BattleMaster Community

BattleMaster => Helpline => Topic started by: Indirik on January 10, 2015, 10:14:07 PM

Title: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 10, 2015, 10:14:07 PM
Saw this posted in Sandalak yesterday:

Quote
Out-of-Character from Ana Leuin   (2 hours, 34 minutes ago)
Message sent to everyone in your realm (57 recipients)
I have looted in multiple regions expecialy the rich ones in the south like moeth and have only recovered between 2 - 5 gold for 8 hours of work. And I even had over 20 men. The gold kept Ana satisfied.. Now that she isn't getting boon there may be the slaughtered bodies of entire families lining the streets.
M. pieprzyk

I've seen other reports as well that looting doesn't really gain you much gold these days.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 10, 2015, 10:21:49 PM
Got tthis today in Morek:

Quote
Out-of-Character from Kenshin Blackwood   (4 hours, 29 minutes ago)
Message sent to everyone in your realm (27 recipients)
Your men take 37 gold worth of money and valuables from the people of Poryatu.
Your men take 2 bushels of food from the people of Poryatu, and send it to your home region of Muspelheim.
Your men also restock their provisions from stolen food.
170 peasants are killed in the process.

170 peasants? really? Is the new code supposed to be this hard even you go after the infastructure and be strict with it (the option how "honorable" you are)?
Markus Kelanti
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Lorgan on January 10, 2015, 10:37:49 PM
I believe loot reports showed between 100 and 200 gold on takings a little while back in some of Nothoi's mountains.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 11, 2015, 04:32:26 AM
OK, I may need to tweak killings down some and peasant-gold up some.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 12, 2015, 01:13:36 AM
You know what would be nice? Taxing loot gains. Just likes the letters of marque. It would open up new possibilities, and encourage leaders to allow private raiding initiatives thanks  to self-gain.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 12, 2015, 02:14:42 AM
You know what would be nice? Taxing loot gains. Just likes the letters of marque. It would open up new possibilities, and encourage leaders to allow private raiding initiatives thanks  to self-gain.

Ooh, that's an interesting idea. I rather like it.

I'll have to consider how it could work, and what the implications are, but it does raise interesting possibilities.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 12, 2015, 03:15:07 AM
I can think of two ways. First would be something like automatic fines for breaking the law, except as a % of the spoils instead of as a fixed amount per act.

Second would be through the armies: sponsors can set a % of the looting that goes to the war chest. Those higher up could then tax a portion of the warchest's gains or the like. This would be closer to letters of marque, I think, as the sponsor would be charged with collecting the dues and handing them over.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 12, 2015, 05:17:59 AM
Don't get too complicated with it. We don't need multiple layers of taxation for looting gains. That's overkill. In fact, this entire mechanic is probably overkill. Looting already gains you very little in most cases. No one is getting rich from it. Adding taxes on top of it is pretty pointless. The more I think about it, the more useless this seems.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: GundamMerc on January 12, 2015, 07:49:40 AM
Don't get too complicated with it. We don't need multiple layers of taxation for looting gains. That's overkill. In fact, this entire mechanic is probably overkill. Looting already gains you very little in most cases. No one is getting rich from it. Adding taxes on top of it is pretty pointless. The more I think about it, the more useless this seems.

No one is getting rich from looting because it hasn't been tweaked.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Lorgan on January 12, 2015, 11:55:00 AM
What are you people talking about?

Zuhle: Woodsland, income: 296 gold. Looted 7 times for gold by one noble: total gains: ~200 gold.
Pel Mark: Mountain, income: 816 gold. Actual looting report:
Your men take 266 gold worth of money and valuables from the people of Pel Mark and the local tax office.
65 peasants are killed in the process.

Looting makes you rich.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 12, 2015, 03:46:58 PM
I'm glad it's working for you.

That doesn't change my point in any meaningful way, though. The suggested mechanic doesn't really add anything meaningful to the game. It's another way for those who already have money and power to sit around doing nothing and still accumulate yet more money. What does this add to the game that will give the majority of the players more to do, have more fun, and keep playing? "Your men bring back 300 gold from their looting efforts. Your army liaison confiscates half of it, which is to be delivered to your duke, who hasn't left his estate in three years."
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Lorgan on January 12, 2015, 03:55:25 PM
I'm glad it's working for you.

Reading the details Anaris posted, it's probably got to do with this:

Quote
- Changed the effectiveness of looting to be based on population density and how many peasants a given group of soldiers can realistically (?) cover in the given amount of time

Mountains have a low population density but produce a ton of gold.

"Your men bring back 300 gold from their looting efforts. Your army liaison confiscates half of it, which is to be delivered to your duke, who hasn't left his estate in three years."

Maybe it'll give people yet another reason to rise up against the inactive duke?
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 12, 2015, 04:05:31 PM
Because they have so many options for that. 

More than likely they will simply create our join another army that doesn't do that, and nothing will change. So the net effect is more complexity in the system, an option that mostly doesn't get used (and when it does get used, it's probably not being used in a manner beneficial to the game), and no real change to anything that makes the dev time worthwhile, which could have been better used to fix some of the major systemic problems we still have.

I'm still not seeing the real benefit to the game from implementing this.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 12, 2015, 10:17:33 PM
I can only think of two realms who ever really looted for the heck of it, BoM and Thalmarkin (who incidentally occupy the same territory). A few others might have, but it was rare.

Loot tax would encourage more rulers to launch wars for other things than total annihilation of the enemy realm.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 12, 2015, 11:06:08 PM
I can only think of two realms who ever really looted for the heck of it, BoM and Thalmarkin (who incidentally occupy the same territory). A few others might have, but it was rare.

Loot tax would encourage more rulers to launch wars for other things than total annihilation of the enemy realm.

More interestingly, I could envision an actual letter of marque being issued to a specific army, granting that army permission to loot in a specific realm, and returning some percentage of the takings to the Crown.

This would not require a declaration of war, just a lack of a peace treaty. It would also not permit any takeovers, just looting.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Lorgan on January 12, 2015, 11:10:10 PM
More interestingly, I could envision an actual letter of marque being issued to a specific army, granting that army permission to loot in a specific realm, and returning some percentage of the takings to the Crown.

This would not require a declaration of war, just a lack of a peace treaty. It would also not permit any takeovers, just looting.

\o/
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 12, 2015, 11:15:11 PM
You can already do all of this, with the exception of taxing the loot via mechanics.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 12, 2015, 11:17:09 PM
You can already do all of this, with the exception of taxing the loot via mechanics.

Then perhaps the letter of marque should make looting possible even against realms you're at peace with ;D

I'm not saying that I'm definitely going to do something like this, but I do like the idea. I like any idea that has the potential to reduce the proportion of conflict that is aimed at wiping out a realm.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: vonGenf on January 12, 2015, 11:21:54 PM
More interestingly, I could envision an actual letter of marque being issued to a specific army, granting that army permission to loot in a specific realm, and returning some percentage of the takings to the Crown.

This would not require a declaration of war, just a lack of a peace treaty. It would also not permit any takeovers, just looting.

This sounds a lot like the scrapped new diplomacy system that allowed narrow declarations of war - such as declarations that would only allow looting, or declarations that automatically expired once a limited objective was achieved.

I liked that system except for the treaty friction part. The taxation part is really not necessary for it to work.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 12, 2015, 11:24:20 PM
This sounds a lot like the scrapped new diplomacy system that allowed narrow declarations of war - such as declarations that would only allow looting, or declarations that automatically expired once a limited objective was achieved.

I liked that system except for the treaty friction part. The taxation part is really not necessary for it to work.

Well, it's similar to a part of the failed treaty system, yes.

And I don't have a problem with making one of the possible taxation amounts 0%.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 13, 2015, 12:32:00 AM
Can't you already loot anyone who is not an ally?
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 12:47:07 AM
This sounds a lot like the scrapped new diplomacy system that allowed narrow declarations of war - such as declarations that would only allow looting, or declarations that automatically expired once a limited objective was achieved.

I liked that system except for the treaty friction part. The taxation part is really not necessary for it to work.

Indeed, I'm not quite sure why that system was scrapped, the friction was really the only thing people seemed to oppose.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Eldargard on January 13, 2015, 08:19:54 AM
I agree with Indirik here. Having limited engagements with other realms is cool and all but I see no reason to put yet more gold into the pockets of the rich. There is already too much disparity between the rich and the poor in battlemaster for my taste and too few even notice it. Finding yet another way for the rich to get richer does not interest me much...
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 02:03:42 PM
I agree with Indirik here. Having limited engagements with other realms is cool and all but I see no reason to put yet more gold into the pockets of the rich. There is already too much disparity between the rich and the poor in battlemaster for my taste and too few even notice it. Finding yet another way for the rich to get richer does not interest me much...

Because the rich are the ones who decide to give opportunities or not to the not rich.

Besides, you exaggerate wealth. Most rulers I come across are not rich. Most have sub-average pay, many are outright poor.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 13, 2015, 02:57:55 PM
And this will do nothing to change that.

A ruler can already generate wealth by taxing the dukes. If they choose not to, then that's their own fault.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 03:04:04 PM
And this will do nothing to change that.

A ruler can already generate wealth by taxing the dukes. If they choose not to, then that's their own fault.

He can, but that makes dukes unhappy.

If he can send off nobles to loot and gain a piece of it, however, then that makes everyone happy, doesn't it? The knights get to do something and keep a part of their loot, and the ruler gets to make a bit of coin without upsetting the dukes.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 06:26:51 PM
Two things:

I tried to burn food, lenient, just loads up a blank black page with no hours used.

Also, I switched allegiance of a region with peasant militia, the peasants didn't follow suit. Seems to me like they should have followed their region?
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 13, 2015, 07:04:18 PM
Two things:

I tried to burn food, lenient, just loads up a blank black page with no hours used.

Good catch. Fixed now; please try it again and let others know to do the same.

Quote
Also, I switched allegiance of a region with peasant militia, the peasants didn't follow suit. Seems to me like they should have followed their region?

Hm. When a region is taken over, any militia that remain are supposed to "start a guerrilla war against the foreign oppressors" or some such thing, but I think you're right, if the region changes hands for any other reason, militia should go with it, peasant or otherwise.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 13, 2015, 07:09:10 PM
Also, I switched allegiance of a region with peasant militia, the peasants didn't follow suit. Seems to me like they should have followed their region?

To be clear, exactly what script did you use to do this?

(For instance, was it a handover with RegionExchange, a single-region switch with SwitchDuchy, a full-duchy switch with SwitchRealm, or something else entirely?)
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 07:12:41 PM
With 6 hours, 89 men, burning food on lenient:

Your men burn 84 bushels of food belonging to the people of Eykfar and from the local granaries.
434 peasants are killed in the process.

With 4 hours, 10 men, outlying villages on lenient:

Your men take 2 gold worth of money and valuables from the people of Eykfar.
8 peasants are killed in the process.

As for the allegiance change, it's as lord joining the duchy of Reeds, which bordered the region in question.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 07:18:11 PM
Question about burning food: The text suggests that not all of the burnt food will come from the granaries, but rather directly from the peasants. What does this actually imply? What are the consequences of this, if the granaries are largely intact?
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 13, 2015, 07:20:37 PM
As for the allegiance change, it's as lord joining the duchy of Reeds, which bordered the region in question.

OK, found and fixed for the future, and nudged your two militia units in the right direction.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 13, 2015, 07:22:33 PM
Question about burning food: The text suggests that not all of the burnt food will come from the granaries, but rather directly from the peasants. What does this actually imply? What are the consequences of this, if the granaries are largely intact?

Makes the peasants more upset, and once I get this part implemented, will require some extra food from the granary so those peasants can eat OK. (That's still TODO, though.)

Also TODO is to decide whether I should break out granary and tax office attacks as deliberate actions separate from the burning & stealing from peasants. I'm still sort of waffling on that.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 13, 2015, 07:26:25 PM
Makes the peasants more upset, and once I get this part implemented, will require some extra food from the granary so those peasants can eat OK. (That's still TODO, though.)

Also TODO is to decide whether I should break out granary and tax office attacks as deliberate actions separate from the burning & stealing from peasants. I'm still sort of waffling on that.

So basically, it should eventually create a short-term food consumption increase?
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Anaris on January 13, 2015, 07:39:29 PM
So basically, it should eventually create a short-term food consumption increase?

Yeah, pretty much. Less than if you'd stolen directly from the granary, but still some effect.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Chenier on January 14, 2015, 12:37:27 AM
So if I want to hurt a realm's food supplies, granaries should be my target for the time being.
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Indirik on January 22, 2015, 03:22:48 AM
Quote
The citizens of Moeth have had enough with the looting. Since nobody seems to be helping them, they have formed a citizen militia. 1266.7 men take up improvised weapons to defend their homes.

Should probably change that to "1,266 men and a one-legged beggar" or something...
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Eldargard on January 22, 2015, 08:08:08 AM
Should probably change that to "1,266 men and a one-legged beggar" or something...

That would be totally awesome!!!
Title: Re: Looting Feedback
Post by: Zakilevo on January 28, 2015, 02:11:45 AM
Your men take 113 gold worth of money and valuables from the people of Baqua and the local tax office.
Your men take 9 bushels of food from the people of Baqua, and send it to your home region of Yermon.
428 peasants are killed in the process.
Additionally, your men round up some of the local women and systematically rape them.

Stealing gold comes with 428 dead peasants.

remaining peasants: 15548/16700