Advanced Mentoring and History: How to Be a Lord

[Peri]

I see -- so harsh courts are for control, then, and not loyalty.

Exactly, but use harsh courts only when really necessary since the peasants don't like them very much.

[Foundation]

Harsh Courts - raise control, lower loyalty and morale
Just Courts - raise loyalty (only with a sufficient base loyalty)
Mercy Courts - raise morale, lower control (only with sufficient base loyalty)

These are the basics, if anyone wants to elaborate, feel free to do so.

[Bedwyr]

Harsh courts can raise loyalty, actually, it's pretty random.

[songqu88@gmail.com]

Just courts have a variable effect on morale as well. For these options, it seems like there is one primary variable that has a predictable result, which would be the raised variable that Foundation mentioned. Of the two remaining, the court options generally affect one negatively and one variably. Just courts are probably the exception.

Mercy: Raise morale, Lower control, Variable loyalty(?)
Just: Raise loyalty, Variable morale, Unaffected control (??)
Harsh: Raise control, Lower morale, Variable loyalty

[Foundation]

Harsh courts can raise loyalty, actually, it's pretty random.

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen consecutive harsh courts raise net loyalty, only lower it...

[Vellos]

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen consecutive harsh courts raise net loyalty, only lower it...

Maybe not consecutive. But I know the limited deployment of harsh courts can cause a loyalty boost. I've done it many a time.

[Foundation]

Maybe not consecutive. But I know the limited deployment of harsh courts can cause a loyalty boost. I've done it many a time.

I don't disagree that harsh courts may increase loyalty occasionally.  I'm pointing out that in general, it does not raise loyalty consistently (you can get on the good side of randomness once, even a few times, but not regularly).

[loren]

If you dig through the d-list archive you'll find Tom commenting about how harsh courts do make people more loyal sometimes, other times disloyal.  The rational was fear can inspire loyalty as much as hate.