Shaitan
der Besucher
Gaining Titles
To be invested in a title, a prospective peer must meet the requirements (land ownership, housing class, investiture) and restrictions (government type, position held). Some titles have very specific restrictions. For example, to be a Prince a person must be acknowledged by a King and is then attached to that royal house. The princely land requirements must be met with territory in the same province(s) as the sponsoring Kingdom.
Other titles are given based on demogame positions. These are noted in the "Free To" column. For these granted positions, no requirements apply (though restrictions still do). If a single player is elligible for multiple free titles, they receive only the highest one but receive income from all that they are elligible for.
Titles may also be granted by the ruling monarch. These titles, like the ones given for positions, do not have to obey requirements but do have to obey restrictions.
Lastly, invested titles may be bequeathed from one character to another. In this case the receiving character must pass all of the restrictions and all requirements except land ownership. For land ownership, at least enough tiles to avoid title loss (see "Losing Titles" below) must pass with the title or it becomes unlanded.
Land and Titles
As noted above, land ownership is critical to qualify for investing in most titles. Qualifying tiles must be contiguous (touching at the sides or corners). Once land is used to acquire a title, that title is bound to that land. New land can be added to the defined territory so long as it is contiguous to the territory. Land can also be taken away from a defined territory but this is generally discouraged. It can also have disastrous effects on the title bound to that land (see "Losing Titles" below).
Losing Titles
Granted titles are lost when the player leaves the position that granted it. Players who were granted Presidential, Imperial or Royal class titles retire to a permanent Noble class title. If the player meets the land requirements for the Noble title, they may take it as an invested title with no investiture cost. If they do not have enough land or choose not to be invested they will be an Unlanded Noble. If an Elected class title is lost the player receives a permanent Gentry class title. If the player already has a title within the class they would "retire to" or a higher class they do not gain an additional title.
Imperial, Royal and Noble titles can be lost. If at least 50% of the land requirements of a title are not maintained, the title will be stripped or disenfranchised. The most common time that this will happen is when several provinces are added. An Imperial Prince of a young nation may only need and have 5 tiles but when 2 new provinces are suddenly added, the Imperial Prince requirement suddenly becomes 15 so they must control at least 8 tiles (50% of the 15 tile requirement would be 7.5 tiles rounded up to 8) or he will lose his title. When titles are lost due to the lack of sufficient lands, the title drops down to the next title that the lands would qualify to hold. In our example, the former Imperial Prince with 5 tiles now finds himself as a Viscount. If a player prefers, they may disenfranchise instead of losing their title. This changes the status of their title from invested to unlanded.
Any player may abdicate any non-elected title at any time. For unlanded titles this simply disolves the title. For invested titles this frees the title and its associated lands for the player's heir. If there is no specified heir there is generally a large hullablaloo as different factions try to seize the title and lands.
Multiple Titles
A single player may have as many tiles as they wish (and qualify for). They receive the benefits for each title they hold. A player with multiple titles may disolve one and add the lands to the other title (perhaps to avoid the problem that the Imperial Prince ran into above). Generally speaking, a lord only kept different titles in adjoining lands when the title came from a dowry. These lands and title were traditionally passed down separately from the main lands and title (to the second or later sons).
Unlanded Nobles
Unlanded Nobles are those who no longer have the land requirements to maintain their titles, were granted titles by the ruling monarch, or who received permanent noble titles after leaving certain public service titles. Although the title is retained, none of the other benefits (income, troop point bonuses, etc) are. An unlanded noble who reaches the land requirements for their title may become invested in that title without paying investiture expenses. Note that any lands used for investiture/qualification for a title remain bound to that title and may not be used to qualify for another title so long as the original title remains in use.
Changing Titles
If a player with a title reaches the requirements for a higher invested title, they may change to that title and will pay only the difference in the investiture costs. The player may also change the name of their title as they ascend to their new rank.
A player whos title is being reduced due to title loss or demogame position retirement may also change the name of their title.
The names of titles granted by a monarch may never be changed without the permission of the current ruling monarch.
A player who simply wishes to change the name of their title for asthetic reasons may do so but must pay one half of the normal investiture for that title.
Marquis/Margrave and Count/Earl are the same ranking and are differentiated by the location of their lands. If the lands include wild or contested borders the title is Marquis or Margrave. If the lands are in the interior of the country the title is Count or Earl. If happenstance turns a Margrave's lands from borderland to interior, the title may be changed to Count or Earl without cost or penalty. Shrinking country borders would allow the same free title change for a Count or Earl if their interior lands suddenly became borderland.
Names
The territory used to qualify for an invested title is bound to that title and the two share a common name. Identical titles are not allowed but similar ones are. The Titles Manager has discretion to prevent name/title theft or misuse.
Feudalism
Feudalism is in effect as soon as that technology is learned and lasts until Nationalism is discovered. During this period, landed gentry and nobles may pledge fealty to a higher classed lord. The bond of fealty indicates that the lesser lands will be protected by the greater lord as if they were his own. In return, the greater lord may count that land as his own for the purpose of qualifying for titles. Thus, a particular parcel of land could be used to qualify many steps of nobles and royalty for their titles.
Example: Two knights with a tile each pledge to a baron who has 6 tiles. That baron now effectively has 8 tiles. He pledges to a margrave with 12 tiles. The margrave now effectively has 20 tiles and pledges to an archduke with 22 tiles. That archduke now effectively has 42 tiles and declares himself king.
Royal Bloodlines
Emperors and Kings may define royal bloodlines. When a new demogame President is elected during despotism or monarchy they name their bloodline (if they are not part of an existing one). A new king does the same thing when gaining investiture to his title. Bloodlines are expanded by the royal members of the line granting princehood to other players (the equivalent of adopting that player as a family member and heir). All members of a ruling bloodline receive double the normal income from all of their titles.
The Titles Manager has discretion to keep the number of royals proportional to the number of nobles so may forbid the creation of a new bloodline or the addition of new players to an existing bloodline.
To be invested in a title, a prospective peer must meet the requirements (land ownership, housing class, investiture) and restrictions (government type, position held). Some titles have very specific restrictions. For example, to be a Prince a person must be acknowledged by a King and is then attached to that royal house. The princely land requirements must be met with territory in the same province(s) as the sponsoring Kingdom.
Other titles are given based on demogame positions. These are noted in the "Free To" column. For these granted positions, no requirements apply (though restrictions still do). If a single player is elligible for multiple free titles, they receive only the highest one but receive income from all that they are elligible for.
Titles may also be granted by the ruling monarch. These titles, like the ones given for positions, do not have to obey requirements but do have to obey restrictions.
Lastly, invested titles may be bequeathed from one character to another. In this case the receiving character must pass all of the restrictions and all requirements except land ownership. For land ownership, at least enough tiles to avoid title loss (see "Losing Titles" below) must pass with the title or it becomes unlanded.
Land and Titles
As noted above, land ownership is critical to qualify for investing in most titles. Qualifying tiles must be contiguous (touching at the sides or corners). Once land is used to acquire a title, that title is bound to that land. New land can be added to the defined territory so long as it is contiguous to the territory. Land can also be taken away from a defined territory but this is generally discouraged. It can also have disastrous effects on the title bound to that land (see "Losing Titles" below).
Losing Titles
Granted titles are lost when the player leaves the position that granted it. Players who were granted Presidential, Imperial or Royal class titles retire to a permanent Noble class title. If the player meets the land requirements for the Noble title, they may take it as an invested title with no investiture cost. If they do not have enough land or choose not to be invested they will be an Unlanded Noble. If an Elected class title is lost the player receives a permanent Gentry class title. If the player already has a title within the class they would "retire to" or a higher class they do not gain an additional title.
Imperial, Royal and Noble titles can be lost. If at least 50% of the land requirements of a title are not maintained, the title will be stripped or disenfranchised. The most common time that this will happen is when several provinces are added. An Imperial Prince of a young nation may only need and have 5 tiles but when 2 new provinces are suddenly added, the Imperial Prince requirement suddenly becomes 15 so they must control at least 8 tiles (50% of the 15 tile requirement would be 7.5 tiles rounded up to 8) or he will lose his title. When titles are lost due to the lack of sufficient lands, the title drops down to the next title that the lands would qualify to hold. In our example, the former Imperial Prince with 5 tiles now finds himself as a Viscount. If a player prefers, they may disenfranchise instead of losing their title. This changes the status of their title from invested to unlanded.
Any player may abdicate any non-elected title at any time. For unlanded titles this simply disolves the title. For invested titles this frees the title and its associated lands for the player's heir. If there is no specified heir there is generally a large hullablaloo as different factions try to seize the title and lands.
Multiple Titles
A single player may have as many tiles as they wish (and qualify for). They receive the benefits for each title they hold. A player with multiple titles may disolve one and add the lands to the other title (perhaps to avoid the problem that the Imperial Prince ran into above). Generally speaking, a lord only kept different titles in adjoining lands when the title came from a dowry. These lands and title were traditionally passed down separately from the main lands and title (to the second or later sons).
Unlanded Nobles
Unlanded Nobles are those who no longer have the land requirements to maintain their titles, were granted titles by the ruling monarch, or who received permanent noble titles after leaving certain public service titles. Although the title is retained, none of the other benefits (income, troop point bonuses, etc) are. An unlanded noble who reaches the land requirements for their title may become invested in that title without paying investiture expenses. Note that any lands used for investiture/qualification for a title remain bound to that title and may not be used to qualify for another title so long as the original title remains in use.
Changing Titles
If a player with a title reaches the requirements for a higher invested title, they may change to that title and will pay only the difference in the investiture costs. The player may also change the name of their title as they ascend to their new rank.
A player whos title is being reduced due to title loss or demogame position retirement may also change the name of their title.
The names of titles granted by a monarch may never be changed without the permission of the current ruling monarch.
A player who simply wishes to change the name of their title for asthetic reasons may do so but must pay one half of the normal investiture for that title.
Marquis/Margrave and Count/Earl are the same ranking and are differentiated by the location of their lands. If the lands include wild or contested borders the title is Marquis or Margrave. If the lands are in the interior of the country the title is Count or Earl. If happenstance turns a Margrave's lands from borderland to interior, the title may be changed to Count or Earl without cost or penalty. Shrinking country borders would allow the same free title change for a Count or Earl if their interior lands suddenly became borderland.
Names
The territory used to qualify for an invested title is bound to that title and the two share a common name. Identical titles are not allowed but similar ones are. The Titles Manager has discretion to prevent name/title theft or misuse.
Feudalism
Feudalism is in effect as soon as that technology is learned and lasts until Nationalism is discovered. During this period, landed gentry and nobles may pledge fealty to a higher classed lord. The bond of fealty indicates that the lesser lands will be protected by the greater lord as if they were his own. In return, the greater lord may count that land as his own for the purpose of qualifying for titles. Thus, a particular parcel of land could be used to qualify many steps of nobles and royalty for their titles.
Example: Two knights with a tile each pledge to a baron who has 6 tiles. That baron now effectively has 8 tiles. He pledges to a margrave with 12 tiles. The margrave now effectively has 20 tiles and pledges to an archduke with 22 tiles. That archduke now effectively has 42 tiles and declares himself king.
Royal Bloodlines
Emperors and Kings may define royal bloodlines. When a new demogame President is elected during despotism or monarchy they name their bloodline (if they are not part of an existing one). A new king does the same thing when gaining investiture to his title. Bloodlines are expanded by the royal members of the line granting princehood to other players (the equivalent of adopting that player as a family member and heir). All members of a ruling bloodline receive double the normal income from all of their titles.
The Titles Manager has discretion to keep the number of royals proportional to the number of nobles so may forbid the creation of a new bloodline or the addition of new players to an existing bloodline.
