Brethren of the Brick Seas (BoBS) Introduction and Starting Thread

[Bregir]

4 minutes ago, Maxim I said:

@Elostirion - @Bregir - @Sebeus I - @SilentWolf - @Sir Stig - @Tomsche - @CelesAurivern - @Legostone - @TitusV

Shares of the Royal Commerce of Elysabethtown and the Royal Commerce of Trador have been paid

At what rate? 15 or 25? And due to the delay, how soon will you start paying the 25 dbs?

[Maxim I]

Just now, Bregir said:

At what rate? 15 or 25? And due to the delay, how soon will you start paying the 25 dbs?

Excellent question :D Due the delay, you have received 25 db's and will receive 25 db's from now on off :)

[Bregir]

Just now, Maxim I said:

Excellent question :D Due the delay, you have received 25 db's and will receive 25 db's from now on off :)

A pleasure doing business with you, sir!

[kurigan]

On 2/20/2017 at 3:41 PM, kurigan said:

Though I don't expect this to be a particularly popular suggestion, may I offer the following for consideration? 

 

I've had a fair amount of success with my Quick and Dirty (QD) customs. Using my, not at all high-end, inkjet printer at home, I've been able to make simple but somewhat convincing custom torsos and jackets. When I took my designs to Staples to be printed the quality shot up dramatically at very little cost. Less than a dollar per 8.5" X 11" sheet. 

Perhaps the solution lies less in color coding than in actual uniforming? 

 

Examples of my works for consideration: 

Old tape and inkjet

Newer tape and inkjet

New Staples printed. (more on page 2 as well)

 

Here's a PDF sampler of some of my designs if anyone want's to try them out.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByZ_mhZNzp2mY0RraUdWYzZGZGc

Geese guys, it would have been nice to at least be acknowledged, even if you all hate the idea. I mean that took a minute to put together. 

[blackdeathgr]

Thanks for the idea kurigan and ofc each of us can try or not try all the above, but personally I am not a fan of stickers (both original and custom ones).

[Fox Womb]

26 minutes ago, kurigan said:

Geese guys, it would have been nice to at least be acknowledged, even if you all hate the idea. I mean that took a minute to put together. 

I appreciate, but do not have ink for printer ):

[Bregir]

33 minutes ago, kurigan said:

Geese guys, it would have been nice to at least be acknowledged, even if you all hate the idea. I mean that took a minute to put together. 

Geese? Where? *pulls out shotgun*

For the record, I like the printouts, but as BD, I am not a fan of stickers. I wonder if a similar effect could be reached by something that is simply attached to the torsoes similarly to how capes are attached?

[kurigan]

9 minutes ago, Bregir said:

Geese? Where? *pulls out shotgun*

For the record, I like the printouts, but as BD, I am not a fan of stickers. I wonder if a similar effect could be reached by something that is simply attached to the torsoes similarly to how capes are attached?

The Coats/jackets. The ball joints of the figure's shoulders pass through the holes and pin it in place. No permanent modification required. the collars go around the neck, but aren't necessary if they're not appealing.

[Bregir]

7 minutes ago, kurigan said:

The Coats/jackets. The ball joints of the figure's shoulders pass through the holes and pin it in place. No permanent modification required. the collars go around the neck, but aren't necessary if they're not appealing.

Cool! I was wondering if that was the case but couldn't figure it out from what I could see. :)

But I suppose I can see it in the google drive link? I will check it out later, as it may be useful for mardierian soldiers for the challenge.

Also, did I miss your sign-up? (or perhaps forget!? Horrribly confused these days) I have been looking forward for it so long! :)

[kurigan]

3 minutes ago, Bregir said:

Cool! I was wondering if that was the case but couldn't figure it out from what I could see. :)

But I suppose I can see it in the google drive link? I will check it out later, as it may be useful for mardierian soldiers for the challenge.

Also, did I miss your sign-up? (or perhaps forget!? Horrribly confused these days) I have been looking forward for it so long! :)

I'll have to take a picture of one disassembled, that's a good idea.

No you didn't miss it. I've been super busy and dragging my Mega Blok over it. I know, get on with it already, right? This guy; makes a stink and disappears for few weeks.

I'll get there... 

[Bregir]

A disassembled, unfolded one would be a great help and inspiration. :)

Heh, I thought so. No rush! Even you you fail and choose something other than Corrington, I am certain you will be welcomed here! ;)

[gedren_y]

Brickforge has a 'tunic' body wear, but they don't seem to have a printing design that would work for Mardier troops in the loose items section.

[kurigan]

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[Elostirion]

On 12.2.2017 at 0:24 PM, Elostirion said:

@Phred and @SkaForHire: I don't understand the settlement rules and I feel there are some contradictions within the settlement rules and between settlement rules and account balance sheet. Step-by-step:

Link to the thread

 

1) Question: What is the meaning of "level" of a settlement? Does it have any impact?

2) Question: Raid worth: Imagine a Town has a total of 200 DBs in its coffers and is successfully raided: 30% of that = 60 DBs are being raided. A Large Town has a total of 200 DBs in its coffers and is successfully raided: 40% of that = 80 DBs are being raided. Correct?

3) Question: Trade Value Modifier: For a Town it's 80%, for a Large Town it's 70%. Let's imagine our settlement has 300 DBs Trade Value (e.g. 20 large properties) before the modifier. If it is a Town 80% = 240 DBs are the actual Trade Value that comes into effect in the MRCA? And if it's a Large Town only 70% of this = 210 DBs are the actual Trade Value that comes into effect in the MRCA? Is this correct? And if so: Why does it become worse the larger a settlement becomes?

4) Suggestion: Is there any benefit for a settlement with a high Trade Value? Shouldn't there be some kind of bonus for settlements from the MRCA? For example for every ship that visits this town the town earns 5 DBs (harbour tax)? Or 2% of the money earned by the ship. I know there is quite a high incentive on a faction-level for high trade values, but for the town itself there isn't, right?

5) Question & Suggestion: Militia Size: What does that militia do? And what does a value of 2 for a City mean? These are basically like troops? Wouldn't it make more sense to calculate militia just like "free troops" based on norma land-troops?

6) Question: Parity-rules: So let us imagine a settlement has 70 property-points licensed, and thus falls into the "City" category. However it has only one medium educational property (and no other educational properties), so it does not meet the parity requirements. Then the negative effects (Raid Worth % of Town Bank and Trade Value Modifier) come into effect, however the positive effects (Number of Forts allowed, Militia size, natural growth rate, mayor payment) do not. Is this correct?

7) Suggestion: If this is correct we should have some way in the account sheet to see it.

8) Suggestion: The account sheet columns should reflect the columns of the thread even more I suggest.

9) Question & Suggestion: Natural Growth Rate (NGR). To my best knowledge the thread does not talk about the actual effect of NGR. X% of total # of properties, as residences, yes. Small, medium or large residences? Do these residences affect: Town Bank income, Trade Value, Settlement Size? I suggest they should influence all three values, however to my best knowledge they do not affect Town Bank income (why?), they do affect Trade Value, and I do not know about settlement size. It definitely should be clarified. Again, as a mayor this should bring in some benefit, right?

10) Suggestion: Natural Growth Rate should be reflected in the Account Sheet (is it even implemented there?)

11) Suggestion: Town Bank income: Why is it 5 DBs for every property? Building 20 small residences would yield 100 DBs per month for the Town Bank. Building 10 Royal Factories would yield 50 DBs for the Town Bank. I don't think that's the best way, is it? My suggestion would be to have this dependent on the size at least (just like trade value and count towards settlement size). For example: Freebuild/MRCA-result/...: 2 DBs. Small: 3 DBs. Medium: 5 DBs. Large: 8 DBs. Royal: 15 DBs. Mine: 6 DBs. If that's too much in total, numbers might be tuned down to 1-2-4-6-10-4 or sth.

12) Suggestion: Remove the Civil Servant. I think everyone in this game is creative enough to use DBs to hire someone for whatever he or she wants them do to. In the thread it's only confusing. (Also I really don't see why town administration is such an effort to hire additional people currently).

13) Suggestion: Please validate if all the Town Bank rules are implented correctly into the Account sheet. Breshaun: 310 DBs income, 140 DBs coffers -> 45,2%. Charlatan Bay: 67.5/150 = 45%. Fatu Hiva: 10/25=40%, Lavalette: 2,5/30=8,3% (?!), Pontelli: 62,5/115=54,3%. Nova Terreli:107,5/215=50%. Shouldn't it be 50% for every settlement? Seems like too much income for: Astrapi, Breshaun, Charlatan Bay, Eltina, Elizabethville, Elysabethtown, Fatu Hiva, Fuerte Unido, King's Harbour, Lavalette, Montario, Mooreton Bay, Quinnsville, Rassilon, Salida Este, Trador, Weelond, Windfall Island. Pontelli seems to be the only settlement that earns less than it should.

14) Mistake: The example for "New Belson" is incorrect. 150 DBs, 30% of those are raided (45 DBs) => 105 DBs left. The example says 100 DBs.

15) Question: Now what I really don't understand are the coffers rules. Let me have an example:
15a) New Belson (Large Town) has a total of 50 properties licensed => 250 DBs monthly income. Let's assume coffers and town bank are at 0 when we start. Let's assume no raid happens. 50% of the 250 DBs go to the coffers, 50% is available for the major. So the mayor has 125 DBs available and decides to donate them all to his country.
15b) Next month New Belson starts with 125 DBs in its coffers. Again 250 DBs income => Coffers are now at 250 DBs, again 125 DBs available to the mayor. This time he only donates 25 DBs to his country and keeps the other 100 DBs. Again no raid.
15c) Next month New Belson starts with 100 DBs and has 250 DBs income again. According to the example in the settlement thread this would be added up to 350 DBs, which would then be divided between coffers (175 DBs added, so 425 DBs total now), and thus only 175 DBs would be available to the mayor. That means from any money the major saves until next month, 50% will vanish from the town and go to the coffers. However this is not how the account sheet works. In the account sheet the 100 DBs are still available to the major, and the 250 DBs are divided betwen available and coffers, so that the coffers will be at 375 DBs, and the major would have 225 DBs available. This is a contradiction.
15d) Let us assume the account sheet is correct. Now let us assume a raid is successful: Large Town, Raid worth is 40%. What does the attacker get? Does he get:
15d.I) 40% of the 100 DBs the major saved last month, 40% of the 250 DBs income, and 40% of the money that had already been stored in the coffers (250 DBs)? So the attacker would get a total of 240 DBs? So the coffers would only remain at 150 DBs, 60 DBs from last month would still be available, and 150 DBs income -> Coffers go to 225 DBs, and major has 135 DBs available.
15d.II) Only 40% from the money in the coffers before this month's incme? (so 40% of 250 = 100 DBs for the attacker)
15d.III) Only 40% of the money in the coffers after this month's income? (so 40% of 375 = 150 DBs for the attacker)
15d.IV) Only 40% of all the money available outside the coffers (so 40% of 100 DBs and 40% of half the income (125 DBs) = a total of 90 DBs to the attacker)
15d.V) Only 40% of this months income. Both coffers and last month's savings stay untouched (so 100 DBs for the attacker)

16) Suggestion: Please take out the coffer rules. I don't understand them at all, they make things overly complicated, and there are definitely contradictions between the thread and the account sheet. There is a Town Bank income, and 50% of this are available to the major. Easy. Or even better: reduce the Town Bank income to 50% of what it is now so that 100% of the monthly income are available to the mayor. Easy rules, easy game.

17) Suggestion: If we need the coffer rules to make raiding more attractive I suggest to simplify the rules.
17a) Income: Town Bank income as described above, 100% of that income is available to the major to use as he wishes. He can save money so that he has more available next month, and so on. In case of a raid this money is ready for the taking, modified by Raid Worth %. So if the major has saved 200 DBs and earns 60 DBs this month with his Large Town (total of 260 DBs), and a raid is successful, this raid will take 40% of 260 = 104 DBs, so that only 156 DBs are left for the major to spend for his town.
18b) Raiding: Now let us assume that raiding 104 DBs from a town is really not worth it (compared to a trade run or sth., on which I agree). We might add a rule that a Raider does not only get 40% of the money that is available, but also steals money from the citizens/properties/... This value could either be calculated based on trade value, or could equal the total monthly income (in this case 60 DBs), or any other source or way of calculation.
18c) I really just want to have the coffer rule deleted and replaced by something simple that fulfills the same purpose.

18) Suggestion: Why shouldn't a raid decrease property income in that town in that month? For example if Nova Terreli is raided, why souldn't they raid my factory, so that instead of 15 DBs yield I only get 5 DBs in this month, or maybe nothing at all?

19) Suggestion: Mayor payment should be paid by the Town Bank instead of coming from thin air.

20) Thoughts: Currently I see no benefit in having a fort. Imagine I spend all the money that is available every month (or even better just transfer it to my private pockets which cannot be raided, and then after the MRCA transfer it back). Even for Nova Terreli (let's leave out the free Royal Fort for now), the second richest town, monthly income will only be 108 DBs. If it's a City 50% of the Town Bank will be available for raiding, so after a successful raid 54 DBs would be gone. Upkeep for a Large Fort is 60 DBs per month. Even if there are multiple raids and all the money is stolen, that's only 108 DBs and still less than the upkeep of two Large Forts. Really no incentive in additional forts right now, is there? With e.g. 18) forts would make much more sense...

21) Question: Why don't the starting fortresses cost any upkeep? That is horrible for Corrington, and great for Eslandola... So IC I like it, but OOC I feel it's unfair.

22) Suggestion: Some more explanation on how the Fort-Stats work would be great.

23) Question: What happens if there are multiple raids on a town in the same month? First come first serve? Imagine we have 200 DBs available for raiding in a Large Town. Will the first raider take 40% = 80 DBs, and the second raider will take 40% of the remainder (120 DBs) = 48 DBs? Or will the second one also take 80 DBs? Or will the 40% be split between the two? Really, what will happen then?

 

And don't get me wrong. I love the game, and I love the in-depth rulesets. However I also really like the recent changes which brought additional clarity and simplification while still keeping all the mechanics intact. I would love to have the same for Town Banks, which I think are and have been the most unclear rules in the game and haven't been changed so far.

Also all those things above are only suggestions, and maybe I just didn't understand some of the rules. Looking forward to some discussion on this topic.

@SkaForHire @Phred: Did you already have a chance to look at this?

[Bregir]

@Elostirion: I have posted it in the leadership forum. We will take a look at it, when we find the time. You are definitely right that the town bank rules could need a rework, and you have some good suggestions. Note that Ska is still working on the mrca results, and that we are in the progress of building a new MRCA, amongst other things, so you may experience some delay before we get to this.

Whether Phred or Ska will get back to you on your questions before then, I naturally cannot say! And I have no good answers to your questions off the top of my head myself.

[Bregir]

Hear ye, hear ye!

Are you concerned about the risk of sending your ships to sea? Contact the Weelond Insurance Inc. to sleep better at night!

Best regards

Matthijs Honig

[blackdeathgr]

For those that want that little extra, flavor-wise, a superb zombie contest is running by our fellow Eurobrickers back at the Sci-Fi section  , booooo-ing etc etc  . Nevertheless, seeing the piratey lot we are, be sure to "MOC-bomb" them with some Zombie Pirate love (or whatever love you people prefer)! Whether any of you participate or not, one thing is certain: Prepare yourselves for some serious laughs  out there!

[SkaForHire]

On 2/25/2017 at 3:09 PM, Legostone said:

Btw, considering the MRCA results are still unpublished, when can we expect the next MRCA?

The new MRCA deadline is March 19th.

 

Elostirion, much of what you have asked is based on gameplay balance.  I can't really get into going through them line by line tonight, I will try to share some thoughts in the next week. Although, some may be moot, since we will be publishing new rules soon (hopefully! Most have been written since December)

[Mike S]

Does @SkaForHire still roll the mine outcomes? I'm awaiting news of the two setups I did on Serentia.

[robinnilsson403]

And I'm waiting on a mine since January

[SkaForHire]

can you link it again, I must have missed your post here.

This is the thread I check for those. But there were a couple times where i picked up reading and may have missed a page or three.

 

[Mike S]

11 minutes ago, SkaForHire said:

can you link it again, I must have missed your post here.

This is the thread I check for those. But there were a couple times where i picked up reading and may have missed a page or three.

 

Prospecting on Serentia

More prospecting on Serentia

[SkaForHire]

Just now, Mike S said:

Prospecting on Serentia   =  Quarry

More prospecting on Serentia = Gold

 

[Mike S]

1 minute ago, SkaForHire said:

 

Perfect! Now I don't have to import stone for my future project and gold is always welcome. Now I can get to work building those mines...

[Legostone]

Btw, just a casual question - is any faction interested in selling an island? I would like to know the rates they usually go for:D