Rules, Saves and Turn-By-Turn Reports

[Cecil XIX]

This thread is for the Vassals & Valor test game. It's purpose is to provide a fixed location for the rules, a place for players to take and post saves, and at the beginning of every turn I will report on in-game events as well as post a chart detailing each players' change in finances. Players are, of course encouraged to keep track of such things for themselves as well. Best to know how much money you have when you're spending it!

Also, additions to rules will be listed seperately at the end of this post, in addition to being added to the rules themselves. The most recent additions will be bolded.

The game is now officially begun. Since this is the first turn, and everybody may need some time to get used to the rules, the current turn will end at 0:00 GMT on Friday, Jan. 30th. I will also consider extending the turn if anybody's having trouble, but only for the first five turns.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Vassals & Valor

I. Introduction and Purpose

1. Vassals & Valor is test PBEM, aimed at taking WotS-style PBEMs in a new direction. It's purpose is to test and develop mechanics for players owning property and having their own personal finances. In order to facilitate this, many concepts have been removed for simplicity.
2. This game will be played on Lands to Conqueror Gold, Hard Campaign, Very Hard Battles, Manage All Settlements, Show CPU Moves, Battle Timer On.
3. Each ship can only carry two units of soldiers.
4. Each player will role-play a general of the chosen faction. This game will not be modded, so until we have a level-3 stables there will be no RGBs. Adoptions and MoHs will be decided by the benefactor. Princess will marry a groom chosen by their father. If a new player wants a general, he will have to wait until one is available. Once it becomes possible to train RGBs, a new player can chose to have one recruited for him at no cost to any player. A new player is always free to chose whether or not he wants a general that’s available to him.
5. There will be an OOC Thread, a thread for rule and the taking and uploading of saves, and IC ‘Faction Leader’s Council’, a Battles & Stories thread, and an SOT thread.

II. Settlements and Income

1. Each player’s avatar may own one or more settlements, which are considered their property.
2. When a settlement is conquered, the General in charge of the Army that took it has the right to name it’s Lord. The General in charge of the Army also gains all income from seizing settlements, and can choose the settlement’s fate.
3. The General in charge of the Army pays for and receives money from ransoming. He determines the fate of enemy soldiers captured in battle, as well as whether or not to pay for troops that are captured from the army under his command.
4. Each player receives the income from their settlements into their own personal treasury, as well as any money gained from destroying buildings in those settlements.
5. Each player must pay for the upkeep of troops and ships under their control from their own personal treasury.
6. Each player gains a bonus income each turn by virtue of their position. For the Faction Leader, this is the in-game king’s purse. For the Faction Heir, it is one-half the in-game King’s Purse. For all other players it is 250 florins.
7. No player has to pay for the income of his personal bodyguard.
8. When missions are given to the faction, the player who owns the army/navy/agent that completed the mission gets the reward.
9. The player’s money for the upcoming turn shall be determined by the following formula: (Money at start of current turn) – (upkeep and spending for current turn) + (income from assets for a current turn) = Money at start of next turn
10. To reiterate, the income and upkeep a player has at any given turn is added/removed at the beginning of the next turn.
11. The settlements under a players control are referred to as their ‘demesne’. A player must designate one of the settlements in their ‘demesne’ as their capital. This is where their treasury is stored, and it *can* be taken in PVP or lost to the AI factions!
12. The tax rates of all settlements must be set to ‘normal’ at all times, except when an avatar is present in the settlement at the end of a turn.
13. Any lord has the privilege of setting a ‘scutage’, or a tax on his vassals as payment in exchange for his protection. This can be defined as a flat rate or a percentage of their income, it can be the same for every vassal or different for each one of them, or any other term that the Faction Leader can come up with.
14. Any player can gift a settlement to new player in exchange for the new player swearing fealty to his benefactor.
15. An oath of fealty is two-way contact between lord and vassal. The Lord is expected to offer protection to his vassal and recognize that the settlement(s) is his vassal’s property. The vassal in turn is expected to fight for his lord upon request, as well as pay whatever scutage his lord requires of him.
16. At the start of the game, the King is a lord and all other players are his vassals. Over time the King can create more vassals by granting tracks of land and his own vassals can create their own vassals the same way.
17. Vassals in service to the King are known as Dukes. Vassals not in service to the King are Counts.

III. How the game is run.

1. There is no Chancellor in Vassals & Valor, since there is nothing that belongs to the “Kingdom” as a whole; everything belongs to one of the players.
2. Each turn lasts 48-72 hours. I will post the time at which each turn ends. Regardless of when I take the save to advance the turn, I will take the last save to be uploaded before the deadline.
3. During a turn players may take the save to move their soldiers and spend their money. When a player spends money immediately, such as when building watchtowers, forts and recruiting mercenaries, he must list the transaction and how much it cost when he returns the save.
4. There is no Senate/Diet/Magnuara in Vassals & Valor. However, ever fifth turn we will discuss the rules and how they are working. When the fifth turn’s 48-hours are up, I will post a poll asking players whether further play is needed to determine the validity of the rule system or whether we should stop playing and do an AAR.
5. Players can barter with each other with every resource that they have. Any agreements that have long-lasting terms, such as troops on loan for a limited time or payment stretched over a given timeframe, must be posted in the SOT thread by both parties.
6. If a player is going to to be away IRL for a period of time, his avatar can appoint another avatar as a steward to watch over his demesne. Although presumably necessitated by OOC reasons, this is an IC position. The Lord who is going away must specify in his SOT thread which powers the Steward has access to, such as whether how much access to the treasury the Steward has, whether the Steward can use the soldiers of the away lord, whether the Steward can alter the build queues, etc.
7. Whenever it is mentioned in these rules that a player has the right to gain something, make a decision, or receive a benefit or reward he can choose give portions of his rewards or share his decision-making. Similarly, whenever a player is required to pay for something he can always share this payment with other players, presuming he can find someone to agree to it. Any standing agreements must be noted in all parties SOT thread.

IV. Military Forces/Agents

1. Every stack in the game is owned by one of the players.
2. Battles can only be fought by a player whose avatar is part of the battle. If there are no avatars present, the battle will be autoresolved unless the owner of the stack previously issued an order to retreat upon contact.
3. The General in charge of the Army is determined by unanimous vote of the players present in the army. If unanimity cannot be reached, the General in charge of the Army is whichever player the game places in charge
4. Whenever multiple stacks with multiple owners are merged in order to fight a battle, the ownership of each unit will be written down and posted so as to keep track.
5. Players can loan, gift, sell, or agree to raise regiments to/for other players.
6. Players can move units under their control anywhere they wish. This means they can start wars with other factions, and players. No one can move a players soldiers except that player, and a player can move his soldiers under any circumstances provided the move is legal.
7. With the exception of diplomats, each player can recruit their own agents for their own use. In the case of merchants and priests, which can only be recruited in limited numbers, each player cannot recruit more than his fair share. However, it is possible for player to trade/gift their fair shares to other players.
8. Diplomats can only be recruited by the Faction Leader.

1-27: Players can move units under their control anywhere they wish. This means they can start wars with other factions, and players.
3-1: Players can move units under their control anywhere they wish. This means they can start wars with other factions, and players. No one can move a players soldiers except that player, and a player can move his soldiers under any circumstances provided the move is legal.