
 
Hindsight Bias
Sometimes, things are really obvious in hindsight.

"It's from the Khemetri," the smith declared about the iron spearhead. "We don't trade as much as we used to, but that's definitely one of the marks their smiths use on their bronze goods."

War Chief Dyarllyn sighed and ran a hand down his face in exasperation. There had been predictions that the Khemetri would figure out iron working since contact had been made, and they now had evidence that they had enough to export it. The Trelli had deep reserves of bronze weaponry and iron acquired through trade with the People from before the war started so many generations ago, but even as the Trelli mercenaries had been ground up their supply of good quality equipment had seemed to increase.

"We know that the Trelli trade with the Khemetri, but did anyone, anyone consider that after they pulled out of the Games in shock at our actions they might decide to provide economic back-up?" Dyarllyn asked those around him in irritation, his question mostly rhetorical as he sorted out what he would tell the Council. "Ugh... even if we could have blockaded the northern part of the straits they would still have a clear path to one of the greatest kingdoms in the world, who have a vested interest in us not conquering the area. Crow's Caw, the two of us pounding each other to paste can only benefit them since it means they can do what they want unopposed, why did it take so long for this to get pointed out?"

"Probably because they've been busy arguing with the king, who has been busy annoying them and keeping the economy running despite best efforts by the war to crash it?" One of the attendants suggested, perhaps hitting the nail too firmly on the head.

The War Chief could only mutter darkly at that. The situation was... unstable. While they were finally making gains in colonial territory, the forces out of Tinriver had been wiped out in an ambush and that meant that the Dragon Banner had to fall back to the settlement to guard it from reprisal or raids from third parties. They could potentially keep pushing, but what edges they had had in equipment and training had been steadily slipping away instead of being gained, and the sheer distances involved meant that supplying the tip of the spear was such a problem that the People had essentially no numerical advantages despite theoretically having more warriors to throw at the problem. If they were able to go over the sea they could have ended all of this decades ago with a direct siege of Trelli, but the Trelli had enough control over the sea to mean that they had to advance over hilly terrain into the teeth of enemy resistance while supplying along trails infested with bandits.

And the king just didn't know enough about war to do much more than nod along with whatever the war leaders asked of him, with pretty much all of them unable to actually come out and say that what they really needed was to not be fighting because it was currently too big of a task. Of course, part of that was because the king was supposed to be the one who could put everything together, see the big picture that the individual Ministries were too focused upon to be able to realize. Also, part of it was that the task had been doable, but things kept going wrong in exactly the wrong way.

If the People had struck Trelli directly they would have been able to get a siege up and knocking on the gates before the Trelli would have been able to blockade movement.

If they had timed it just a little better the rebelling nobles might have not reunited with the home city so quickly, resulting in fighting against disunified villages that could be conquered and suppressed in turn, rather than a network of supporting settlements that loved to nip at his flanks whenever he tried to focus on one group and could call in the big swords that made the actual fighting a problem.

If the slaves had believed them a bit more and not become a constant worry that one group might go bandit when their backs were turned and thus turned their progress into a painful crawl through valleys and passes then they could have secured the colonial territory at least a long time ago.

And most of all, if the Khemetri had not been so upset by the actions of the People the Trelli surely would have run out of resources long ago, but as it was they had and that meant that the People weren't just fighting the Trelli but also part of the economic strength of the Khemetri, with all of the other things that had gone sour alongside all of the problems and challenges they would have had even if everything else had gone perfectly.

As War Chief, Dyarllyn was of the opinion that if the Trelli offered them any way of extricating themselves that wouldn't trigger riots they should take it.

As it was, the Trelli seemed to have their own opinion on the war and its fortunes and sent a delegation to negotiate. The message said, in essence:

"Recognizing your victories in the east and our victories in the west and realizing that continued fighting is likely to result in both sides seizing territory that they will use to negotiate for the return of their own property, it is of the opinion of the Council of Twelve that further fighting will only serve to weaken both our groups to outside influences, such as the recent merger of tribes in the north, wielding together the metal working prowess of the mountain dwellers and the chariot-borne ferocity of the steppe dwellers. While a full return to the status quo before start of hostilities is preferred by the Council of Twelve, we recognize the facts as they are and are willing to a partial ceding of territory and settlement rights to the People, as well as recognition of the independent tribes formed of former slaves. Furthermore, in recognition of the demands of the gods of the People, the Council is willing to discuss a partial manumission of certain populations as part of an overall negotiation during the resumption of trade once peace is restored between our peoples."

While many immediately claimed that the offer of peace was a clear sign that the Trelli were running out of breath to fight, many others pointed out that they had to know that they were unlikely to pull off an outright win, and while their population seemed far more willing to abandon land if they were able to follow through on their ability to threaten Tinriver - directly or by proxy by drawing attention away from other threats such as the Tin Tribes or the unified Storm Wolves and Metal Workers who were now a major threat in the west - then the potential loss of territory could trigger riots and revolts. They had an advantage in that a solidly credible threat of territory loss was about the same concern for the People as actual territory loss was for them. There was also some concern that the 'century of peace and prosperity' - already a major issue of contention about what exactly that prophecy entailed, precisely - was going to run out and then whatever protection the gods might still be offering would be off the table and disaster would strike in full force rather than distantly.

Accept the Peace Treaty?
[] [Peace] Yes (ends war, Gulvalley gains some territory, new minor power established)
[] [Peace] No (continues war, risks loss of Tinriver)

Art Patronage [Guild] - Wealth of the first and second kind can be used to create wealth of the third kind to the benefit of all
*S: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, +3 Culture, +1 Tech, +1 Prestige, potential innovations
*M: -1 Econ, -4 Wealth, +5 Culture, +1 Tech, +1 Prestige, higher chance of innovations

Black Soil - There are many places that could benefit from further black soil, but making more is starting to take up more resources than it is currently returning
*S: +2-3 Econ Expansion
*M: -2 Econ, 1 Forest Slot Consumed, +6 Econ Expansion, other effects [King]
* used 3 times

Build Chariots - The vehicle of the elite, chariots are the most effective way of waging war the People know.
*S: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, +4 Martial, +1 Culture
*M: -2 Econ, -5 Wealth, +8 Martial, +2 Culture, +1 Prestige

Build Docks [Guild] - With large numbers of ships being built, a new place to store them all, the goods they bring in, and a place to build them might be a good idea
*S: -1 Econ, +1 Diplo, increased trade power
*M: -2 Econ, +3 Diplo, potential for new innovations, increased trade power

Build Glassworks [Guild] - A new material discovered recently, new luxuries and trade goods could be made from relatively cheap materials
*S: -1 Econ, -2 Tech, 1 Sustainable Forest used, +2 Wealth, +2 Culture, chance of new innovations
*M: -2 Econ, -2 Tech, 1 Sustainable Forest used, +2 Wealth, +4 Culture, increased chance of new innovations

Build Gymnasium - With the games on people's minds, a place to train for them would be most useful. 0 Bonuses
*S: -2 Wealth, -2 Culture, +2 Bonus to Games rolls per turn, +1 non-primary Martial tolerance
*M: -3 Wealth, -3 Culture, +5 Bonus to Games rolls per turn, +1 non-primary Martial tolerance

Build Mills - By harnessing the power of flowing water, work can be done, freeing up considerable amounts of labour
*S: -2 Wealth, -1 Tech, +3 Econ, potential for innovation
*M: -3 Wealth, - 1 Tech, +4 Econ, increased potential for innovation

Build Porcelain Works [Guild] - With special kilns and techniques, it is possible to make some truly fine pottery that surpasses all others in quality - if also cost
*S: -1 Econ, -2 Tech, +2 Wealth, +2 Culture, potential innovations
*M: -2 Econ, -2 Tech, 1 sustainable forest, +3 Wealth, +3 Culture, increased chance of innovations

Build Roads - New roads can better tie the people together, so more could be useful. (13/27) +4 Centralization Tolerance
* S: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, -1 Tech, +1 Centralization, +1 Diplo, other effects
* M: -3 Econ, -2 Wealth, -2 Tech, +2 Centralization, +2 Diplo, other effects

Build Theatre - Having a place for the presentation of plays should be a great way to propagate the People's culture and entertain the masses
*S: -1 Econ, -1 Wealth, -1 Culture, +4 Culture end of turn, other effects
*M: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, -1 Culture, +4 Culture end of turn, +2 Culture next turn, other effects

Build Wall - The practice of building city walls has reached new heights with access to superior tools making the cutting of stone simpler (14/45 significant walls, 4/45 massive walls)
*S: -2 Econ, +1 significant walls
*M: -4 Econ, +1 massive walls

Build Watchtowers - Stone and brick towers for warriors to sit in and scan the horizon for trouble, these towers can help stave off raids and improve response against attacks. (35% coverage)
*S: -1 Econ, +5% coverage
*M: -1 Econ, +10% coverage

Change Policy - Adjust the current Policy to one better fitting the situation
*S: Change Active Policy to one of the available ones listed below
Balanced - Takes whatever actions seem reasonable. Expand Economy is considered a Policy action for interaction with other effects
Defence - Builds walls and watchtowers
Expansion - Builds new settlements, expands economy, expands forests, and can even create new provinces
Infrastructure - Extended projects
Megaproject Support - Provinces can spend actions in support of a megaproject
Offence - Can recruit warriors and specialists, can send war actions against declared enemies
Progress - Takes studying actions and art patronage
Restoration - Takes stability improving actions
Spirits - Builds temples
Trade - Sends out trade missions, produce art and luxuries

*S: Change up to two Passive Policies (4/4) to one of the available ones listed below
Agriculture (+1 Econ and -1 Econ Expansion/turn)
Diplomacy (+1 Diplo/turn)
Trade (+1 Wealth/turn)
Armament (+1 Martial/turn)
Patronage (+1 Culture/turn)
Mysticism (+1 Mysticism/turn)
Industry (+1 Tech/turn)
City Support (2 True Cities have their maintenance paid for each turn)
Expansion (So long as there is land to expand into, +1 Econ Expansion/turn, reduces threshold to produce new provinces the longer active)
Innovation (Extra innovation roll each turn)
Infrastructure (+1 Free Progress to an infrastructure project (Aqueduct, governor's palace, saltern, etc.)/turn) x2
Defence (+1 significant walls/turn) x1
Special: Forestry (+1 Sustainable Forest and -1 Econ Expansion/2 turns)
x1
Special: Vassal Support (+1 Subordinate while active, increases Loyalty while active at less than full subordinates)

Distribute Land - By reworking the distribution of land, the king can improve tax income and reduce pressures administrative overhead. 0/4 Progress to Min Centralization increase
*S: -1 Centralization, +2 Wealth
*M: -2 Centralization, +5 Wealth, +1 Progress

Enforce Justice - The king is a servant of the law, and he can use the army to remind people of that fact [GJ]
* S: 1 Stability, +1-3 Centralization
* M: 1 to 2 Stability, +2-3 Centralization
* the more settlements with walls outside of the capital, particularly large walls, the less effective this action is
*Max Stability: Legitimacy

Efficient Charcoal Kilns [Guild] - With better processes, large Guild controlled kilns can be built to efficiently turn wood into charcoal
*S: -1 Econ, Wealth, & Tech, -2 Sustainable Forest used
*M: -2 Econ & Wealth, -1 Tech, -3 Sustainable Forest used, other effects
Note: Efficient Charcoal production cannot take the total Sustainable Forest usage below 1/2 of the total

Expand Economy - Encourage the growth of food producing activities such as farming, pastures, or fishing, depending on where focus is placed
*S: +3 Econ, -3 Econ Expansion, potential additional effects
*14 Econ Expansion available (max 13 to keep Sacred Forest True City; max 18 for Valleyhome)

Expand Forests - The People have knowledge of how to regrow and repair forests, which extends to bringing them to places they have never been, with considerable effort. With charcoal now in higher demand, can also provide a sustainable supply (7/8 currently locked up)
* S: -2 Econ, -1 Econ Expansion, grows forest, +2 Econ next turn if in settled territory and controlled, potential discoveries, +0.5 Sustainable Forest
* M: -3 Econ, -3 Econ Expansion, grows forest, +4 Econ next turn if in settled and controlled territory, improved odds of success, other effects, +1 Sustainable Forest

Expand Snail Cultivation [Guild] - While now more reliably grown and harvested, the snail domestication has only managed to hold environmental changes at bay rather than increase production. More investment would increase cultivation
* S: -1 Econ, +1 Wealth, +1 Culture, potential additional effects
* M: -3 Econ, +3 Wealth, +1 Culture, increased chance of additional effects

Expand Vineyard [Guild] - There is a location in Blackriver that is judged an ideal place to grow the small fruits that are favoured for making a particularly potent drink
*S: -1 Econ, -1 Econ Expansion, +1 Wealth, +1 Culture
*M: -3 Econ, -2 Econ Expansion, +4 Wealth, +1 Culture

Found Colony - When a province gets too distant, sometimes it is best to grant it additional autonomy so that they can get down to the business of working the land and gathering resources without needing to talk to the king about every little thing. Current Target: None
*F: Change Greenshore Trading Post to a Colony
*S: -1 Econ, 4 Econ Transfer, -2 Martial, founds colony to produce raw resources


Found Free City - Cities are hard to manage, giving them increased autonomy to manage themselves will reduce administrative overhead. Current Possibility: Sacred Forest
*S: Transfer 2 Econ, converts True City to Free City. Free Cities now produce a Passive Policy of their choice in activity each turn

Found March - Sometimes you need an extra buffer between you and hostile powers, or a place to stash excess warriors. Current Target: None
*S: -5 Martial, 2 Econ transfer, founds march to take independent martial actions


Found Mercenary Company - With new coinage, those who fight for less than savoury reasons can be bargained with more effectively. Paid well they can enhance your forces, or can be hired out to other groups, but beware of having them sit around without pay!
*S: -8 Martial, -1 Wealth per turn in your employ, +1 Wealth per turn if hired out to another group, or 0 Wealth per turn and adds directly to Martial score

Found Trading Post - When doing long distance trading, sometimes having your own infrastructure in place at the other end can be quite useful. Current Target: None
*S: -3 Diplo, -2 Wealth, -1 Econ, 2 Econ Transfer, -2 Martial, founds trading post to generate Wealth and Diplomacy


Influence Subordinate - By transferring specialists and teachers to subordinates they can be nudged into behaving more to the liking of the core provinces
*S: -2 Diplo, Transfer 2 Econ, Wealth, Culture, Tech, and Mysticism; influences subordinate culture
*M: -3 Diplo, Transfer 3 Econ, Wealth, Culture, Tech, and Mysticism; significantly influences subordinate culture, +1 Loyalty

Integrate Colony - Part of the colony of Western Wall, Txolla, or Hatvalley can be integrated into the People more fully, transitioning from a Colony to a province
*S: -6 Diplomacy, gain Econ and Martial from integrating Colony
*M: Same as above, completes at mid-turn

Integrate March - Better communications and administration means that the Heaven's Hawk can be integrated into the People more fully, transitioning from a March to a province
*S: -6 Diplomacy, gain Econ and Martial from integrating March
*M: Same as above, completes at mid-turn

Integrate Vassal - Now in contact with the core territories, the lowlanders can be brought more fully into the traditions of the People
*S: -4 Diplomacy, transitions vassal to March or Colony
*M: -8 Diplomacy, transitions portion of vassal to full province, converts rest to March or Colony


Improve Annual Festival - A festival for every season, but their expansion can help put the People at ease and teach good practices.
* S: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, +1 Stability, +2 Culture, chance for additional effects
* M: -2 Econ, -2 Wealth, +1 Stability, +4 Culture, chance for additional effects
* Max Stability: Legitimacy - 1

Invite to Games - There are some of your neighbours who might be convinced to come (back) to the Games
*S: -1 Diplo to invite most neighbours, -3 to invite a Great Power (currently Khemetri)

More Blackbirds - Elite scouts and woodsmen, the Blackbirds are a potent force, if not exactly mainline fighters. More of them could prove useful
* S: -1 Econ, -1 Mysticism, -1 Wealth, +2 Martial, +1 Culture, many more Blackbirds, additional effects

More Carrion Eaters - Keepers of sacred and profane knowledge, the Carrion Eaters thread a dangerous path but bring valuable knowledge for treating wounds and inspiring courage, greatly bolstering the morale of warriors by ensuring them that their companions are not doomed if they fall. More could prove useful.
*S: -1 Econ, -1 Mysticism, -1 Wealth, +2 Martial, +1 Culture, many more Carrion Eaters, additional effects

More Boats [Guild] - The things are expensive but oh so useful, so having more of them will increase your capacity for trade, travel, and fishing
*S: -2 Econ, -1 Wealth, +1 Tech; +1 Econ end of turn, +1 Econ, +1 Econ Expansion and Diplo next turn, additional effects
*M: -2 Econ, -1 Wealth, +1 Tech; +1 Econ, Econ Expansion, and Diplo end of turn, additional effects
* used 8 times

New Settlement - There are a few new sites that could have new settlements placed on them: northern Blackriver (+3, moderate mineral, 0/6 province), far north-eastern Redhills (+1, good mineral, 0/6 province)
* S: -1 Econ, +1 Econ and Mysticism end of turn, increases number Econ Expansion depending on environment, +1 Province progress
* M: +1 Econ and Mysticism, increases Econ Expansion, +2 Province progress
Plant Cotton [Guild] - These resource intensive plants produce an incredibly fine textile desirable for its superior comfort, although much of the cost comes from how labour intensive it is
*S: -3 Econ, -2 Econ Expansion, +6 Wealth, new trade good
*M: -4 Econ, -3 Econ Expansion, +7 Wealth, +1 Culture, new trade good

Plant Hemp [Guild] - This sturdy plant has been planted in limited quantities before, but you now have cultivars that can take well to being planted in large areas and could use it for
*S: -2 Econ, -2 Econ Expansion, +1 Tech, +1 Mysticism, +1 Diplo if have boats, +1 Econ next turn
*M: -3 Econ, -3 Econ Expansion, +2 Tech, +1 Mysticism, +2 Diplo if have boats, +1 Econ next turn, other effects

Plant Poppies [Guild] - Within some temple grounds there are gardens where the poppy grows, and the milk of the poppy can be harvested. Expanding production should have interesting effects.
*S: -2 Econ, -2 Econ Expansion, +2 Mysticism, +2 Wealth
*M: -3 Econ, -3 Econ Expansion, +2 Mysticism, +5 Wealth, +1 Martial, new trade good

Proclaim Glory - By using art the King can promote people to trust his decisions; modified by Diplomacy skill
* S: -3 Culture, -1 Econ, +1 Legitimacy, +1 Stability, potential +1 Prestige
*M: -6 Culture, -2 Econ, +1 Legitimacy, +2 Stability, +1 Prestige
* Max Stability: Legitimacy

Raise Army - More men can be inducted into the ranks of the warriors every year and not face major food shortfalls
* S: -2 Econ, -3 Wealth, +5 Martial, +1 Culture, potential additional effects
*M: -3 Econ, -5 Wealth, +9 Martial, +2 Culture, potential additional effects
*2M: -4 Econ, -5 Wealth, +2 Culture, founds Martial 10 Mercenary Company

Retraining - When there are more warriors than the People know what to do with, it may be a good idea to find them something else to do
*S: -4 Martial, -2 Econ Expansion, +2 Econ, Culture, and Tech
*M: -6 Martial, -3 Econ Expansion, +3 Econ, Culture, and Tech

Restoration of Order - The people are uncertain, and into that uncertainty bad behaviour can flow. Send in the warriors to reassure people and root out corruption and dissent, restoring the proper function of the People, at the cost of disturbing their confidence that the king has their best interests at heart. Max Stability: Legitimacy-1
* S: Gain 0 to 2 Stability at a cost of -1 Legitimacy
* M: Roll twice, take best result, chance of additional +1 Stability
* modified by Administrative skill

Sailing Mission - Boats have proven themselves capable of exploring long distances, so what else might they discover along the shores of the sea?
* S: Potential new discoveries
* M: -1 Econ, improved odds of success
Special: Need to send out a Sailing Mission to locate pirates

Salt Gift - With the saltern, the People have access to tremendous amounts of salt, which can be used to awe outsiders
*S: -5 Wealth, random amount of Diplomacy, Culture, and Prestige generated (min. 1 of each) and the possibility of Mysticism generation
*M: -8 Wealth, random amount of Diplomacy, Culture, Mysticism, and Prestige generated (min. 1 of each)

Study Alchemy - Materials can be made to transform their form through special treatment. What wonders can be discovered in this process?
*S: -2 Mysticism, -2 Wealth, +1 Tech, potential new discoveries
*M: -4 Mysticism, -3 Wealth, -1 Econ, +1 Tech, increased chance of new discoveries

Study Health - What secrets of nature can be used to improve the health of the People?
* S: -1 Econ, -1 Wealth, +1 Mysticism, potential new discoveries
*M: -1 Econ, -1 Wealth, -1 Mysticism, increased odds of success

Study Metal - Iron and copper, gold and silver, what other secrets are hidden in metal and stone?
* S: -1 Econ, -1 Wealth, -1 Mysticism, +1 Tech, small chance of new insights
* M: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, -1 Mysticism, improved chance of new insights

Study Stars - What secrets do the heavens hold when you study the stars and their motions carefully?
*S: -1 Wealth, gives mid-turn astrological predictions
Cannot be used as a Main action

Support Artisans [Guild] - With the growing importance of skilled artisans to the maintenance of society, additional support may sometimes be needed
*S: -1 Econ, -2 Wealth, +3 Tech, +1 Culture, potential innovations
*M: -1 Econ, -4 Wealth, +5 Tech, +1 Culture, higher chance of innovations

Support Subordinate - Send resources over to a subordinate state to help prop them up.
*S: Transfer 2 Econ and Martial, chance of +1 Loyalty
*M: Transfer 4 Econ and Martial, at least +1 Loyalty

Survey Lands - What interesting discoveries are within the People's lands?
* S: Potential new discoveries
* M: -1 Econ, improved odds of success

Terrify - You've killed cities, walls will not keep your enemies safe
*S: -3 Diplo, can force minors to become vassals or integrate, can cause major civilizations to lose Stability
Special: Not applicable to nomads, efficiency greatly improved by performing a War Mission against the target the same turn
Warning: Crit fails can cause backlash, losing Stability

Trade Mission - Sending a major caravan to another large group can bring new opportunities and find out more about the outside world
* S: -2 Wealth, additional effects depending on target, +1-2 Diplo
* M: -2 Wealth, -1 Econ, additional effects depending on target, +1 Diplo, +1-3 Diplo end of turn, +0-2 Wealth end of turn

War Mission - You can send raiding parties against groups that have declared themselves hostile. Can only declare war if you have a valid casus belli (currently only if someone declares war first)
* S: Potential loss of Martial, can prevent Econ and Diplo damage when being attacked, can damage enemy Martial and Diplo
* M: Probable loss of Martial, can prevent Econ and Diplo damage when being attacked, can damage enemy Martial, Diplo, and Econ, always has a mid-turn decision point

Extended Projects- Extended Projects are major infrastructure projects that take more than a single Main action to complete but aren't as all consuming as megaprojects
Saltern - Northshore Saltern Expansion (0/3), Southshore Saltern Expansion (0/3). Each {S} committed consumes 3 Econ and 3 Tech for 3 Progress. Completion gives additional Wealth and every 2 salterns or expansions increases the per turn Wealth by +1
Aqueduct - Stonepen (0/3), Blackmouth (0/6), Hatmouth (0/3), Valleyguard (0/3). Each {S} committed consumes 3 Econ for 3 Progress. Completion adds +1 Econ Expansion, can allow for the formation of another True City, and decreases disease roll penalty for True Cities
Bath - Any city with an aqueduct may have a bath. Each {S} committed consumes 3 Wealth and 3 Tech for 3 Progress, and then ties up 1 Sustainable Forest once complete. Completion adds +1 Econ Expansion and decreases disease roll penalty for True Cities further
Temple - Progress listed below, each {S} committed consumes 3 Econ and 3 Culture for 3 Progress. Completion increases Religious Authority
Governor's Palace - Every palace lowers Min. Centralization by 1 and adds +1 to max interconnectivity, but also reduces Max. Centralization by 1 and can serve as the core of a breakaway state in a civil war. Each {S} costs 3 Econ and 3 Culture and produces 3 Progress
Library - Any location with a temple and/or True City status can have a library, with each {S} committed consuming 3 Culture and 3 Mysticism for 3 progress. Completion grants Mysticism, every 2 libraries past the first increases the Mysticism refund by 1. Sacred Forest (0/3), Redshore (0/3), Redhills (0/3), Stallionpen (0/3)
Colossal Walls - True Cities can support truly gigantic walls. Each {S} committed consumes 3 Econ and 1 Martial for 3 Progress. Valleyhome (0/9), Sacred Forest (0/9)
Palace Annex - Can construct additional palace annexes, with each {S} committed consuming 2 Econ and 2 Culture for a new annex (9/15)
-Great Hall Expansion
-Shrine
-Library
-Gardens
-Storehouse
-Arsenal
-Fortifications

Reminder: 2 {S} applied to the same project = 1 {M}
Additionally: 2 Mains may have non-linear effects

Special: Sending a Trading Mission to the Trelli if you have peace may allow for the strait to be opened to passage by the People

Mega-Projects - Mega-Projects can require many generations to complete, take an unknown amount of time to do so, and drain Econ while active, but can produce massive benefits once complete. Once chosen, the occupy the Main Focus slot until either completed or stopped early. Early stopping once started does not refund any of the investments and increases social strife. To reduce confusion, mega-projects are not listed as part of the voting project list and must be "written-in".
Artisan Games [Guild] - Warriors compete with each other, but so too do artists and artisans to produce the finest works (3/4-5? actions, -3 Wealth, Culture, Mysticism, and Tech per action) [LoW] [CA] [LoA]
Great Dam - The river can run wild and dangerous when the rains come strong, but could it not be controlled by the same principles by which the water on the hills is channelled and contained, merely on a larger scale? (4-6? action commitment, -2 Econ per action)
Ironworks [Guild] - A place with both iron and good flowing water could greatly improve the production of iron (5-8? actions, -2 Econ and -2 Tech per action, requires 3 Sustainable Forests)
Triangle Canal - There is land in the north where the soil is mostly clay and can be cut efficiently, allowing for a great canal to be cut between the two forks of the Black River, from which smaller irrigation canals can be built to water the land of the Stallions, massively increasing the available well watered land (8-11? action commitment, -3 Econ and -1 Tech per action)

[Stewards] special kicker: Pay 1 Stability to double the effort on a megaproject action, consuming twice the required per turn resources but advancing the job faster. If taking a second main action on a megaproject, requires additional Stability payment to double that as well.
One Main and Two Secondary actions, and One Main [Guild] action. If continue War must devote at least one [Sec] War Mission - Trelli. Currently working on Artisan Games megaproject and must devote one [Main] or the [Guild] action towards it

[] Art Patronage
[] Black Soil
[] Build Chariots
[] Build Docks
[] Build Glassworks
[] Build Mills
[] Build Porcelain Works
[] Build Theatre
[] Build Wall
[] Build Watchtowers
[] Change Policy
[] Distribute Land
[] Enforce Justice
[] Expand Economy
[] Expand Forests
[] Expand Snail Cultivation
[] Expand Vineyard
[] Found Colony
[] Found Free City
[] Found Mercenary Company
[] Found Trading Post
[] Influence Subordinate
[] Integrate Colony
[] Integrate March
[] Integrate Vassal
[] Invite to Games
[] Improve Annual Festival
[] More Blackbirds
[] More Carrion Eaters
[] More Boats
[] New Settlement
[] New Trails
[] Plant Cotton
[] Plant Hemp
[] Plant Poppies
[] Proclaim Glory
[] Raise Army
[] Restore Order
[] Retraining
[] Sailing Mission
[] Salt Gift
[] Study Alchemy
[] Study Health
[] Study Metal
[] Study Stars
[] Survey Lands
[] Support Artisans
[] Support Subordinate
[] Terrify
[] Trade Mission
-Target Options: Highland Kingdom, Thunder Speakers, Metal Miners, Lowland Minors, Tin Tribes, Trelli, Swamp Folk, Storm Wolves, Northern Nomads, Eastern Nomads, Into the Wild (Eastern Sea), Into the Wild, Khemetri
[] War Mission
-Target Options: Northern Nomads, Eastern Nomads, Storm Wolves

Provinces for Projects: Redvalley (C) (Valleyhome+Redhills), Sacred Shore (0/9) (Redshore+Sacred Forest), Stoneshore (0/9) (Stonepen + Northshore), Hatshore (0/9) (Southshore+ Hatriver), Blackiron Province (9/9) (Blackriver+Ironshore), Hatvalley (0/9), Stallion Province (0/9), Valleyguard Province (0/9)
Major Holy Sites: Rainbow Trail (0/3), Sacred Forest (Temple 0/12), Holy Sea (0/3), Horse Valley (0/3), White Circle (0/3), Warrior's Rest (0/3), Star Mirror (0/3), Sunrise Grove (0/3), Skyforest (0/3), Bloodgrove (0/3), Spiritwell (0/3), Moonwell (0/3), Sparkling Cave (0/3), Great Gallery (0/3), Ancestors Grave (0/3), Ox Rest (0/3), Dragon Graveyard (0/12)

Astrological Prediction: The gods will reward peace greatly

Patricians (3) - Objective: Build a Gymnasium within 2 turns. Success: +2 Culture
Guild (3) - Objective: Lead in a textile type good within 3 turns. Success: Free random technology, Failure: -4 Wealth
Traders (2) - Objective: Establish a navigable path to the Saffron Sea within 1 turns. Success: Ship innovation, Failure: Trelli gain trade power
Yeomen (3)- Objective: Have 8 or more forest slots unoccupied within 3 turns. Success: +2 Econ
Priests (2)- Objective: Build an Observatory within 2 turns. Failure: -1 RA, -1 Legitimacy
Urban Poor (1)- Objective: Have another faction fail a quest within 2 turns. Failure: -2 Stability
These counters iterate at the next mid-turn. The numbers in brackets indicate the general faction strength.

AN: I have almost certainly forgotten things, but let us resume the main turn cycles now and I will edit in corrections over the next little while as they are pointed out
 
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General
Diplomacy 16 [+3]
Economy 13 [+1-4]
-Sustainable Forests 19/22.5
-Econ Expansion 13 [+4-1]
Martial 16 {20}
Wealth 12 [+(3+(2+8)/2+6)-(2+2+1)]

Cultural
Culture 18 (+2) [+4]
Mysticism 18 (+4) [+3-3]
Tech 18 [-1]
Prestige 89

Stability
Stability 2 (optimistic)
Legitimacy 3 (max)

Organizational
Centralization 3
Hierarchy 7
Religious Authority 9
 
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[X] [Peace] Yes (ends war, Gulvalley gains some territory, new minor power established)

[X][Main] Trade Mission - Trelli
[X][Secondary] Change Policy - Trade
 
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[X] [Peace] Yes (ends war, Gulvalley gains some territory, new minor power established)

[] [Main] Trade Mission - Trelli
[] [Guild] Artisan Games
[] [Secondary] Plant Cotton
[] [Secondary] Change Policy - Balanced

EDIT: Vote changed.

This is probably as good as we're gonna get. If we keep going we risk getting ganked by the Khemetri or the Metal Workers.
 
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