Here are rules I wrote for my medieval NES, [Name Pending]:
What Is This Game?
This game is an attempt to simulate the political situation in medieval Europe, as well as being heavily influenced by A Song of Ice and Fire. The player takes control of a high lord, only one rank below the king, to rule as he sees fit. I hope for intrigue and diplomacy. Without further ado, I present you you: [Name Pending]!
Goal:
The goal of this game is to, as usual, obtain power. Whether through wealth, military might, or diplomatic supremacy, every House is aiming to get and keep power over their peers, if only to ensure security. The position of king is, of course, the highest and most prestigious, but often the most dangerous. Many may prefer to rule from behind the scenes, as an influential advisor, while others brave the risks and take the reigns themselves. I hope the intrigue shall be twisted, the plot thick and the game fun. Only time shall tell.
Updates: I am a busy guy, so updates shall be as often as I can, which mayn't be very frequent. Usually, they shall be barebones, but I hope to add more flowery language whenever time permits. Obviously, updates are impossible without a game, and games are impossible without mechanics, so I hereby present to you... The Rules Section!
Da Rulez:
Economy: Economy is made up of three aspects: trade, taxes and other. Trade is you, well, trading with other nations, either bartering or selling your wares. These take place on the roads and sea lanes marked on the map, which denote routes of commerce. Be careful, as these trade lines can be blocked by a blockade, dragging your economy down with it. Taxes is the money you take from your subjects, and is increased by increased infrastructure, education, and other projects. The richer your land, the more money you'll make over time. Finally, there is the 'other' section. This is maintenance, loot, diplomatic tributes, and all other positives and negatives associated with a country. Keep in mind going into debt is allowed, but may hurt your lordship over time.
The treasury stat is displayed as A(B)–C. This means that this nation has A yearly income, B saved up, and C in expenses.
War: Fought over resources, religion, money and land, war is a vital aspect of any game about polities. While going on campaign may be harmful for your diplomatic relations, a well justified and fought war can be the most valuable thing in the world. A lord's army is made up of three categories: foot, horse and siege. Foot is your infantry divisions, raised from commoners and the middle class. On the other hand, horse is a man's cavalry, consisting of the nobles and higher end mercenaries. Finally, there is siege, making up the 'support' area of your host. The siege engines are one's primary way of assaulting cities, and a man without a handy catapult is doomed to a long wait. War is not only fought on land, though, and many a campaign has been won on the sea. The default ship is a galley, but more seafaring oriented rulers may opt for sea-based Unique Units (more on that later).
However, as simple as it may seem, war has far reaching effects on a leader's economy. The mass death of many of the realm's finest puts a strain on production of all kinds, and raiding parties, deserters and bandits haunt traders. Furthermore, increased maintenance of the standing armies will increase the cost to pay them, lowering net income and plunging poor nations into bankruptcy. Long story short? Fight sparingly, and end the campaign quickly.
Units are raised mostly as levies during a time of war, at a cost of both immediate treasury and long term income. A standing army is of course allowed, but ridiculously expensive at a large scale. Levies and a small professional army is probably the best way to go. Keep in mind levies are supplied by your vassals, so they may not be 100% loyal to you.
War is actually conducted through war plans and orders, but that'll be explained in the Orders section.
Unique Units: Every culture is different, and, as it is widely known, each fights their battles differently. Whether it be guerrilla warfare or tight columns, the units are generally suited for the job. To simulate this, I have included the usual Unique Units system. A kingdom can have as many either land or naval UUs, but each unit will be more expensive than a normal one to maintain, and having too many different types at one time may present a probably in unifying your army. If you wish to create a UU, private message me the plans, as I'll PM you the costs and details back. Keep in mind all unique units are public knowledge, so no surprise jaguar riding sorcerers to ambush your foes.
Vassals and Liege Lords: At start, everyone is subordinate to the NPC king. Most NPCs are adherent to his rule, but you are free to dissent and claim yourself king, or even secede. Keep in mind that he wields the power of the others who follow him, so crossing him mightn't be the best idea at game start. Other than that one NPC ruler, everyone is independent unless they specifically ask to be a vassal, and players are free to decide the diplomatic hierarchy, either through battle or intrigue. I won't force anyone to be subservient to another, except through peace deals and NPC threats.
Orders: Orders are guidelines for how you wish your nation to perform that turn. They should be formatted in the following way, but variations are accepted if clear:
Spending: Really? An explanation?
Projects: Any special, big, out of the ordinary works you want to perform. Temples, amphitheaters, Ponzi schemes, you name it.
War Orders: What you wish your forces to do. Should include command appointments, troop deployments, and general objectives. Depth is appreciated, but not necessary.
Explanation/Flowery Stuff: Exposition on stuff at the top. Not necessary, but never useless.
The title should include nation name and turn.
Sign Up: This is what you should follow while signing up.
Name/Player Name: The nation name and your name.
Location: A map would be nice, but description is fine
Ruler/Family: Name of your current ruler and his immediate family.
Vassals: A list of vassals your lord has. Should number five to eight, with a short description per guy.
Nation Biography: Very important, as it decides your nation's opening stats. Just should include how it came to be, it's thoughts on economic, political, military and diplomatic matters, etc.
Ideas, critiques, and most of all a map would be most welcome!
