Brodgar

[Jackard]

I'd like to see no NPCS , and restrict the tutorial to instanced areas you can go through before playing.
NPCs are a slippery slope towards less sandbox like play.

[Erik_the_Blue]

Indeed. Jackard suggested turning the character creation area into a tutorial zone. NPCs would work there (two already exist there), but shouldn't exist in Haven proper (aside from mobs, depending on how we define NPCs).

As for a coin economy, things will only start that way if participants agree to it, but at this point we don't even have an agreement as to how New Brodgar should be managed.

Edit: Egads, Jackard and I have agreed on something thrice in a row. Verily the end times are upon us. </sarcasm>

[Yolan]

I think there will need to be an actual village established, so that claims can be shifted/revoked by a law speaker.

As far as layout, I think that what we should aim for is a number of clearly designated areas that have their own function:

1) a walled central administrative area, with buildings designated for meetings - village flag - treasury/mint?
2) a town-square kind of area at the gates to the admin area, where trading/hanging out can take place. I think this is where we would have areas set aside for people to build their own warehouses (using walls/claims/huts/whatever they want to fit in there).
3) I would envision a nice 6-wide street running down, south from the town square/trading area, meeting an intersection with a major ring road that surrounds the whole place. Space should be set aside for personal homes, and areas for industry/farming. Then, continuing south to the main gate, and the RoB. Smaller gates could exist e/w/n.

Politics.

Somebody needs to be in charge. I have not started this thread as a sneaky way to get myself into power. I am not volunteering for this. But whoever it is, I think it should be an election, and moreover, one that is carried out every month or two IRL. To be eligible to vote, you would need to be a resident.

Alliance?

Lets say, hypothetically, that we ended up with four or five major towns/villages in an alliance. I think a separation of legislative/executive powers could work this way. Two halls could be established in Brodgar.

- Hall of the Lawspeakers - Elected Lawspeakers from each village gather each month to vote on laws that are to be enforced in all towns/regions that are members of the alliance. At the beginning of each session a particular lawspeaker could be elected as adjudicator.
- Hall of the Chieftans - Elected Chieftans from each village gather to make executive decisions. For example (lets go to war with annoying village x, or, lets appointing so-and-so to position of alliance general.)

Making this kind of split would give both village lawspeakers/chieftans in the alliance a defined role. A framework of laws for how this alliance would function, and how power is wielded between these two branches, would be able to be slowly developed/tested out over time.

[Laremere]

If someone wants to run the town of Brodgar, they can, but me personally will be building my village far away. I think if people do chose to live there, that the town and the merchant area should be separated. Additionally, having a town control the merchant area would cause problems to no end, as the town would have the area claimed, and people would always have to be in a party with someone who lives in a town just to do trading.

Getting all the lawspeakers or chieftains to get together in one place would be a horribly complicated and I think impossible task. Getting them to actually do something during the meeting is even a harder task. I also dislike the idea somewhat of Brodgar being part of the alliance. I am personally against one alliance having control over the ring, and I'm sure the devs are even more so than I am. However if the town had a neutral stance towards control over the area, I think the residential side could be part of an alliance. It's all really about how one goes about it. I don't like the idea of people of perhaps different alliances being barred from access to the ring and the trading grounds.

Also, as long as things are well claimed, I think it would be great for newbies to have the circle in the middle of the city, as it would show them an organized civilization and encourage them to be like such, much better than spawning to a wasteland.

[Yolan]

I also dislike the idea somewhat of Brodgar being part of the alliance. I am personally against one alliance having control over the ring...

Also, as long as things are well claimed, I think it would be great for newbies to have the circle in the middle of the city, as it would show them an organized civilization and encourage them to be like such, much better than spawning to a wasteland.

So, you would like to see a kind of 'neutral' city that has control of the ring? I think this could work, but only if it was done by the devs. I suspect that what we are going to see in the next world is a RoB claim extending for some distance, with maybe a tavern such as already exists, a few trees, and little else.

My suggestion would be for a town that is close to the ring, say, a bit to the north, named Brodgar. I also suspect, that while the world is in the early stages of development, people will be more concerned with establishing law and order/trade networks and such, and an early central alliance might find much support. The RoB is a natural place to have such a central alliance base, as it is where new players start, and all players can port to, making it a natural trading/meeting area.

Still, I think you have touched on a real problem. Once we get larger scale political bodies (esp. with support in the game code as an extension from villages), the RoB would be a massive boost to whoever controls it I suppose. New players coming in could be more easily recruited, and so forth. But then again, an attacking force could also port straight to the RoB in massive numbers..

[Jackard]

Establishing a neutral city near Brodgar could make for a warm welcome to new players.

lets call it Bern

[Erik_the_Blue]

Perhaps New Brodgar should be created by two separate treaties to resolve diplomatic issues:

The first treaty would create a settlement for the purpose of assisting new players, governed by independent administrators on the condition they remain diplomatically neutral, and overseen by rotating ambassadors from entities signing the treaty. Signatories would agree to leave the settlement alone in all diplomatic and military affairs.

The second treaty would create a settlement for the purpose of facilitating trade between villages. Signatories would get a section of their own to govern, while the central trade area, conduits, and overall security would be governed by elected officials from the signing parties. Signatories agree to maintaining the entire settlement as a neutral zone as far as military affairs are concerned.

[theTrav]

I'll most likely be settling as close to the RoB as possible. If someone makes a town there I'll probably join it. I'm going to have some small fields and probably sell small consumables & silk in return for metal coins.

If the merchant area is in village authority then either dev support for exceptions would work, or trader alts would work.

[Alachast]

I vote that we name it Little Lamplight.

[theTrav]

I vote that we name it Little Lamplight.

What's wrong with Brodgar?