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...