five bucks
Knight at Arms
The most frustrating thing about playing as a ruler is you can't send messages, or have people come visit you, like a king could in real life. Instead you have to travel yourself to the location of anyone you want to talk to, and you don't even know where they actually are, which can mean a lot of time wasted trying to find them.
This makes it very difficult to make marriage offers, hire mercenaries, and especially recruit vassals, while you are also trying to recruit troops, sell loot and prisoners, manage fiefs, finish issue quests, kill looters, clear hideouts and fight multiple wars at once! Here is a suggestion to make it stress-free.
Once the player creates a new kingdom, they get a Minister NPC in all their Lord's Halls. Ministers give an immersive way of messaging AI characters.
The first time he meets you, he says:
>Minister: Welcome, my (lord/lady). Your governor has appointed ministers, such as myself, in the halls of your realm to perform administrative duties as your most humble servants. I can gather information on affairs of state, and send messages for you.
Other times, he will say
>Minister: I am honoured by your presence, Your Highness. How may I assist you?
He has three main dialogue options you can choose:
Option 1: Vassal Recruitment
>Player: My realm requires more vassals. Do you know of anyone likely to join me?
>Our spies tell me that Clan (Name A), Clan (Name B), and Clan (Name C) lack lands to their name, and are in disfavour at court. Choose a clan, and I can write a secret message to that clan's leader. It will say why their liege is not worthy of their loyalty, and promise them a reward if they join us. A fast rider will take the message, and should return in a day with their response.
>Compose a message to (Clan Leader Name A/B/C). / On second thought, let me reconsider.
Accepting enters a modified persuasion minigame with the minister. It is just like normal persuasion, except failing a stage is not reported to you until later.
>Certainly, your Highness. I will begin by writing: "Greetings. I, (Playername) of (Kingdomname), have heard of your mistreatment at the hands of your liege..." now, what words should I write to best persuade them that their ruler is unworthy of their loyalty?
>Say this: "I hear they have asked you to perform cruel actions in the past." (Charm, Mercy). / Say this: "Your current master is not known for keeping their word." (Charm, Honor). / Say this: "You know very well that in politics oaths are easily made, and just as easily broken." (Charm, Calculating). / I have changed my mind about this message.
Etc. The rest of the letter composition follows the format of convincing a lord to defect.
When you have completed the message, it is "sent off". To avoid delay changing the outcome of the message, the lord/lady instantly receives the message and makes a decision to join you or not. But for the benefit of the player's immersion, you aren't informed of the conversion/rejection of the lord until a day later, in a circle notification. You can receive one of three notifications - one that it was accepted, one that it was rejected as your words were not convincing enough, and one that it was rejected as your offer was not high enough.
Option 2: Marriage Arrangement
>I seek to arrange a marriage.
>Whom would you like to offer the hand of, my liege?
>Myself. / Clan Member A. / Clan Member B. / Clan Member C. / Never mind.
>Bards passing by the court have mentioned some suitors of marriageable age; let me see... (Lord/Lady Name D,) (Lord/Lady Name E,) and (Lord/Lady Name F,) yes. I can compose a message to their clan leader proclaiming our intention to make a marriage, and how much bride price we (are willing to pay/wish to receive), and my fast-riding messenger should return in a day with their response.
>Send a messenger to (Clan Leader Name D/E/F). / On second thought, let me reconsider.
If you accept, a barter window is opened with your Minister. The marriage offer is decided by the AI instantly. A day later, a circle notification will pop up saying your marriage offer was accepted or rejected.
Option 3: Hiring Mercenaries
>We need mercenaries to fight our wars. What hirelings will die for coin?
>The (Merc clan A, Merc Clan B, and Merc Clan C) are notorious mercenaries in our region, and to my knowledge, are unaffiliated. Simply choose a warband and tell me how much you are willing to pay them, your Highness, and I can have a messenger find their leaders with an offer; we should hear a response in a day.
>Send a messenger to the (Minor Clan A/B/C). / On second thought, let me reconsider.
>Certainly, (milord/milady). What payment shall we offer?
A barter window is opened with your Minister. When you confirm, the mercenary offer is accepted instantly. A day later, a circle notification will pop up saying whether the mercenary offer was accepted or rejected.
This makes it very difficult to make marriage offers, hire mercenaries, and especially recruit vassals, while you are also trying to recruit troops, sell loot and prisoners, manage fiefs, finish issue quests, kill looters, clear hideouts and fight multiple wars at once! Here is a suggestion to make it stress-free.
Once the player creates a new kingdom, they get a Minister NPC in all their Lord's Halls. Ministers give an immersive way of messaging AI characters.
The first time he meets you, he says:
>Minister: Welcome, my (lord/lady). Your governor has appointed ministers, such as myself, in the halls of your realm to perform administrative duties as your most humble servants. I can gather information on affairs of state, and send messages for you.
Other times, he will say
>Minister: I am honoured by your presence, Your Highness. How may I assist you?
He has three main dialogue options you can choose:
Option 1: Vassal Recruitment
>Player: My realm requires more vassals. Do you know of anyone likely to join me?
>Our spies tell me that Clan (Name A), Clan (Name B), and Clan (Name C) lack lands to their name, and are in disfavour at court. Choose a clan, and I can write a secret message to that clan's leader. It will say why their liege is not worthy of their loyalty, and promise them a reward if they join us. A fast rider will take the message, and should return in a day with their response.
>Compose a message to (Clan Leader Name A/B/C). / On second thought, let me reconsider.
Accepting enters a modified persuasion minigame with the minister. It is just like normal persuasion, except failing a stage is not reported to you until later.
>Certainly, your Highness. I will begin by writing: "Greetings. I, (Playername) of (Kingdomname), have heard of your mistreatment at the hands of your liege..." now, what words should I write to best persuade them that their ruler is unworthy of their loyalty?
>Say this: "I hear they have asked you to perform cruel actions in the past." (Charm, Mercy). / Say this: "Your current master is not known for keeping their word." (Charm, Honor). / Say this: "You know very well that in politics oaths are easily made, and just as easily broken." (Charm, Calculating). / I have changed my mind about this message.
Etc. The rest of the letter composition follows the format of convincing a lord to defect.
When you have completed the message, it is "sent off". To avoid delay changing the outcome of the message, the lord/lady instantly receives the message and makes a decision to join you or not. But for the benefit of the player's immersion, you aren't informed of the conversion/rejection of the lord until a day later, in a circle notification. You can receive one of three notifications - one that it was accepted, one that it was rejected as your words were not convincing enough, and one that it was rejected as your offer was not high enough.
Option 2: Marriage Arrangement
>I seek to arrange a marriage.
>Whom would you like to offer the hand of, my liege?
>Myself. / Clan Member A. / Clan Member B. / Clan Member C. / Never mind.
>Bards passing by the court have mentioned some suitors of marriageable age; let me see... (Lord/Lady Name D,) (Lord/Lady Name E,) and (Lord/Lady Name F,) yes. I can compose a message to their clan leader proclaiming our intention to make a marriage, and how much bride price we (are willing to pay/wish to receive), and my fast-riding messenger should return in a day with their response.
>Send a messenger to (Clan Leader Name D/E/F). / On second thought, let me reconsider.
If you accept, a barter window is opened with your Minister. The marriage offer is decided by the AI instantly. A day later, a circle notification will pop up saying your marriage offer was accepted or rejected.
Option 3: Hiring Mercenaries
>We need mercenaries to fight our wars. What hirelings will die for coin?
>The (Merc clan A, Merc Clan B, and Merc Clan C) are notorious mercenaries in our region, and to my knowledge, are unaffiliated. Simply choose a warband and tell me how much you are willing to pay them, your Highness, and I can have a messenger find their leaders with an offer; we should hear a response in a day.
>Send a messenger to the (Minor Clan A/B/C). / On second thought, let me reconsider.
>Certainly, (milord/milady). What payment shall we offer?
A barter window is opened with your Minister. When you confirm, the mercenary offer is accepted instantly. A day later, a circle notification will pop up saying whether the mercenary offer was accepted or rejected.
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