Post release suggestion: Nobles

from Elemental Forums

Elemental is set in an mediaval setting.  What really is important about that setting is the vassal system of nobles. Sovereings give there land away to nobles so that they gain benefits from these.

My suggestion is introducing an nobles system. In short: you would give land away to noble famillies so that you can get different bonusses, short or long term. Seeing that this is not an "easy" addition, but one that will take some time, this would be a post release suggestion.

These famillies could work like corporations did in Civilization: Beyond the sword. You build ambassadors or "missionaries" units that can give cityrights to an noblefamillie. There could be three types of nobles: Merchant (Civic), Warlords (Warfare) and Religious (Magic).
- Merchants could decrease taxes and improve the industrie with extra production (Give us some tax brakes and we could grow this towns industrie for shure!). Or they take a large chunck of resources and give extra taxes in return (We could make these metals into some nice trinckets for the market, and we'll give you a cut).
- Warlords could take metal but and give defense and critical-hit bonusses to trained units (. Sure some weapons and armour are lost, but the ones that surive our training are the best). Or they could decrease taxes or food, but provide a large standing militia in your city (Give us some farming land or part of your industrie and we'll certainly protect this city). Maybe  Warlords can give you an strongh army in exchange for 3 grain.
- Religious could decrease research but improve growth (Don't think to much, just breed). Or they could increase mana in exchange for food and a tax redux (We would like to build an monestary here for prayers toward you kingdom/empire).

It would be awesome if all of these famillies would make a "manor" in your town visable as a structure on the map (randomly placed by a computer). These famillies could give some bonus for each city they got some controll in. Famillies could give quests for there loyalty. Maybe they could demand being married into your royal famillie which would make the bond with your sovereing final (Dynasty system).

I'm wondering what you all think about this.

5,236 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I think your onto something here!

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

P.S. I just thought that maybe it could be cool if the noble famillies could really get a piece of land by letting them build castles in the "wild" like outposts, that require food just like a settlement and count like one. This way, this could reduce city spam build and still make new land usable. These castles will have there own militia and could build armies that roam the world under your banner if they are of a Warlord famillie, give a +8 gold if they where merchants or 4 research and mana if they where religious. These bonusses could be dependant of the materials and grain that the sqaure has. Warlords would care only about the materials, merchants about both and religious only about food. Now you get a choise if you want a quick boost to your realm by giving the land to an noble famillie or going for long term and placing a settlement on the land. This would also allow players to give less desirable spots to noble famillies and only use the 4+ grain spots for cities.

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

This idea is stolen from 'seanw3': Some of the noble famillies could add some special weaponry to the production list or in the shop.

The warlord famillie could also add recruitable units like monster lairs do. Maybe an early choise for in the start of the game -2 grain (or material) in exchange for ~15 recruitable archers. Maybe a religious famillie could add an elemental power (like shards) in exchange for -3 mana per turn.

Maybe the noble famillies give a qaudratic bonus for each belonging they have. But for every belonging they got, they become more cocky and start demanding stuff or raise an army and declare war on another faction because 'they don't let us trade in there country' (this would take your country in the war of course).

Also there needs to be an option to raze the assets of noble famillies to remove them from your country. This would of course make them angry and have a chance of incurring an rebellion. Warlords would summon a few strong knight, merchants would field large mobs (companies of clubman with some padding) and religious could summon some elemental-creatures with the head priest as a mage.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Just played a game and thought it would be cool if a Warlord famillie could add millitia to outposts.