Natural province growth

[Don E]

I've uploaded a quick writeup on some alternative rules for increasing provinces to my webpage. They are mostly aimed at making province growth a natural phenomenon, but where regents can slightly increase the pace.

I'd like to hear some feedback, especially if anybody tries to play with them.

[Raesene Andu]

Can you give us the link to the rules in question (or to your main webpage).

[Don E]

It is the website in my signature.
http://www.geocities.com/belzeblob/
Go to the alternative rules section, and it is the only thing uploaded so far.

[Raesene Andu]

Ah, my account doesn't display signitures (you can enable that feature in the settings). That would be why I didn't see it.

[Don E]

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll have to include the link in further posts.

[Solmyr]

Looks very interesting. With a few modifications I might use it in my next PBEM.

I especially like how it makes pillaging provinces a more viable action.

[Don E]

What are the main modifications you think are needed? The main argument against it that I can see is that it can make it tiresome to keep updating the province stats regularly.

[Solmyr]

Originally posted by Don E@Aug 16 2004, 05:51 PM
What are the main modifications you think are needed? The main argument against it that I can see is that it can make it tiresome to keep updating the province stats regularly.
There's that, certainly. Other modifications are mainly setting-specific for me (e.g. I have only humans).

[Benjamin]

Quite interesting, really. As stated above, though, it adds a lot more tracking to the DMs job.

I for one would not likely use them, as I'm too lazy. :) But I can see how others will love this.

[Ksaturn]

What about holding the population seperatly. Such as using the population as a background that determines max province level (after or instead of terrain). The effects of this can be demonstrated several ways. For Example...

You could say a 'region's population can support a maximum number of province levels. In peacetime and properity this 'max' or population grows. In war, famine and plague however it inevitably drops. Let's take ghoere ... Anuire would have a relatively high population so initially you might have a maximum of, let's say, 4.5 x # of provinces (in area your keeping track of). For simplicity let’s take one realm in Anuire, Ghoere, which initially has 10 provinces and 40 levels according to the map. With 45 avaliable population the government/ruler has control/cohesion of 40 levels leaving 5 to fend for themselves as independents or people who have relatively little effect on a national scale (1000 bums/foragers/wanderers deal less damage to mehbhigal then a 1000 farmers/soldiers/laborers… IMHO)

[Don E]

I think many people have toyed with the idea that province level is not directly related to population only, and some use that idea regularly. I think to a certain extent one will see some degree of this in all campaigns, but I'm not sure if separating population as a separate factor is necessarily the best way to go. If you say that the population will determine the maximum province level you are effectively preventing any economical or social improvements that could contribute to the increase in province wealth/level.

I am also a bit sceptical to the artificial division of population based on the current realm boundaries. E.g. why should Ghoere have it's potential population increased because it conquers a low level province? The notion that each province have 4.5 province levels of people, but that more or less of these are ruled by the regent seems a bit forced to me.

[Ksaturn]

I meant that to be used for the Region... I.E. The whole of Anuire... or Vosguard or Brechtur etc.