Messages

1

BM General Discussion / Re: tracking food imports/exports

« on: June 17, 2012, 08:11:47 PM »

How do you determine if your lords are selling outside the realm, other than to ask them? Do you just assume that any lord that has food missing and no accounted sales has exported outside the realm? How do you account for the possibility that your own/allied traders are selling to foreign realms, so it may not be the lord's fault?

It is an interesting exercise, though.

Well as I said in the opening post, try to determine. Obviously I haven't perfected my technique. And given all this "why bother" attitude, I'm not sure its worth it anymore

2

BM General Discussion / Re: tracking food imports/exports

« on: June 17, 2012, 06:38:28 PM »

I tend to agree with Lilwolf. Why do you bother with the report? does it serve any real ppurpose?

I think it does, or at least I hoped it would when I first started writing these reports. To be fair though, each week I add information and make it more intricate. This latest draft only took as long as it did because someone made a few transactions while I was writing it, forcing me to go over it, change some figures, and double check my work.

Originally it was designed to assess and predict the food needs of our regions consuming more that they produce (our largest city for example, which consumes over 100 bushels a day. Combined with the fact that we are on the front lines of a war and need to import food, I thought it made sense to find out if anyone was selling food to other realms, instead of our starving city. If it became a problem, then we'd know who not to give future lordships to, or even charge with treason if it got bad enough.

3

BM General Discussion / tracking food imports/exports

« on: June 17, 2012, 05:55:33 PM »

For the last few weeks, I have been trying to track which lords are selling food, and to whom (in realm, outside of realm), as well as track production and consumption growth levels. Aside from simply asking the lords, I have found that I have to write a report, which I submit to my realm council every week, and a less comprehensive breakdown to the realm. Does anyone else do this? Anyone got any tips to make this easier?

Region names censored to protect the innocent.

Code: [Select]

Our regions that produce more food than they consume are as follows, along with how much food is currently stored:
#####/68 - a decrease of 41 bushels. 100 bushels confirmed imported. Because of the strange levels, 150 bushels may have been exported.
#####/466 - an increase of 70 bushels. At most only 20 can be attributed to production, meaning a total of approximately 50 bushels imported.
#####/146 - an increase of 72 bushels. Production values indicate a total increase of 130 bushels, meaning approximately 200 bushels exported.
#####/745 - an increase of 112 bushels, consistent with production levels.
#####/287 - an increase of 202 bushels, 200 bushels confirmed imported.
#####/100 - 100 bushels confirmed imported.

Based on the information I have before me today, we currently have 4042 bushels stored in our granaries, an increase of 531. An additional 100 bushels are for sale on the market, bringing our total food to 4142 bushels stored in our granaries, an increase of 631. After taking into consideration our total consumption of approx. 234 bushels, approx. a net total of 400 bushels have been imported from other realms over the past week.

Our regions that consume more food than they produce are as follows, along with how much food is stored:
#####/31 - Consistent with consumption levels.
#####/1466 - a decrease of 46 bushels. Consumption levels indicate approx 721 bushels consumed, meaning a total of 675 bushels imported.
#####/285 - a decrease of 59 bushels, consistent with consumption levels.
#####/176 - an increase of 82 bushels. Consumption levels indicate approx 14 bushels consumed, meaning 100 bushels imported.
#####/292 - an increase of 68 bushels. Consumption levels indicate approx 21 bushels consumed, meaning 100 bushels imported (rounded).

Known imports are:
100 - #####
50 - #####
200 - #####
100 - #####
675 - #####
100 - #####
100 - #####
= 1325

Known exports are:
200 - #####
(150 #####, possibly)
=200
(=350)
With the exception of knowing how much food we have for sale on the market, I'm drawing all this information from the FoodReport.php screen... Sure would be nice if drafting this report didn't take two hours off my weekend.

4

Helpline / Re: Ruler and Army

« on: June 02, 2012, 01:11:14 PM »

If a noble isn't going to ever follow the orders of the Marshal or have any interaction with that army, then he shouldn't be part of that army.

Given the unique position my character finds himself in (or at least used to), he follows the army for a bit, then sets out again looking for food.

5

Helpline / Re: Food Purchase Expiries?

« on: June 02, 2012, 01:09:28 PM »

If that is the case, maybe have it give gold to rogues, or allow those bonds to be cashed in the realm the offer was created in?

6

Helpline / Re: Bonds and no city?

« on: June 02, 2012, 01:07:10 PM »

That makes sense imo. Otherwise people would circumvent the mechanics and form a new realm through succession, which may not be a bad idea, actually. If not everyone is on board, then it would make things interesting..

7

Development / Re: Ideas for the Black Market in the new system

« on: June 01, 2012, 01:47:10 PM »

You're all over-complicating this whole scammed business. Traders used to keep anonymity after a black market transaction because their name was not mentioned, and the food mysteriously disappeared, no message whatsoever.

With the new system, it does not matter what message the lords get, or when. So long as the trader's name is not mentioned. My thoughts on the options presented:

1) The most obvious seems to be to trade on offers that are restricted. I.e. an Ally trading on a Realm Only trade, or non-Ally trading on an Ally trade. For a bigger challenge, a non-Ally trading on a Realm Only trade.

Perfect.

2) Trading on offers from a realm with which you are at war.

Perfect.

3) Skimming gold from the transaction by shorting the seller, then pocketing the difference. The challenge here would be to try to hide it in some way that is not obvious. Perhaps a delayed message about a shortage in the trade balance in the next tax report? You couldn't charge the buyer too much, as the money has to come from somewhere. To fleece the buyer, see the next idea...

Leave the Trader's name out of the report. Highten security for a short time in case they try again on another of that lords offers.

4) Trading on mismatched offers. I.e. matching a 400 bushel Buy with 350 bushels of Sell, and pocketing the difference. As above hiding the mismatch would be difficult. Delayed message in the Harvest report? You couldn't short-match the seller, as that would leave bushels floating around in limbo.

Tell Seller "The order has been fulfilled here is your X gold, yada yada yada" - all completely true.
Tell Buyer "You have purchased 350 bushels for the price of X. The deal was supposed to have been for 400." Then you throw in a line about either not catching the trader's name, or are provided with a fake one, an alias.


I really like that alias idea, come to think of it. Just imagine "You have purchased 350 bushels for the price of X. The deal was supposed to have been for 400. You are told the trader's name was Ben Franklin, but you cannot find any record of him." The only restriction would be it cannot use a family name of anyone, and preferably not the given name of any character on that particular island.

8

Helpline / Re: Ruler and Army

« on: June 01, 2012, 01:22:34 PM »

Well if they are adamant about retaining hierarchy, maybe implement a way for the ruler to "attach" themselves to the army and not actually be "assigned" the army? From the dawn of warfare up to the modern day, civilians and high ranking officials have joined campaigns, wars, and missions. Either they are considered observers, they differ to the military expertise of the one already in command, or they take command entirely.

And come to think of it, maybe certain classes in general should only be "attached" to an army and not "assigned" to it. Traders for example. Since I recently switched one of my chars to trader, I have to deal with a pesky marshal who keeps trying to order my char around. All I can tell him is "sorry, I'm 20 regions away looking for food.". Most of the time I simply ignore him though. Point being however, even though my char is assigned to the army, he's not REALLY a part of it. I think it would help for the Marshal to at least to be able to differentiate nobles he has command over, and those he has zero control over what so ever.

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Helpline / Re: Bonds and no city?

« on: June 01, 2012, 01:07:21 PM »

When there are still regions left, it is still possible to claim a new city. Takeover, RTO, revolt. You used to be able to buy one, not sure if that is removed now or not.


I think though, that if a realm does not have a bank available due to not having a city, that the option to build one should become available. Same goes for troops, only allow people to recruit them directly from the RCs instead. Second one makes tons of sense. Since the recruits are no longer being sent to the capital after they're trained, they are stuck at the RC they were trained at, no?

10

Helpline / Re: Bonds and no city?

« on: June 01, 2012, 12:56:12 AM »

I never said this character was part of Giblot. He's actually coming out from Madina on Dwilight.

In this situation I don't think I could buy food, no matter how hard I tried. I mean, no regions. Got no place to store it, or even buy caravans from (even though that probably wouldn't work anyway).

But in this situation I've found myself in, I honestly wish I either had the option to convert half the bonds into gold, or simply have no bonds at all. Seeing 1k in bonds and not being able to touch it is an outright tease.

11

Helpline / Bonds and no city?

« on: June 01, 2012, 12:34:28 AM »

so I just unpaused a character that has a ton of money in bonds. His realm (now of three people), don't have a city, or even a single region for that matter. Is there no way to cash them?

12

BM General Discussion / Re: Traders Feedback

« on: May 23, 2012, 02:08:24 PM »

Playing my Banker/Trader/Steward....

I only just started to leave my realm in search of food, and already I can see there is some adjusting to be had on my part. I need to carry bonds with me now, in order to trade outside my realm (can someone explain to me why foreign banks wont accept bonds then?). I have to deal much more with lords now. Would be nice to know if the region has a steward, and who that is. Could lead to more fruitful transactions. I can't rely at all on being able to broker any deals (not that I would really want to at this point, as I only want to bring food into my realm) since almost everything I see on the market is to buy buy buy.

There is also that nagging annoyance of a billion 100 bushel buy orders. Why can't we set up a 1000 bushel buy order, and let people fill them 100 bushels at a time? And for that matter, why can't we set permanent offers?

13

Dwilight / Re: Sage Finder

« on: November 02, 2011, 12:00:02 PM »

You hear rumours that Dristoni Argh, the screaming one passed through here recently.

Eregon

November 1/2 2011

14

Dwilight / Re: Civil war in Madina

« on: October 31, 2011, 01:29:33 AM »

I haven't been in Madina for too long, but I have seen us pass good opportunities by, which is a shame. This war COULD be done by the end of the year, but only if such opportunities were capitalized, which I very much doubt will happen.

15

Dwilight / Re: Sage Finder

« on: October 29, 2011, 01:23:01 AM »

Meet with Tonenthton... - the bald master of light Wizard.

Ulitsa