Cross-post from General Discussion, but I find the idea appealing enough to add it here as well.
Basically add a population variable to settlements (villages already have "hearths," but unless I'm mind-derping, towns don't), and make it a determinant of notables' presence and power.
Make the notables more dynamic and representative of current situation in the settlement. For instance, consider the situation where the number of notables present in a settlement would be directly affected by the settlement's population counter (whether "hearths" for villages or, say, "households" for towns). Base it on some breakpoints (1000 "households" add another notable), and base the notable TYPE on prosperity of settlement. If prosperity is not equal or higher than some determined value deemed appropriate for specific population level (meaning poverty is rife in that location), the new notable is a gang leader, rather than a merchant as higher prosperity would allow. Add those to "default" notables present regardless of settlement's variables for either.
So an example of a town with 2000 "households" and 1000 base prosperity would get a default set of a merchant and gang leader. On top of that, assuming new notable for every 1000 households, create a new one - in this case, under basic assumption prosperity should be greater than number of households, a gang leader.
If the town had 2000 households and 2000 prosperity in the above example, the new notable would have been a merchant.
If population count drops below the level necessary for existence of a notable, remove their capacity for offering troops. They still remain in the settlement (and can offer quests, which at this point should include some manner of quests directly affecting town's population growth), but not be a source of troops. If the notable is a merchant, make them also vulnerable to drop prosperity drops below required value similarly locking out recruitment offers, but triggering specific quests allowing them to improve (at least in a small way) town's prosperity. If the notable is a gang leader, and prosperity raises significantly higher than a new "merchant" type would require (for the above town instance discussed assume population of 2000, and prosperity of 2500 with three notables - a merchant, and two gang leaders from when the town was far poorer), the gang leader has an opportunity to turn into a legitimate merchant. Historically there are many examples of "gang leaders" who really were nothing more than unsanctioned "community organizers," even if they did personally benefit from trying to improve the lot of their fellows and were in "protection" racket - the difference being they did offer meaningful protection for those who paid. Would be nice if this potential change relied on notable's traits, so a cruel and devious gang leader would hardly ever go legit, whereas a merciful and generous one might quickly establish themselves as a local potentate if the town grows rich enough.
As an aside, I really hope we will see quests pitting merchant and gang leaders against each other (with appropriate, however small, effect on town's prosperity and/or population if implemented), much less one merchant against another.
For villages, this system would be more straightforward - the greater the prosperity, the more notables offering more recruitment choices - though the relation between hearths and additional notables should be much lower than in case of towns, if only to reflect the difference in general population levels and requirement for field labor (also, a hidden excuse to make towns more powerful in that regard). If the village gets raided below levels required by additional notables (always have, say, two "default" notables present), the notables remain and offer quests (again, some special ones like "Needs Grain" or "Needs livestock" or even "needs new hands go to town and try to find a group willing to join and rebuild the village"), but not have available recruits.
Double-plus-good-cookie-points if this interaction between prosperity and population would also affect bandit spawns. A poor village with excessive population (number of hearths would need more coded distancing from directly affecting prosperity) would be an obvious source of dispossessed people willing to risk banditry, whereas a prosperous one would hardly see anybody wanting to give up their easier situation for it. On top of similar mechanics, towns with higher number of gang leaders should offer greater danger of organized bandit groups than prosperous ones where merchant notables saw to most of the population being engaged in productive trade activities.
Elaborating on this system even further, it could also directly affect settlement's demand for specific goods. Poor prosperity and high population would obviously put greater stress on food availability than a low population high prosperity settlement that would, likely, demand more luxury goods due to greater concentration of wealth in individual hands.
Honestly, adding just this one variable, and expanding on the potential interaction between them, offers a lot of elaborate "emergent gameplay" setups. Aside from making the world more reactive and "alive."
Basically add a population variable to settlements (villages already have "hearths," but unless I'm mind-derping, towns don't), and make it a determinant of notables' presence and power.
Make the notables more dynamic and representative of current situation in the settlement. For instance, consider the situation where the number of notables present in a settlement would be directly affected by the settlement's population counter (whether "hearths" for villages or, say, "households" for towns). Base it on some breakpoints (1000 "households" add another notable), and base the notable TYPE on prosperity of settlement. If prosperity is not equal or higher than some determined value deemed appropriate for specific population level (meaning poverty is rife in that location), the new notable is a gang leader, rather than a merchant as higher prosperity would allow. Add those to "default" notables present regardless of settlement's variables for either.
So an example of a town with 2000 "households" and 1000 base prosperity would get a default set of a merchant and gang leader. On top of that, assuming new notable for every 1000 households, create a new one - in this case, under basic assumption prosperity should be greater than number of households, a gang leader.
If the town had 2000 households and 2000 prosperity in the above example, the new notable would have been a merchant.
If population count drops below the level necessary for existence of a notable, remove their capacity for offering troops. They still remain in the settlement (and can offer quests, which at this point should include some manner of quests directly affecting town's population growth), but not be a source of troops. If the notable is a merchant, make them also vulnerable to drop prosperity drops below required value similarly locking out recruitment offers, but triggering specific quests allowing them to improve (at least in a small way) town's prosperity. If the notable is a gang leader, and prosperity raises significantly higher than a new "merchant" type would require (for the above town instance discussed assume population of 2000, and prosperity of 2500 with three notables - a merchant, and two gang leaders from when the town was far poorer), the gang leader has an opportunity to turn into a legitimate merchant. Historically there are many examples of "gang leaders" who really were nothing more than unsanctioned "community organizers," even if they did personally benefit from trying to improve the lot of their fellows and were in "protection" racket - the difference being they did offer meaningful protection for those who paid. Would be nice if this potential change relied on notable's traits, so a cruel and devious gang leader would hardly ever go legit, whereas a merciful and generous one might quickly establish themselves as a local potentate if the town grows rich enough.
As an aside, I really hope we will see quests pitting merchant and gang leaders against each other (with appropriate, however small, effect on town's prosperity and/or population if implemented), much less one merchant against another.
For villages, this system would be more straightforward - the greater the prosperity, the more notables offering more recruitment choices - though the relation between hearths and additional notables should be much lower than in case of towns, if only to reflect the difference in general population levels and requirement for field labor (also, a hidden excuse to make towns more powerful in that regard). If the village gets raided below levels required by additional notables (always have, say, two "default" notables present), the notables remain and offer quests (again, some special ones like "Needs Grain" or "Needs livestock" or even "needs new hands go to town and try to find a group willing to join and rebuild the village"), but not have available recruits.
Double-plus-good-cookie-points if this interaction between prosperity and population would also affect bandit spawns. A poor village with excessive population (number of hearths would need more coded distancing from directly affecting prosperity) would be an obvious source of dispossessed people willing to risk banditry, whereas a prosperous one would hardly see anybody wanting to give up their easier situation for it. On top of similar mechanics, towns with higher number of gang leaders should offer greater danger of organized bandit groups than prosperous ones where merchant notables saw to most of the population being engaged in productive trade activities.
Elaborating on this system even further, it could also directly affect settlement's demand for specific goods. Poor prosperity and high population would obviously put greater stress on food availability than a low population high prosperity settlement that would, likely, demand more luxury goods due to greater concentration of wealth in individual hands.
Honestly, adding just this one variable, and expanding on the potential interaction between them, offers a lot of elaborate "emergent gameplay" setups. Aside from making the world more reactive and "alive."
