(TFT) Is this a decade of thought? SO SAD!

["Jay Carlisle" <Maou_Tsaou@charter.net>]

Jay plays 'Life' better than Gosper or Wolfram...



Assuming the following is some sort of article, I'll refrain from explicet
refrences to the various different game systems and other creative sources
I've built on for now and just try and focus on the heart of the idea.

I use the idea of Fame, Fortune and Happiness for purposes of NPC motivation,
or moral.

Groups of NPC, the infamious Unit, derive their moral from more (regular) or
less (irregular) like minded goals (spelled out in the Units Charter).

This manifests physically in the buildings needed to house the Units members
and activities.

The loose affilations between buildings and moral factors are;



Fame

Houseing - Units/Population



Fortune

Businesses - Units/Population



Happiness

Venues - Units/Population





Buildings will produce a bivailant value for "happiness" depending upon the
ratio of its Societal Values and its Cultural Bias toward Habit or Novelity.



Habit (Authority, Productivity, Spirituality) : Novelity (Creativity,
Prosperity, Knowledge)



Directly opposed opposites are;

Constraint : Authority / Creativity



Support :  Productivity / Prosperity



 Access : Spirituality / Knowledge





Societal Values

There are a total of six values that you either promote or supress to create
the city of your dreams - or nightmares.



AUTHORITY (Habit)

Opposite - Creativity

Opposed -  Prosperity, (s) Knowledge

Alligned - (s) Productivity, Spirituality





CREATIVITY (Novelity)

Opposite - Authority

Opposed - Productivity,(s) Spirituality

Alligned - (s) Prosperity, Knowledge







KNOWLEDGE (Novelity)

Opposite - Spirituality

Opposed -  Authority, (s) Productivity

Alligned - (s) Creativity, Prosperity





PRODUCTIVITY (Habbit)

Opposite - Prosperity

Opposed - (s) Creativity, Knowledge

Alligned - Authority, (s) Spirituality





PROSPERITY (Novelity)

Opposite - Productivity

Opposed - (s) Authority, Spirituality

Alligned - Creativity, (s) Knowledge





SPIRITUALITY (Habbit)

Opposite - Knowledge

Opposed - Creativity, (s) Prosperity

Alligned - (s) Authority,  Productivity





In a situation of empire, etc., a players Figure is likely to maintain control
over several types of citys at once, some productive and others prosprous for
example.

I will mention here that the vast number of RPG'ers tend toward Habbit (things
have always been this way and will always be this way, MY RPG will ALWAYS be
in a fantasy community just like Hobbiton or etc.).





PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Town Hall: This is the structure that makes a town a town and must be the
first building to be built. In early stages it serves as a gathering place for
the community during festivals, weddings, religious services, etc. It also can
be used to sally the population as an irregular infantry unit in times of dire
need. As a town grows and additional structures are built this building takes
on the role of housing the bureaucratic and administrative functions of the
area. In a small town this may be nothing more than a large pavilion while a
large city may have several administrative buildings throughout.

Originating Skills: New Followers?



Well: More a resource than a building but in areas where water is scarce the
water supply is likely to be heavily guarded with both men and structure.
There is little point in building a Town Hall where there is no source of
water and a well is preferable to a river. (Recall the complaints of the
tribes in "The Man Who Would Be King" about the upstream tribes pissing in the
river.)





Hospital: In any community there is someone who serves as Physicker. In a
small town this might be a 'witchdoctors' hut on the edge of town. In a large
city this could be a large structure staffed with trained individuals. With
one of these present military units will recover more quickly.

Originating Skills: Physicker, Master Physicker



Temple: Ah religion, played with in campaigns almost as much as the number of
moons in the sky. What can I say about religious structures that would
maintain validity across the entire range? Well nobody is going to hang around
someplace that doesn't provide entertainment and churches have often served
that purpose. "If you accept so and so and such and such then you can come to
the square dance tonight." The idea here is a building where the community can
come together a couple of times a week and take a break from the daily grind.
Of course they might also serve other functions (revenue)

depending on how religions function in individual campaigns. Family
entertainment.

Originating Skills: Priest, Theologian



Bath House: Sanitation could be a big problem in any area where groups of
people hang around for awhile. Facilities like this help reduce the
possibility of disease and can help improve the half-life of the population.



Library: In even a semi-literate culture the presence of a publicly accessible
library can help raise the average IQ of the citizens.

Originating Skills: Literacy?,Scholar?



Tavern: There are some forms of entertainment that aren't appropriate at
church. In colonial america a group of friends would meet at the 'Pub'lic
house and a man would purchase a pint bottle and pass it around. Then the next
man would do so until each had taken his turn. These Pubs were

important to the community for the 'networking' that went on during these
sessions. In one analysis "The Alcoholic Republic a history of alcohol in
america" the revolution would not have happened were it not for their
existence. How many times have you started a campaign by having the new
characters meet in a tavern? How many times has it been the local bartender
who had the rumor about the dungeon full of treasure that no one returns from?
Or was it the town drunk?

Originating Skills: Bard?, Charisma?, Sex Appeal?, Mimic?, Detection of Lies?





Harbor: If the town is on a major body of water (70+% of all human settlements
are, even today) this structure can provide a transportation hub as well as a
resource center for fish etc.

Originating Skills: Boating, Seamanship, Swimming, Diving, Fisherman,

Shipbuilder, Captain



Coliseum (Arena): This IS TFT we're talking about..... Yet another way to
entertain the citizens and some of those gladiators can get pretty tough.

Originating Skills: Weapon skills?



Aqueduct: As a town grows it can be desirable to have greater control over
water distribution than simply having folks scoop it out of a well.



Theater: Some mayors may want to provide the citizens with high drama that
doesn't involve someone getting killed all the time. Drama has also been used
for moral instruction since its inception.

Originating Skills: Charisma, Sex Appeal, Mimic, Bard, Master Bard



Roads: Improves transportation times and volume.



BUSINESSES

General Store: Usually the first business to open, they are a 'catch all' that
focus primarily on agriculture but will stock just about any equipment that
will sell. These type of stores usually serve smaller communities and are
replaced by more specific merchants as the town grows.

Originating Skills: Recognize Value



Tavern: Not only a meeting place for gossip. A tavern can be run for profit.
In larger cities with many pubs profit is the main propose of most of them.

Originating Skills: Bard?, Charisma?, Sex Appeal?, Mimic?, Detection of Lies?



Smithy: Another important early structure. The moment a skilled smith stokes
up his forge an area begins to free itself from dependence on tools
transported in from other areas. The benefits for adventures is obvious.

Originating Skills: Armourer, Goldsmith?, Mechanician, Master Armourer



Inn: Providing lodging in an area can make it more attractive for travelers
who tend to spend money in an area but not take any away. Caravans are also
more likely to stop here as well.



Bank: Once a region gets enough commerce for a significant percentage of the
population to have some money in their pockets a bank can allow the
consolidation of a portion of that wealth for use in investment, construction,
etc. Watch out for those financial collapses though.....

Originating Skills: Recognize Value, Assess Value



Bazaar: As traffic increases around a town and production specializes one of
the simplest ways of getting products to market is to designate a space as a
Bazaar or farmers market, etc.

Originating Skills: Recognize Value



Stable: Work animals can be prohibitively expensive for new farmers. 'Renting'
animals may is often the best option available. A large Stables that can
accommodate borders can help attract travelers and caravans as well.

Originating Skills: Horsemanship, Animal Handler, Driver, Tanner, Leather
Worker?, Monster Followers?, Vet



Guildsmans Shope Front: As the community develops enough to support artisans,
and as the artisans train others in their skills these tradesmen need
locations to distribute their wares and obviously it would be preferable to
own your own shop and call the shots rather than pay rent at

the Bazaar and follow their rules.

Originating Skills: Mundane Talents (other than already listed)



Tailor: One of the big three; sustenance, shelter and clothing. None of these
should be ignored as plot devices for adventure. Also good clothing shows your
status.



Sages: For those adventures where the players need a few more clues. Make 'em
pay through the nose.



Alchemist Lab: Lots of discussion about the creation of magic items lately. It
has to happen somewhere.

Originating Skills: Alchemist



Mill: Pretty obvious.

Originating Skills: Mechanician



HOMES

House: Large enough to have more than one room. A fundamental aspect of town
growth. The average family size varied greatly but it seems that 4 children

per couple isn't to inaccurate.



Hovel: One room. Nobody wants to live in a Hovel.



Mansion: The largest most expensive Houses.



Castle: A Mansion with military functions.



Palace: Could be a Mansion, could be a Castle. This is the residence of a head
of state be they singular or part of a group. This can also be the
bureaucratic and administrative center for the state.

Originating Skills: Courtly Graces, New Followers?



Keep: A House with military functions.



Fighters Keep: From the AD&D PH.



Wizards Tower: From the AD&D PH.



Thieves Hideout: From the AD&D PH.



Guildsmans Shope Front: Often a trade person lived above their place of
business.



TRAINING

Mercenaries Barracks: As per previous post. Originating Skills: Weapons
Skills, Warrior, Veteran, Two Weapons, Missile Weapons, Thrown Weapons, etc.
(maybe some thief skills?)



Wizards Campus: As per previous post.

Originating Skills: Spells



Thieves Quarter: As per previous post.

Originating Skills: Acute Hearing, Alertness, Climbing, Detect Traps,
Recognize Value, Silent Movement, Mimic, Remove Traps, Assess Value, Master
Thief, Ventriloquist



Guildsmans Lodge: As per previous post.

Originating Skills: Recognize Value, Assess Value



School: The basic educational structure as in the 'one room schoolhouse'. In
small towns this structure often tries to serve the entire range of the
population attending school at once. In more advanced educational systems
these would divide students into more focused groups.

Originating Skills: Literacy, Language



College: Can be used for professional trades. Engineer, Architect/Builder,
Mechanician, Mathematician, Scholar, Alchemist, Language



University: A group of Colleges.



Library: As stated above this building provides the populace with an avenue to
improve IQ. However it is not possible to focus what skills are studied unless
one limits the material in the collection, i.e. a Library of naval charts, a
medical Library etc.

Originating Skills: Literacy?,Scholar?



Coliseum (Arena): Like I said some of those gladiators get pretty tough.
(Hopefully you can control them better than that emperor in "Gladiator"
did.....)

Originating Skills: Weapon skills?



AGRICULTURE

Farm: A fundamental aspect of town growth. There are usually farms in an area
before anyone builds a Town Hall.

Originating Skills: Farming, Beekeeper, Gardener, Naturalist



Mill: Still pretty obvious.

Originating Skills: Mechanician



Granary: Without a surplus town growth is difficult at best. At the start of
the Neolithic Revolution when man first began to gather an excess of cereals
he would either cover a pile with hides causing the grain to grow argot fungus
which has a psychedelic effect, (LSD was derived from argot) or he would cover
the grain with water causing it to ferment and become beer.



Aqueduct: Irrigation VASTLY improves farm production.



MILITARY

Guard Tower: A keep for a unit of guards. Often has some kind of jail.



Mercenaries Barracks: As per previous post.



Castle: As Castle above. Military aspects fairly obvious.



Keep: As Keep above. Military aspects fairly obvious.



Town Walls: Building your city on the Orcish frontier?



Roads: As Roads above. Military aspects fairly obvious.
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