From: Paul Pofandt <[ppofan d t] at [ozemail.com.au]> Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc Subject: Small Stead Economics Date: 7 Nov 1995 21:58:46 GMT G'day For some time now, I've felt the need for a system to model the economics of a small stead or community. Since I wasn't able to FIND anything to suit, I developed the following instead. I'm submitting this to the gaming public in general to get any suggestion, comments and expansions on my ideas. Bear in mind that this model is reasonably complex in terms of the calculations made and would probably be best done on a spreadsheet or suchlike. As such they may be more complex than some would like. I've heard various comments along the lines of "If I wanted an details on how to run a castle, I'd be playing Sim-City, not roleplaying..." However, both myself and my players enjoy "Gaming" in all it's forms. Tactics and Economic Simulations rank up there with the best. From the point of my _personal_ enjoyment, I don't feel the need to seperate them. This system is also designed for the RuneQuest game system, however any skill based gaming system should suit. If your gaming system doesn't use skill levels of 0-100%+ you can use the production values of the skill levels from the examples given later. Create several classes of producers and call them Unskilled (0%), Average (35%), Skilled (75%) & Master (100%). Use the examples given later to determine how much each class produces and figure a total production based on the classes you have. Now, just a word on the development of this model. The figures may be suspect but they're the best I could come up with. They're based on the Standards of Living table in the RQ gamemasters book and derived roughtly from the premise that on average farmer (requiring a minimum of about 1000-1500 pennies (p) worth of food/year) could normally produce enough food for 2-3 people (including himself). Couple this with my vision of Glorantha being somewhat infertile (requiring Bless Crops spells to ensure a good harvest), I halved the amount able to be produced. All other productions are based off the simmilar scale of skill:production. The amounts produced sould be adjusted based on your vision of the world and the currencies being used. Use the portion of the standards of living table (given later) as a rough guide for conversions. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions as to how this system could be enhanced or improved. Catch Ya. Paul. ([ppofan d t] at [ozemail.com.au]) ------------------------------------ **** Stead Economics **** Aim: To produce a workable simulation of small estate economics without unnecessarily complicated rules. **** Basic Assumptions: Output Formulae: (Skill_Level-Skill_Base)*2/100 percent i.e. every 1% above/below Skill_Base modifies base output by plus/minus 2% (Output Formulae is hereafter referred to as OF) An OF of 0.4 means a 40% increase in output. An OF of -0.2 is a 20% decrease. where: Skill_Level is the skill a worker has OR the average skill of a group of workers (in a 1-100 range). & Skill_Base represent the skill level required to do an average job It also represents the difficulty of the task (also in a 1-100 range). Note. In it's simplest format, production values assume a class-stratified culture where a given worker always toils at the same task. In communal steads, where everyone might work at different tasks, the same system applies but the percentage of time spent at a given task must be determined, and the level of production adjusted accordingly. I would also assume that the average skill level of the workers would be lower due to non-specialisation of duties. e.g. 10 farmers @60% & 5 crafters @60% & 5 soldiers @60% OR 20 workers (60% time farming @40%, 30% time craft @45%..) Production is divided into 4 categories. Farming, Herding, Crafting and Gathering/Hunting. For Farming, Crafting & Gathering, the Production Formulae modifies the amount produced. For Herding, it modifies the growth of the herd. Note that some products are produced anually (eg. grain) while others are produced daily (eg. dairy). For simplicity, you may wish to break your economic calendar down to a min. time period of 1 week. At then end of each week, consumption is deducted from the food/goods "stockpile" and daily produce is added. **** Farming 1 Farmer at Skill_Base A% PLANT LORE can manage 1 plot which produces B p. worth of food / year. OF modifies potential food produced i.e. B i.e. Food produced = (1 + OF) * B TABLE Crop A (Skill Base) B (p) Grain 30 1500 Corn 35 2000 other basic food crops... Spices? 60? 4000? Exotic plants... etc. Please add details **** Herding 1 Herder at Skill_Base A% ANIMAL LORE can manage up to B animals. with no loss of growth. The herd can breed by up to C% maximum_normal_growth in herd size (ie. grow by C% at OF=1) 1 Animal consumes D food during winter (1/5 year) and produces E p. food / week normally or F p. food if slaughtered and G p. worth of Goods (Hides, bone, oil...) H percent of yearlings can be slaughtered for food (e.g. roosters), sold or other. OF modifies potential herd growth i.e. C i.e. Herd_Growth = OF * C * Current_Herd_Size TABLE Animal A B C D E F G H Cattle 30 40 20 300 7 25 10 30 Pigs 45 20 20 150 0 15 10 0 Chickns 30 100 80 50 7 5 1 40 Sheep Bison Horses HerdMan??? Just kidding... Plenty of other animals. Please add details and more examples. **** Crafting 1 Crafter at Skill_Base A% CRAFT consumes B p worth of goods and produces C p worth of goods and req. initial tools of D p. OF modifies potential value of good produced i.e. C i.e. Annual goods produced worth (100% + OF) * C profit = goods produced - B Note. Profit cannot usually be less than 0p. TABLE Craft A B C D Carpenter 30 100 1000 200 Smith 30 400 2000 500 Weaver 40 100 1500 300 Master Smith 90 400 8000 2000 (asum. Master is 90%+) **** Hunting/Gathering 1 Hunter/Gatherer at A% Skill_Base (avg. of B skills) can gather C p worth of food/goods /year. OF modifies potential food collected i.e. C i.e. Food collected = (1 + OF) * C TABLE Method A B C Hunt 30 Track & Missile 1500 Gather 30 Search & Plant Lore 1500 Fish 30 (? what skill ?) 1500 Mining 30 Mineral Lore 3000? (I'm not sure mining is applicable) **** Examples: Skill_Level OF e.g. Output/Result Farmer - (Grain 1500/year avg.) 0% -60% (-0.6) (1-.6)*1500 600p food/year 35% 10% (1+.1)*1500 1650p " 75% 90% (1+.9)*1500 2850p " 100% 140% (1+1.4)*1500 3600p " Herder - (40 Cattle 20% growth max.) 0% -60% -.6*.2*40 -5 cattle/year out 35% 10% .1*.2*40 +1 of a herd 75% 90% .9*.2*40 +11 of 40 100% 140% 1.4*.2*40 +17 Craft - (Smith 2000/year avg. Goods cost 400p) 0% -60% (1-.6)*2000-400 400 p of goods/year 35% 10% (1+.1)*2000-400 1800 " 75% 90% (1+.9)*2000-400 3400 " 100% 140% (1+1.4)*2000-400 4400 " Craft - (Mstr Smith doing master level task. 8000/year avg. Goods cost 400p) 0% -180% (1-1.8)*8000-400 <0 p of goods/year 35% -110% (1-1.1)*8000-400 <0 " 75% -30% (1-.3)*8000-400 5200 " 100% 20% (1+.2)*8000-400 9200 " Hunter - (Skl_Lvl=avg. of Track & Bow. Avg. 1500 food/yr) 0% -60% (1-.6)*1500 600p food/year 35% 10% (1+.1)*1500 1650p " 75% 90% (1+.9)*1500 2850p " 100% 140% (1+1.4)*1500 3600p " **** External Influences. i.e. Factors influencing productivity. Administrators Skill Check: Fumble -50% loss in prod. (poor admin) Assumes an administrator Failure 0 " or overseer has been Success +10% gain in prod. assigned to oversee all tasks. Special +30% " Critical +60% " ALTERNATE. "The King is the land" Fumble -50% loss in prod. (bad year) End of year (sacred time) ritual. Failure 0 Requires succesful ceremony roll by Success +10% officiating priest and a luck roll Special +30% (POW*3) by King. Critical +60 Worker enthusiasm: High morall (well fed, healthy...) +20% prod. Normal 0 " Adjust these values as Poor (badly fes, ill, overworked) -20% " necessary Slaves -40% " Fertile country +20% prod. Infertile country -20% " River/Water nearby +20& " Arid climate -20% " Bless crops spell +100% to crop production (other magic crop enhancments?) Bless crop markers missing/stoln Offset +100%. (scenario: Find the thief) Blessed/Magical tools +10%-+100% to any production. Imprvd. irrigation (Sun County) +20% to crop production Wyter/Spirit guarding your land +20% to crop production (less vermin/insects) Overlord is RL/Priest of Earth +20% to crop production (the Earth responds to you) Overlord is RL/Priest of Air +20% to crop production (good rain/few storms) Drought -70% to crop production -40% to herd growth Insect plague -30% to crop production Friendly Prst of Insects near +10% to crop production or offset Insect plg. (scenario: "we need a priest") Hostile Prst of Insects near -20% to crop production or induce Insect plg. (scenario: stop the priest) Stock disease 5%-30% loss of herd / week (scenario: "we need healer") Carnivores nearby 1-10 loss of herd / attack (scenario: hunt the hunters) etc. Please offer any additnl. modifications you can think of. **** Consumption of produce Taken approx. from RQ Gamemasters book: Standards of Living Farmer/Serf/Commoner 1500p per year Retainer/Servant 2000p " Soldier 1500p " Craftsmen 2000p " Master Craftsmen 4000p " Lord (Players?) 6000p " (varies obviously) **Special: Children (low consumption, low productivity) For the sake of simplicity, assume that if children send half thier avaliable time working at low skill, labour intensive tasks, that thier production equals thier consumption (ie. around 500p/y) **** Division of Goods Goods/Coin 20% total consumption Food 80% " **** Infrastructure For a small comunity to survive, a certain level of infrastructure must exist. Required: Housing (obvious) Carpenters shop (for wood related construction & repairs) Smithy (for metal related construction & repairs) Extras: Grainery (to store surplus food until needed or over winter) Mill (to produce flour) Water driven mill (produces better flour) Coldroom (stores fresh goods) Sawmill (increases output of lumber) please add other examples... **** Case Study: Class # Av. Skill OF Bonuses Production Consump. Farmers 10 50% 2.8 120% (1) 57000 15000 Servants/craft. 2 25% (2) -0.3 4000 6000 Herder(chicken) 1 (3) 50 0.4 9025 (4) 1500 Soldiers 8 nil 12000 Lords 3 nil 18000 ANNUAL TOTALS 67825 50500 Surplus +17325p Note: I've bluured the line here between production of Goods and Food on the assumption that excess food/goods can be traded for the reverse by a competant merchant. (1) Bonuses: Bless crops +100%, Sun Dome type improved irrigation +20% (2) Servents 50% time serving, 50% time weaving @50% = 25% effective skill (3) "Herd" of 30 chickens (4) 30 ckickens produce 30p food/day (*300=9000p/y). Herd growth=12 7 females (kept) & 5 males (slaughtered) @5p food each=25p food 9000+25=9025 Surplus food/goods can be sold for coin, stored for later use, re-invested back into to stead (more tools or workers, end-of-year celebration to inc. morale (bonus to next years prod +5%)), line the pockets of the rulers...