Author:
Simulacrum
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Date:
2/10/2018 8:05:50 AM
Subject:
RE: Adventures in Warband Economics Part 3
In a completely unexpected move, King Yargolek gave me Wercheg, one of the old Nord cities. Shortly after that, he gave me Alburq Castle. Then he wanted to give me a village, but I turned it down.
I think this is partly because he likes me and recognizes my value, but ultimately I believe it's a result of the insane rate of faction defections going on in my game. I've never seen anything like it. Every minute, at least two lords are indicted for treason because they switch sides without warning. Occasionally, they defect legitimately (i.e., they request a property; their king cannot or will not award it and offers financial compensation; they reject the compensation). In the latter case, they have the right to maintain ownership of their current property.
This is what I was missing when I thought I had a "bug." The allegiances in my game are so unstable that I can look up at any moment and see that castles and cities in the middle of the Vaegir empire have changed color. For example, Boyar Diyuhl is now Count Diyuhl and belongs to the Swadian faction. Because his grievance over a desired property was not addressed to his satisfaction, his numerous estates suddenly became Swadian holdings -- right in the middle of our territory.
This means that cities can switch faction association instantly, and I can't access my dyeworks revenues until we're no longer at war with that faction. I've even lost a village this way, since a village is technically attached to a castle (which makes me wonder how a king can award someone just the village in the first place).
I speculate that all this is happening because the Swadians are growing stronger instead of weaker, as they typically do. Usually, because of their central location and King Harlaus's incompetence, they're swallowed up by surrounding factions. I'm seeing what happens when they succeed. Maybe the disappearance of the Nord faction ties into this.
At any rate, not only are defections out of control, but there's never been a moment of peace. I think I may be partly to blame. Because of my cavalry and my tendency to persecute enemies to the point of abject poverty, the Vaegirs have been able to seize a lot of assets. We're the biggest empire, so we're always at war with multiple factions. When you have so much property to distribute, you inevitably ruffle the feathers of someone in your own army, leading them to defect. The more property you have, the more defections you have. I think we may be at critical mass. At some point, we got more real estate than we could reasonably manage. This is a dangerous business. I don't know where it's going; nor am I able to devise a long-term prospectus for my own well-being.
I don't want to switch sides. Tactically, it wouldn't make much difference since distinct "racial" army compositions no longer exist. The Rhodoks no longer have proper Rhodok armies. If anything, they have more Khergits than Rhodoks. The same applies to everyone else. The whole world is one big melting pot, so you no longer know what to expect when you see a Swadian or Rhodok or Sarranid party. They could be anything.
In brief, my game is madness. I don't know how this happened or what to do. Realistically, the only way to bring stability is to start my own faction, but I'm even less inclined to do that than switch to another group. Starting your own kingdom is perilous. It requires meticulous planning and a lot of money. In my case, I think that ship has sailed.
Keep me in your thoughts, friends. Strong though I be today, tomorrow I may perish.
