Another of my series of threads, this one focused on villages, villager interactions, new trading mechanics, and questing!
The Farmer Update: http://www.minecraft...-farmer-update/
The Traveler Update: Coming soon!
The Warrior Update
The Worker Update
The Miner Update
The World Update
THE SETTLER UPDATE
Now, if you’ve read my Farmer Update, I talked a lot about completely overhauling that aspect of the game. I don’t think Villages need to be overhauled… but how cool would it be to wander across a small farmhouse, chat with the farmer to find out that he lives on the outskirts of a kingdom, and then journey across two forests and a desert to find a great mountain city torn by civil war? Since I play on the 360, I haven’t gotten to experience trading yet. But if something’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing! What if we not only had trading, but quests and a breathing economics system? Villages are just ugly blotches in the desert and plains. They should be something more, contribute to the feel of the world. And giving them a real purpose is one way to achieve that. To begin, I think that every type of biome should be able to sustain a village, though not every instance of a biome would have a full-fledged village. So, for example, taigas COULD hold one, but not every taiga you come across will. That should hold true for small biomes, anyways; I know you have some pretty huge biomes on the PC, and it would probably be okay there. What’s more, the player should probably always start off in an abandoned biome, so as to make the early game more challenging. The towns would vary from biome to biome. Architecturally and culturally, they should fit a theme. Forest villages would be a mixture of New England colonial and Medieval England. Desert villages would be Medieval Arabian. Taiga villages would be Medieval Russian. Tundra villages could be Viking. Jungles Aztec. Plains would be Old Western. Extreme Hills would have villages built into the sides of the mountain, Turkic style. Swampland? How about an Oriental feel? And while it’s currently not a biome, it would be neat to see tropical archipelagos with Hawaiian villages. Rather than all villagers living together, though, there could be various levels of settlement. Maybe you’re walking through the forest one night and see a single farmer and his family fending off zombies from the roof of his barn. On the other hand, after a long journey you could stumble across a walled city of 25 villagers! Here’s how I’d define it: Homestead = 1 family Settlement = 3 families Village = 6 families Town = 12 families City = 25 families At the start of the game, there should be only a handful, maybe one or two, towns in existence and no cities. Over time, settlements would grow to villages, villages to towns, towns to cities.
Kingdoms and Feudalism To start with, all squidwards are part of a Kingdom, ruled by a specific Dynasty. And heck, it’s not hard to make a name generator, so let’s say everything is named… instead of just “that Village at the side of the forest lake ruled by that King”, it’s Lakeshire in the Dotted Woods ruled by King John III of the House of Galalot. Or something like that. I don’t feel that it’s important that a Kingdom be homogenous… Minecraft has a medieval sort of theme, and racism and nationalism weren’t really a thing back then. Of course, a King cannot be everywhere at once. At the start of the game, every Village should be an independent Kingdom, and after enough war a few major Kingdoms will be consolidated. Once a Kingdom is rich enough to afford it, it will build a castle in the largest Village/Town, and that will become the permanent capital. Of course, the King cannot rule everything by his lonesome, and thus the need for feudal lords. Every Village has a Mayor to oversee it, and every Biome a Duke. And from there on down, we have the normal jobs.
The Needs of the People As I’ll explain in the Survivor Update, I think it would be good if the Health-Hunger system was changed to add Energy, Thirst, and possibly other, minor stats. The squidward economies would be much more interesting if they had their own needs… particularly, Health (medical services), Hunger, Thirst, and Happiness. Most all of the jobs a squidward can do produce something that will satisfy these needs, or assist another villager in producing one, or issue commands. Happiness comes from owning property or consuming luxuries/entertainment. A typical villager’s day might include working the fields, heading to the Tailor’s to buy new church clothes, stopping by the Tavern for a hamburger and beer mugbrew, and then listening to the local Bard tell tales before sleeping. Below is a list of all jobs. Don’t be scared! They are all the same “Villager” mob, just with different behaviors. This is especially true for the soldiers, who are distinguished only by their weaponry. Most civilians both live and work in their house, which can be identified by traits unique to the job (like the familiar lava forge in a Blacksmith, or the shape of a Tavern) and signs built by Artisans. All job types are distinguished as requiring University education (a University being a building type found in Towns and Capitals), Apprenticeship (when the villager is a teenager, the parents can send it to learn from an adult in that job), or None at all. Working will build up a villager's Experience so that it goes from New to Skilled to a Master, and with it productivity and pay.
Civilian Jobs Accountant The Accountant is commonly found in urban centers, and is Univesity educated due to their literacy and education in mathematics. Because of the expense of their services, Accountants are rarely hired by individuals, but instead are hired by a Capitalist or government official, or a league of Shopkeepers and Merchants who all pitch in. The player can hire an Accountant to keep track of certain statistics for them. Being skilled individuals, Accountants are usually part of an Accounting Guild.
Agent The Agent masquerades as a commoner, and is hired by a Capitalist, a nobleman, or some other person of influence to carry out clandestine acts of espionage and sabotage. They are moderately skilled in combat, and will hide if they fear their mission will be compromised. If captured, a Jailor or other "thug" will have an easy enough time finding out the name of their employer. Agents are mainly used by rival Kings to damage each other, but Capitalists will also use them when competing, and a malevolent Duke or other nobleman may try and "thin the competition" for the Crown.
Architect The Architect is hired by a building company to design buildings for them. Due to their knowledge of physics, they require University education. Unlike Accountants, who mostly work independently, Architects are tied to their company and as such do not have a Guild to lobby for them.
Artisan The Artisan is a craftsman who specializes in decorations, such as rugs, pottery, paintings, and statues. In Medieval times, art was considered merely another craft, and this is reflected in that the Artisan is trained through apprenticeship. While normally eking out a modest living, since art is not in high demand, a Master Artisan may come under the patronage of a Nobleman or Clergyman and be paid large sums for particular works.
Bandit The Bandit is the worst sort of criminal... whether land-going or sea-going, as long as a nearby trade route has unguarded plunder, some of the uneducated population will choose to make their living by ambushing convoys and then selling the loot so that they can eat, drink, and sleep at a nearby Tavern. Bandits are much more fearsome than the current mobs, for several reasons: they deliberately hide, constantly staying out of your sight, they are armed and skilled with weapons (I'll talk more about that in the Warrior Update), and they are capable of tactics (like flanking). If caught by Militiamen, they face the gallows for their crimes.
Banker The Nobility are perfectly content to live off their high taxes, so it is the Capitalists who run businesses. Most villagers can't afford the capital, though, so a Banker supplies it, keeping the peasant's money in his vault, and then lending it to both upstart Capitalists and peasants in need. Banks are a very good target to rob... if the player is evil, willing to be declared an Outlaw, and is able to overcome the security measures.
Bard The Bard travels with his favored instrument and a book full of poems, and tells tales and plays songs for whomever will listen. Charging by the act, their pay rates vary wildly: a travelling Bard depends on luck (right place, right time), while a Master Bard may be hired by a Theatre for a large salary. The player can pay to hear songs and poems as well, Skyrim style. Being artistic, they are trained as apprentices.
Beggar Any Village with a Tavern will have at least one Beggar, but Beggars are mainly created where there are more people than jobs available. In the days before welfare, these poor souls rely on donations to afford just enough bread to survive. Beggars can be found in the Village Marketplace, where they also sleep under small shelters.
Blacksmith The Blacksmith produces all types of tools from his forge, making him indispensable to the Kingdom. They are usually self-employed and Guild members. Due to the skill required, they are trained as apprentices.
Builder Typically working for a builder's company, the Builder is an unskilled laborer who is hired to construct buildings. A builder's company always requires at least one Accountant, one Architect, one Builder, and one Capitalist to own it, with the former three increasing based on need.
Capitalist University-educated, any villager who becomes rich enough can become a Capitalist by purchasing a License of Business from the local Nobleman. Since the LoB is expensive itself, usually Capitalists will need to take out loans to purchase the capital and labor. A License of Business allows the Capitalist to hire workers in that particular field.
Captain Since their jobs require advanced knowledge of navigation, Captains are University-educated. Captains lead ships, which require a certain number of Sailors (depending on size) and an Accountant.
Carpenter Carpenters are craftsmen who specialize in architectural products, like glass (colored and normal), planking, doors, and the like. They are usually self-employed and Guild members, and train as apprentices.
Chef An apprenticed job, Chefs are craftsmen who specialize in food. Aside from running their own shops, they are employed in Taverns (usually as the owner, unless a Capitalist built/purchased the business) alongside Dancers and Bards.
Child Squidwards, like plants, have several stages of maturity rather than just child-adult. These go Child, Adolescent, Adult, Elderly... and then dead. Adolescents are sent to a University if the family is wealthy enough, apprenticed if there's an opening, or work with their family. Children are seen running around playing.
Clergyman Clergymen exist to promote the state religion, and count as a source of Happiness since religion IS the "opiate of the masses". This being Minecraft, they are also praticioners of magic, which they usually use as smoke-and-mirrors to "prove" their God's existence.
Dancer Dancers are... em... ladies who... well, where there are large numbers of unmarried males, but also women who can't get married for some reason, Dancers serve as a second source of Happiness alongside the Bards and the Clergymen. They typically work out of Taverns for a cut.
Doctor Eventually, somebody's going to get hurt. Doctors are craftsmen who produce various types of medicines and medical potions, and will tend to injured workers. All for compensation, of course. They are apprenticed, not university-educated, because you don't HAVE to be literate to know what herbs to mix together.
Explorer Explorers are University-educated and hired by governments and Capitalists to explore the world, mostly in hopes of finding new sources of wealth to exploit or weaker Kingdoms to conquer. Explorers are also sent to accompany new settlers in previously unsettled land.
Farmer Farmers are mostly self-sufficient, as they grow a variety of crops to feed themselves, and even cloth themselves. A Farmer will typically, depending on the terrain, focus on a specific valuable crop to sell to the urban population. Thus, a "rice farmer" would actually be farming wheat, potatoes, lettuce, etcetera, but he would sell rice to the Merchants so that he can afford what he cannot produce. A Farmer can also own animals, but with all the work of farming, mass-ranching isn't feasible. Most Farms are self-owned, but Capitalists can choose to buy out a Farm (which is generally mutually-beneficial). See the Farmer Update thread for more on that.
Fisherman Fishermen are overall less self-sufficient then Farmers, and sail out on the ocean in carracks and barges to net fish and occasionally dive to gather aquatic plants, clams, and pearls.
Groom Grooms are the owners and keepers of stables, renting out stables and wagons and breeding additional horses.
Yes, we have a carrot on a stick, so you can change that to "pigs" if you want, but I don't like the idea, LOL.
Guard The Militiamen do what they can, but they still aren't the best, so Settlements and wealthier villagers may hire these untrained people to defend their property and lives.
Housewife Because Minecraft is Medieval-ish, and the Middle Ages were well before women's lib, females are always Housewives or Dancers. Poor Housewives take care of all household chores, the main one being cooking, but a rich Housewife spends time making art and playing instruments since the Servants will attend to that.
Jailor Jailors are moderately-armed and skilled guards of prisons who double as executioner. The Jailor's job is watching the Thieves and other criminals locked away in the dungeons, and hanging Bandits when they're caught.
Lumberjacks Really rather self-explanatory.
Mercenary A King has three choices for a military: a very expensive Standing Army, a very cheap but crappy Militiaman levy, or mercenaries in the middle. Mercenaries travel all around the world in small companies of five to ten men, offering their services to warring factions.
Merchant Merchants are nothing more than middlemen, apprenticed squidwards who travel with a wagon buying and selling goods, taking orders from whomever is buying and then buying the goods they request. A Merchant whose enteprise is profitable enough can afford an attachment of Guards, and Merchants on government business are accompanied by troops... lucky for them, as the failed Merchants tend to end up dead on the side of the road from a Bandit attack. Or doomed to wander the Earth as the undead.
Miner There are actually two types of Miners, Stone Miners being the other type. Normal Miners mine for any minerals at all, while Stone Miners mine for stone. The distinction is in how they mine; normal miners dig deep shafts and long tunnels to try and open up cave systems, where they can easily access mineral deposits for less effort. A Stone Miner will just strip mine. Both tend to work in groups, so that they can watch each other's backs and carry out time-consuming tasks like reinforcing the walls.
Poacher One of three types of criminals, Poachers hunt animals. Nobles reserve the sole right to hunt, so these people face jailtime if caught.
Professor Professors work at Universities, where they teach classes to the adolescents studying there. Of course, they themselves are University-educated.
Rancher Ranchers are the third type of food producers, specializing in animals (see Farmer Update). They satisfy part of their needs, like Fishermen do, but are overall reliant on selling their products to Merchants.
Sailor Large ships (I'll explain more in the Traveler Update) require multiple hands to run. Sailors fulfill this need, both for NPCs and the player. Sailing is an apprenticeship.
Scientist University-educated researchers hired by the government and Capitalists, Scientists study new chemical formulas, genetics, machines, and improved ways of doing things.
Servant Rich people like Capitalists, Noblemen, and the highest-paid workers can afford Servants to do the Housewive's job.
Shopkeeper Shopkeepers purchase goods and then resell them in the Marketplace, after their apprenticeship.
Tailor Tailors are craftsmen (and as such are an apprentice-based job) who produce clothing and other textile-based goods.
Tax Collector A special government Accountant who collects taxes. Surrounded by military, of course, so that he doesn't get beaten up.
Thief Orphaned children and men who cannot find work become Thieves (in the case of the out-of-work, it's somewhat random) who try and stealthily steal to survive. Because their crimes are non-violent, they are jailed rather than executed.
Wagon Driver Wagon drivers are hired by travelers to take them to other settlements, along with any goods they need moved.
Feudal Politics Every Kingdom has to deal with internal threats. These threats come from religions and the four Factions: the Peasants, the Merchants, the Nobles, and the Clergy. There is also a single pantheon of gods spirits, with each biome favoring their particular spirit. Below that there are some lesser spirits... not sure what to call them. Anyways, you can go to the temples to get blessed or cursed and all that jazz.
The four Factions do not have contradictory goals, but they are different. Peasants respect a high standard of living and disrespect casualties. Nobles respect their own standard of living and warmongering, so long as the war is conducted properly. Merchants respect wealth for their class, but want protectionist trade, which could hurt the Peasants. Clergy want to support their religion and values, but this could lead the King to conflict with religious minorities, and shutting down the Theatres and Taverns is not the best way to win the hearts and minds of the people.
If one faction becomes too estranged, then it begins to shows its displeasure, first by striking, then by rioting, then by waging a low-intensity civil war, then open civil war. Each faction has a representative who will become the new King if they win.
Diplomatic Policies Each Kingdom has three policies towards the other Kingdoms it has knowledge of. These policies are: WAR = Ally - Neutral - Truce - Enemy Allies allow troop movements on each other's land, and share all Enemies. If one nation has two Allies whom are both Neutral towards each other, then they may form an Empire (a sort of mutual-protection pact). If a Kingdom is Allies with two Kingdoms who become enemies, then it'll have to pick a side, or become Neutral. Due to the nature of the Nobility, a Kingdom will need to keep at least one Enemy around. Neutral Kingdoms will attack troops that cross the border. Enemy Kingdoms openly wage war. Kingdoms in a truce are Enemies who will keep their troops within their borders until the truce expires.
TRADE = Open - Protected - Closed Open trading allows Kingdoms to buy and sell without any tariffs. Protected trade charges a 1/3rd tariff, so much that it discourages most trade. Closed prevents trade altogether. Trade policy does not have to match, but two or more nations with mutual Open trade make a Trade League.
RELIGION = Same - Accepted - Persecuted - Banned The Religious policy of two Kingdoms determines how likely they are to get along on the other two policies, and how likely they are to send Missionaries. Religious policy does not have to match.
State and Military Jobs, and Waging Wars Platoons and Lieutenants A platoon is a unit of up to ten soldiers that work together, and is commanded by a Lieutenant. Platoons are usually organized by armor and training, so that there won't be Diamond-clad Master soldiers mixed in with the Leather-wearing Newbies. Lieutenants are either University-educated, or are princes/noble's sons sent out.
Types of Troops Artillerymen Bombards are very expensive to manufacture and supply, but for an Army facing a siege, they are well worth the investment. Artillerymen are armed with daggers for their personal defense, and each Bombard is staffed by two. They are exposed to all forms of attack, and due to a slow reload must be defended, but they can lay down a deadly barrage against massed troops. Imagine a TNT cannon that can be moved around and easily aimed.
Crossbowman The crossbow is superior in every way to the bow, is fairly cheap to produce, and is quick to train with, so Crossbowmen are the only type of archer soldiers, although peasants may own their own longbows. Crossbowmen are still very exposed to all types of attacks, though, so they are best surrounded by a square of infantry to protect them.
Halberdier The Halberdier is a standard soldier of the line, either fighting in a Tercio or a solid rank. Halberdiers are explicity anti-cavalry... their unwieldy halberds (I'll explain more in the Warrior Update) don't have a fast rate of attack, and are ineffective at close range. Halberdiers have two many stances: braced and fighting. Bracing allows them to use a shield to block most damage, but prevents them from moving at anything other than a slow creep, while fighting requires having both hands on the halberd.
Lancer The Lancer is an armored cavalryman armed with a long pike for running down infantry. Fearsome in charges, Lancers are exposed to Halberdiers and Musketeers, and are best deployed in open areas where they can form a wall or an arrow formation.
Militiaman Unlike all the other troops listed here, who are full-time troops, Militiamen stay at home, working during the day, with a few Militiamen hired as town police as well. Whenever a threat arises the Militia (which usually consist of all the peasant men) grab their most dangerous tool (a scythe, an ax, a pickax, etcetera) and head out to fight it.
Musketeer The Musketeer fights with a musket and bayonet, the former being one of the most expensive and complicated weapons to produce, and requiring scientific research for a Kingdom to develop. The Musketeer wears no armor, but is overall a Halberdier with the ability to fire a deadly barrage. Musketeers are best deployed in Firing Squares, and can be ordered to charge.
Polybolos The Polybolos is a type of repeating ballista, a sort of Medieval machine gun. Because of the very slow reload, they are best deployed in pairs, but they can lay waste to unarmored formations. A Polybolos requires two men to man it.
Raider The Raider is an unarmored cavalryman equipped with a crossbow, longsword, grenades (think mini-TNT), and fire. They act as both cavalry archers and thugs, skirmishing on the enemy's flanks and also plunging deep into enemy territory to ransack towns.
Royal Guard The finest troops, armed with large axes and fancy uniforms.
Scout The Scout is an unarmored cavalryman equipped with a crossbow, dagger, camo, and a periscope, deployed ahead of the main force for recon. The Scout is not intended to participate in the fight, but must be able to defend themselves against monsters in the likely event that they get separated from the main force during the night.
Swordsman The Swordsman is a typical, well-rounded soldier. He is very exposed to cavalry, but excells at anti-infantry combat, and carries a shield.
Personality
Quests Quests are mostly randomly-generated, short things. So, I'll just list the type of things that would be common.
Farmer: Crows have been eating my grain for the past few days. I'll pay you six copper coins for you to kill the crows.
Goal = Kill 3 Crows that night in the Farmer's wheat field.
Reward = 6 Copper
Accountant: Could you help me retrieve my ledger? I believe I lost it around the western wall, I'll pay you five copper if you find it.
Goal = Find and return the Accountant's ledger
Reward = 5 Copper
Militiaman: We have a killer on the loose, 50 gold bounty. Last known whereabouts are the Falafel Desert.
Goal = Find and kill the escapee.
Reward = 50 Gold
So, that's the sort of thing you would do. Those are really more like Random Encounters from Red Dead Redemption, when it comes down to it. But there can be more than that... those sorts of things would keep reoccuring, but there could be a large number of short quests to do, and then a handful of long and story-heavy ones that actually further the plot.
Sorry but not supported. Although presentation-wise its awesome but if Mojang is really having this update in Minecraft it would change NPC villages totally, and I like it the way it is now.
This would be extremely difficult, but I support this idea. Er, parts of it, really. What you're getting at would involve introduction of mobs like horses, and several new types of AI for soldiers and workers and all of that. This is like a colossal compilation of what would take a while to produce. I'm at odds with myself to say that this would look better as a mod, but in all honesty it seems too complicated for even a mod.
I don't know. I love the structure and all.
It's just that it seems extremely difficult.
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I use a picture of myself because I'm not ashamed of my face. Don't let it bother you?
Thanks for the feedback. I do have to agree, it would be VERY hard to implement, like Millenaire on steroids.
I wrote it up really poorly, so I'm redoing the whole thing. From now on, my Update threads will be done on Word before I make the post, so that you get all of it in one read and it reads better.
This idea is kind of big and weird... not as well thought-out as the Farmer Update. I'll work on it to try and clean it up, make it more feasible.
There's no need for that kind of language, Moranic. I don't mean to offend anyone, that's why I think the churches should just be vague allusions like they currently are. But still, people could take it the wrong way, so it could be changed.
Maybe there's a single pantheon with numerous gods (or, to be politically-correct, "spirits"), and a Kingdom has a specific spirit it supports. This would be tied in with the magic, as the player could be blessed or cursed. Like the Forest Spirit's blessing may give you extra woodcutting.
Mostly I just want:
1. Both smaller and larger settlements.
2. Villages that actually DO things.
3. Villagers that give quests.
Also, I didn't really talk about this in the main post, but when the world is generated, some areas would be heavily populated, some abandoned... like you may start out in a desert biome that has not a soul in sight, cross some extreme hills to find a few watchtowers and lumber camps, the local militia telling you that their Kingdom owns three villages and a central town on the other side of the jungle. On the other side of an ocean is a plains, home to a productive farming Kingdom, two villages large, that happens to be sitting atop a rich vein of gold that King Atahuaxl's explorer discovered. Atahuaxl fears that if the Braggs Kingdom discovers the gold they'll become rich and be able to defend it by purchasing mercenaries from the chaotic east (which fell apart under the neglectful rule of King Ivan IV), so he intends to send a large invasion force. Being the prophecied Dark Hunter (or some other generic prphecied-hero name), he wants to send you ahead to sabotage their fortifications, while one of King Jones' Agents is trying to hire you to sink the ships and steal the cave maps.
Looks like you put a lot of work into that, but... This would make them game waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too RPGish. This could be a mod, not an implementation into vanilla.
Long(ish) version: It is a great presentation, dude, but it is a no go. Too many RPG features. All you need is to make villagers look like players, allow villages to expand, and mabye add it so they can defend themselves without a golem. I see your point though (I'm also an Xbox only Minecrafter), but it would not be best for Minecraft.
It is a good idea but isn't much how minecraft is supposed to be. I don't support this but I have to tell you this is a well thought and well written suggestion.
I think mojang said no to quests already, and the line about "if its worth doing its worth overdoing" is NOT true. Minecraft is a sandbox game, and I think this is taking it to far into the "RP" game style that hundreds of people are criticizing mojang already for making it to RP like.
To be honest, I would love to see this in the form of a mod, in fact it would be awesome - or even just a server dedicated to it, or maybe even an adventure map, but this is a bit to much.
The presentation was awesome, and I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. Overall, its not that its a bad idea, its just that it doesn't fit exactly into minecraft.
Again, would love to see it as a mod, but for vanilla I don't think this would fit.
Holy cow is that post long. I didn't even make it past the start of the list of occupations.
I think this suggestion is far better suited to a mod than to vanilla Minecraft. Some parts of what you said at the start could work, but the majority is just too complex and complicated to work in what is still, essentially, a pretty simple game.
But I think I'll hunt down this post later and read the rest of your proposal, because it does sound like it would make a pretty good mod. You might go look at Millenaire for starters; it and a few other mods I've run across have similar aspirations. Actually, there's this one mod I can't recall the name of that does include bandits.
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My YouTube channel is currently on hiatus, but I hope to get back to it at some point. Content is fairly random, but can be enjoyable, and is mostly game footage (mostly random Minecraft clips) from my nephews and me. Most popular MC vid so far is the one Vechs laughed at on Twitter!
The Farmer Update: http://www.minecraft...-farmer-update/
The Traveler Update: Coming soon!
The Warrior Update
The Worker Update
The Miner Update
The World Update
Now, if you’ve read my Farmer Update, I talked a lot about completely overhauling that aspect of the game. I don’t think Villages need to be overhauled… but how cool would it be to wander across a small farmhouse, chat with the farmer to find out that he lives on the outskirts of a kingdom, and then journey across two forests and a desert to find a great mountain city torn by civil war?
Since I play on the 360, I haven’t gotten to experience trading yet. But if something’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing! What if we not only had trading, but quests and a breathing economics system? Villages are just ugly blotches in the desert and plains. They should be something more, contribute to the feel of the world. And giving them a real purpose is one way to achieve that.
To begin, I think that every type of biome should be able to sustain a village, though not every instance of a biome would have a full-fledged village. So, for example, taigas COULD hold one, but not every taiga you come across will. That should hold true for small biomes, anyways; I know you have some pretty huge biomes on the PC, and it would probably be okay there. What’s more, the player should probably always start off in an abandoned biome, so as to make the early game more challenging.
The towns would vary from biome to biome. Architecturally and culturally, they should fit a theme. Forest villages would be a mixture of New England colonial and Medieval England. Desert villages would be Medieval Arabian. Taiga villages would be Medieval Russian. Tundra villages could be Viking. Jungles Aztec. Plains would be Old Western. Extreme Hills would have villages built into the sides of the mountain, Turkic style. Swampland? How about an Oriental feel? And while it’s currently not a biome, it would be neat to see tropical archipelagos with Hawaiian villages.
Rather than all villagers living together, though, there could be various levels of settlement. Maybe you’re walking through the forest one night and see a single farmer and his family fending off zombies from the roof of his barn. On the other hand, after a long journey you could stumble across a walled city of 25 villagers! Here’s how I’d define it:
Homestead = 1 family
Settlement = 3 families
Village = 6 families
Town = 12 families
City = 25 families
At the start of the game, there should be only a handful, maybe one or two, towns in existence and no cities. Over time, settlements would grow to villages, villages to towns, towns to cities.
Kingdoms and Feudalism
To start with, all squidwards are part of a Kingdom, ruled by a specific Dynasty. And heck, it’s not hard to make a name generator, so let’s say everything is named… instead of just “that Village at the side of the forest lake ruled by that King”, it’s Lakeshire in the Dotted Woods ruled by King John III of the House of Galalot. Or something like that. I don’t feel that it’s important that a Kingdom be homogenous… Minecraft has a medieval sort of theme, and racism and nationalism weren’t really a thing back then.
Of course, a King cannot be everywhere at once. At the start of the game, every Village should be an independent Kingdom, and after enough war a few major Kingdoms will be consolidated. Once a Kingdom is rich enough to afford it, it will build a castle in the largest Village/Town, and that will become the permanent capital.
Of course, the King cannot rule everything by his lonesome, and thus the need for feudal lords. Every Village has a Mayor to oversee it, and every Biome a Duke. And from there on down, we have the normal jobs.
The Needs of the People
As I’ll explain in the Survivor Update, I think it would be good if the Health-Hunger system was changed to add Energy, Thirst, and possibly other, minor stats. The squidward economies would be much more interesting if they had their own needs… particularly, Health (medical services), Hunger, Thirst, and Happiness. Most all of the jobs a squidward can do produce something that will satisfy these needs, or assist another villager in producing one, or issue commands. Happiness comes from owning property or consuming luxuries/entertainment. A typical villager’s day might include working the fields, heading to the Tailor’s to buy new church clothes, stopping by the Tavern for a hamburger and
beermugbrew, and then listening to the local Bard tell tales before sleeping.Below is a list of all jobs. Don’t be scared! They are all the same “Villager” mob, just with different behaviors. This is especially true for the soldiers, who are distinguished only by their weaponry. Most civilians both live and work in their house, which can be identified by traits unique to the job (like the familiar lava forge in a Blacksmith, or the shape of a Tavern) and signs built by Artisans. All job types are distinguished as requiring University education (a University being a building type found in Towns and Capitals), Apprenticeship (when the villager is a teenager, the parents can send it to learn from an adult in that job), or None at all. Working will build up a villager's Experience so that it goes from New to Skilled to a Master, and with it productivity and pay.
Civilian Jobs
Accountant
The Accountant is commonly found in urban centers, and is Univesity educated due to their literacy and education in mathematics. Because of the expense of their services, Accountants are rarely hired by individuals, but instead are hired by a Capitalist or government official, or a league of Shopkeepers and Merchants who all pitch in. The player can hire an Accountant to keep track of certain statistics for them. Being skilled individuals, Accountants are usually part of an Accounting Guild.
Agent
The Agent masquerades as a commoner, and is hired by a Capitalist, a nobleman, or some other person of influence to carry out clandestine acts of espionage and sabotage. They are moderately skilled in combat, and will hide if they fear their mission will be compromised. If captured, a Jailor or other "thug" will have an easy enough time finding out the name of their employer. Agents are mainly used by rival Kings to damage each other, but Capitalists will also use them when competing, and a malevolent Duke or other nobleman may try and "thin the competition" for the Crown.
Architect
The Architect is hired by a building company to design buildings for them. Due to their knowledge of physics, they require University education. Unlike Accountants, who mostly work independently, Architects are tied to their company and as such do not have a Guild to lobby for them.
Artisan
The Artisan is a craftsman who specializes in decorations, such as rugs, pottery, paintings, and statues. In Medieval times, art was considered merely another craft, and this is reflected in that the Artisan is trained through apprenticeship. While normally eking out a modest living, since art is not in high demand, a Master Artisan may come under the patronage of a Nobleman or Clergyman and be paid large sums for particular works.
Bandit
The Bandit is the worst sort of criminal... whether land-going or sea-going, as long as a nearby trade route has unguarded plunder, some of the uneducated population will choose to make their living by ambushing convoys and then selling the loot so that they can eat, drink, and sleep at a nearby Tavern. Bandits are much more fearsome than the current mobs, for several reasons: they deliberately hide, constantly staying out of your sight, they are armed and skilled with weapons (I'll talk more about that in the Warrior Update), and they are capable of tactics (like flanking). If caught by Militiamen, they face the gallows for their crimes.
Banker
The Nobility are perfectly content to live off their high taxes, so it is the Capitalists who run businesses. Most villagers can't afford the capital, though, so a Banker supplies it, keeping the peasant's money in his vault, and then lending it to both upstart Capitalists and peasants in need. Banks are a very good target to rob... if the player is evil, willing to be declared an Outlaw, and is able to overcome the security measures.
Bard
The Bard travels with his favored instrument and a book full of poems, and tells tales and plays songs for whomever will listen. Charging by the act, their pay rates vary wildly: a travelling Bard depends on luck (right place, right time), while a Master Bard may be hired by a Theatre for a large salary. The player can pay to hear songs and poems as well, Skyrim style. Being artistic, they are trained as apprentices.
Beggar
Any Village with a Tavern will have at least one Beggar, but Beggars are mainly created where there are more people than jobs available. In the days before welfare, these poor souls rely on donations to afford just enough bread to survive. Beggars can be found in the Village Marketplace, where they also sleep under small shelters.
Blacksmith
The Blacksmith produces all types of tools from his forge, making him indispensable to the Kingdom. They are usually self-employed and Guild members. Due to the skill required, they are trained as apprentices.
Builder
Typically working for a builder's company, the Builder is an unskilled laborer who is hired to construct buildings. A builder's company always requires at least one Accountant, one Architect, one Builder, and one Capitalist to own it, with the former three increasing based on need.
Capitalist
University-educated, any villager who becomes rich enough can become a Capitalist by purchasing a License of Business from the local Nobleman. Since the LoB is expensive itself, usually Capitalists will need to take out loans to purchase the capital and labor. A License of Business allows the Capitalist to hire workers in that particular field.
Captain
Since their jobs require advanced knowledge of navigation, Captains are University-educated. Captains lead ships, which require a certain number of Sailors (depending on size) and an Accountant.
Carpenter
Carpenters are craftsmen who specialize in architectural products, like glass (colored and normal), planking, doors, and the like. They are usually self-employed and Guild members, and train as apprentices.
Chef
An apprenticed job, Chefs are craftsmen who specialize in food. Aside from running their own shops, they are employed in Taverns (usually as the owner, unless a Capitalist built/purchased the business) alongside Dancers and Bards.
Child
Squidwards, like plants, have several stages of maturity rather than just child-adult. These go Child, Adolescent, Adult, Elderly... and then dead. Adolescents are sent to a University if the family is wealthy enough, apprenticed if there's an opening, or work with their family. Children are seen running around playing.
Clergyman
Clergymen exist to promote the state religion, and count as a source of Happiness since religion IS the "opiate of the masses". This being Minecraft, they are also praticioners of magic, which they usually use as smoke-and-mirrors to "prove" their God's existence.
Dancer
Dancers are... em... ladies who... well, where there are large numbers of unmarried males, but also women who can't get married for some reason, Dancers serve as a second source of Happiness alongside the Bards and the Clergymen. They typically work out of Taverns for a cut.
Doctor
Eventually, somebody's going to get hurt. Doctors are craftsmen who produce various types of medicines and medical potions, and will tend to injured workers. All for compensation, of course. They are apprenticed, not university-educated, because you don't HAVE to be literate to know what herbs to mix together.
Explorer
Explorers are University-educated and hired by governments and Capitalists to explore the world, mostly in hopes of finding new sources of wealth to exploit or weaker Kingdoms to conquer. Explorers are also sent to accompany new settlers in previously unsettled land.
Farmer
Farmers are mostly self-sufficient, as they grow a variety of crops to feed themselves, and even cloth themselves. A Farmer will typically, depending on the terrain, focus on a specific valuable crop to sell to the urban population. Thus, a "rice farmer" would actually be farming wheat, potatoes, lettuce, etcetera, but he would sell rice to the Merchants so that he can afford what he cannot produce. A Farmer can also own animals, but with all the work of farming, mass-ranching isn't feasible. Most Farms are self-owned, but Capitalists can choose to buy out a Farm (which is generally mutually-beneficial). See the Farmer Update thread for more on that.
Fisherman
Fishermen are overall less self-sufficient then Farmers, and sail out on the ocean in carracks and barges to net fish and occasionally dive to gather aquatic plants, clams, and pearls.
Groom
Grooms are the owners and keepers of stables, renting out stables and wagons and breeding additional horses.
Yes, we have a carrot on a stick, so you can change that to "pigs" if you want, but I don't like the idea, LOL.
Guard
The Militiamen do what they can, but they still aren't the best, so Settlements and wealthier villagers may hire these untrained people to defend their property and lives.
Housewife
Because Minecraft is Medieval-ish, and the Middle Ages were well before women's lib, females are always Housewives or Dancers. Poor Housewives take care of all household chores, the main one being cooking, but a rich Housewife spends time making art and playing instruments since the Servants will attend to that.
Jailor
Jailors are moderately-armed and skilled guards of prisons who double as executioner. The Jailor's job is watching the Thieves and other criminals locked away in the dungeons, and hanging Bandits when they're caught.
Lumberjacks
Really rather self-explanatory.
Mercenary
A King has three choices for a military: a very expensive Standing Army, a very cheap but crappy Militiaman levy, or mercenaries in the middle. Mercenaries travel all around the world in small companies of five to ten men, offering their services to warring factions.
Merchant
Merchants are nothing more than middlemen, apprenticed squidwards who travel with a wagon buying and selling goods, taking orders from whomever is buying and then buying the goods they request. A Merchant whose enteprise is profitable enough can afford an attachment of Guards, and Merchants on government business are accompanied by troops... lucky for them, as the failed Merchants tend to end up dead on the side of the road from a Bandit attack. Or doomed to wander the Earth as the undead.
Miner
There are actually two types of Miners, Stone Miners being the other type. Normal Miners mine for any minerals at all, while Stone Miners mine for stone. The distinction is in how they mine; normal miners dig deep shafts and long tunnels to try and open up cave systems, where they can easily access mineral deposits for less effort. A Stone Miner will just strip mine. Both tend to work in groups, so that they can watch each other's backs and carry out time-consuming tasks like reinforcing the walls.
Poacher
One of three types of criminals, Poachers hunt animals. Nobles reserve the sole right to hunt, so these people face jailtime if caught.
Professor
Professors work at Universities, where they teach classes to the adolescents studying there. Of course, they themselves are University-educated.
Rancher
Ranchers are the third type of food producers, specializing in animals (see Farmer Update). They satisfy part of their needs, like Fishermen do, but are overall reliant on selling their products to Merchants.
Sailor
Large ships (I'll explain more in the Traveler Update) require multiple hands to run. Sailors fulfill this need, both for NPCs and the player. Sailing is an apprenticeship.
Scientist
University-educated researchers hired by the government and Capitalists, Scientists study new chemical formulas, genetics, machines, and improved ways of doing things.
Servant
Rich people like Capitalists, Noblemen, and the highest-paid workers can afford Servants to do the Housewive's job.
Shopkeeper
Shopkeepers purchase goods and then resell them in the Marketplace, after their apprenticeship.
Tailor
Tailors are craftsmen (and as such are an apprentice-based job) who produce clothing and other textile-based goods.
Tax Collector
A special government Accountant who collects taxes. Surrounded by military, of course, so that he doesn't get beaten up.
Thief
Orphaned children and men who cannot find work become Thieves (in the case of the out-of-work, it's somewhat random) who try and stealthily steal to survive. Because their crimes are non-violent, they are jailed rather than executed.
Wagon Driver
Wagon drivers are hired by travelers to take them to other settlements, along with any goods they need moved.
Feudal Politics
Every Kingdom has to deal with internal threats. These threats come from religions and the four Factions: the Peasants, the Merchants, the Nobles, and the Clergy. There is also a single pantheon of
godsspirits, with each biome favoring their particular spirit. Below that there are some lesser spirits... not sure what to call them. Anyways, you can go to the temples to get blessed or cursed and all that jazz.The four Factions do not have contradictory goals, but they are different. Peasants respect a high standard of living and disrespect casualties. Nobles respect their own standard of living and warmongering, so long as the war is conducted properly. Merchants respect wealth for their class, but want protectionist trade, which could hurt the Peasants. Clergy want to support their religion and values, but this could lead the King to conflict with religious minorities, and shutting down the Theatres and Taverns is not the best way to win the hearts and minds of the people.
If one faction becomes too estranged, then it begins to shows its displeasure, first by striking, then by rioting, then by waging a low-intensity civil war, then open civil war. Each faction has a representative who will become the new King if they win.
Diplomatic Policies
Each Kingdom has three policies towards the other Kingdoms it has knowledge of. These policies are:
WAR = Ally - Neutral - Truce - Enemy
Allies allow troop movements on each other's land, and share all Enemies. If one nation has two Allies whom are both Neutral towards each other, then they may form an Empire (a sort of mutual-protection pact). If a Kingdom is Allies with two Kingdoms who become enemies, then it'll have to pick a side, or become Neutral. Due to the nature of the Nobility, a Kingdom will need to keep at least one Enemy around.
Neutral Kingdoms will attack troops that cross the border. Enemy Kingdoms openly wage war. Kingdoms in a truce are Enemies who will keep their troops within their borders until the truce expires.
TRADE = Open - Protected - Closed
Open trading allows Kingdoms to buy and sell without any tariffs. Protected trade charges a 1/3rd tariff, so much that it discourages most trade. Closed prevents trade altogether. Trade policy does not have to match, but two or more nations with mutual Open trade make a Trade League.
RELIGION = Same - Accepted - Persecuted - Banned
The Religious policy of two Kingdoms determines how likely they are to get along on the other two policies, and how likely they are to send Missionaries. Religious policy does not have to match.
State and Military Jobs, and Waging Wars
Platoons and Lieutenants
A platoon is a unit of up to ten soldiers that work together, and is commanded by a Lieutenant. Platoons are usually organized by armor and training, so that there won't be Diamond-clad Master soldiers mixed in with the Leather-wearing Newbies. Lieutenants are either University-educated, or are princes/noble's sons sent out.
Types of Troops
Artillerymen
Bombards are very expensive to manufacture and supply, but for an Army facing a siege, they are well worth the investment. Artillerymen are armed with daggers for their personal defense, and each Bombard is staffed by two. They are exposed to all forms of attack, and due to a slow reload must be defended, but they can lay down a deadly barrage against massed troops. Imagine a TNT cannon that can be moved around and easily aimed.
Crossbowman
The crossbow is superior in every way to the bow, is fairly cheap to produce, and is quick to train with, so Crossbowmen are the only type of archer soldiers, although peasants may own their own longbows. Crossbowmen are still very exposed to all types of attacks, though, so they are best surrounded by a square of infantry to protect them.
Halberdier
The Halberdier is a standard soldier of the line, either fighting in a Tercio or a solid rank. Halberdiers are explicity anti-cavalry... their unwieldy halberds (I'll explain more in the Warrior Update) don't have a fast rate of attack, and are ineffective at close range. Halberdiers have two many stances: braced and fighting. Bracing allows them to use a shield to block most damage, but prevents them from moving at anything other than a slow creep, while fighting requires having both hands on the halberd.
Lancer
The Lancer is an armored cavalryman armed with a long pike for running down infantry. Fearsome in charges, Lancers are exposed to Halberdiers and Musketeers, and are best deployed in open areas where they can form a wall or an arrow formation.
Militiaman
Unlike all the other troops listed here, who are full-time troops, Militiamen stay at home, working during the day, with a few Militiamen hired as town police as well. Whenever a threat arises the Militia (which usually consist of all the peasant men) grab their most dangerous tool (a scythe, an ax, a pickax, etcetera) and head out to fight it.
Musketeer
The Musketeer fights with a musket and bayonet, the former being one of the most expensive and complicated weapons to produce, and requiring scientific research for a Kingdom to develop. The Musketeer wears no armor, but is overall a Halberdier with the ability to fire a deadly barrage. Musketeers are best deployed in Firing Squares, and can be ordered to charge.
Polybolos
The Polybolos is a type of repeating ballista, a sort of Medieval machine gun. Because of the very slow reload, they are best deployed in pairs, but they can lay waste to unarmored formations. A Polybolos requires two men to man it.
Raider
The Raider is an unarmored cavalryman equipped with a crossbow, longsword, grenades (think mini-TNT), and fire. They act as both cavalry archers and thugs, skirmishing on the enemy's flanks and also plunging deep into enemy territory to ransack towns.
Royal Guard
The finest troops, armed with large axes and fancy uniforms.
Scout
The Scout is an unarmored cavalryman equipped with a crossbow, dagger, camo, and a periscope, deployed ahead of the main force for recon. The Scout is not intended to participate in the fight, but must be able to defend themselves against monsters in the likely event that they get separated from the main force during the night.
Swordsman
The Swordsman is a typical, well-rounded soldier. He is very exposed to cavalry, but excells at anti-infantry combat, and carries a shield.
Personality
Quests
Quests are mostly randomly-generated, short things. So, I'll just list the type of things that would be common.
Farmer: Crows have been eating my grain for the past few days. I'll pay you six copper coins for you to kill the crows.
Goal = Kill 3 Crows that night in the Farmer's wheat field.
Reward = 6 Copper
Accountant: Could you help me retrieve my ledger? I believe I lost it around the western wall, I'll pay you five copper if you find it.
Goal = Find and return the Accountant's ledger
Reward = 5 Copper
Militiaman: We have a killer on the loose, 50 gold bounty. Last known whereabouts are the Falafel Desert.
Goal = Find and kill the escapee.
Reward = 50 Gold
So, that's the sort of thing you would do. Those are really more like Random Encounters from Red Dead Redemption, when it comes down to it. But there can be more than that... those sorts of things would keep reoccuring, but there could be a large number of short quests to do, and then a handful of long and story-heavy ones that actually further the plot.
I don't know. I love the structure and all.
It's just that it seems extremely difficult.
I wrote it up really poorly, so I'm redoing the whole thing. From now on, my Update threads will be done on Word before I make the post, so that you get all of it in one read and it reads better.
There's no need for that kind of language, Moranic. I don't mean to offend anyone, that's why I think the churches should just be vague allusions like they currently are. But still, people could take it the wrong way, so it could be changed.
Maybe there's a single pantheon with numerous gods (or, to be politically-correct, "spirits"), and a Kingdom has a specific spirit it supports. This would be tied in with the magic, as the player could be blessed or cursed. Like the Forest Spirit's blessing may give you extra woodcutting.
Mostly I just want:
1. Both smaller and larger settlements.
2. Villages that actually DO things.
3. Villagers that give quests.
Also, I didn't really talk about this in the main post, but when the world is generated, some areas would be heavily populated, some abandoned... like you may start out in a desert biome that has not a soul in sight, cross some extreme hills to find a few watchtowers and lumber camps, the local militia telling you that their Kingdom owns three villages and a central town on the other side of the jungle. On the other side of an ocean is a plains, home to a productive farming Kingdom, two villages large, that happens to be sitting atop a rich vein of gold that King Atahuaxl's explorer discovered. Atahuaxl fears that if the Braggs Kingdom discovers the gold they'll become rich and be able to defend it by purchasing mercenaries from the chaotic east (which fell apart under the neglectful rule of King Ivan IV), so he intends to send a large invasion force. Being the prophecied Dark Hunter (or some other generic prphecied-hero name), he wants to send you ahead to sabotage their fortifications, while one of King Jones' Agents is trying to hire you to sink the ships and steal the cave maps.
Ooh, that'd be nice... cave maps.
See the thread here.
Long(ish) version: It is a great presentation, dude, but it is a no go. Too many RPG features. All you need is to make villagers look like players, allow villages to expand, and mabye add it so they can defend themselves without a golem. I see your point though (I'm also an Xbox only Minecrafter), but it would not be best for Minecraft.
hi
To be honest, I would love to see this in the form of a mod, in fact it would be awesome - or even just a server dedicated to it, or maybe even an adventure map, but this is a bit to much.
The presentation was awesome, and I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. Overall, its not that its a bad idea, its just that it doesn't fit exactly into minecraft.
Again, would love to see it as a mod, but for vanilla I don't think this would fit.
Except I don't agree with the quests. Everything except the quests are good, but quests are too RPG-ish.
I think this suggestion is far better suited to a mod than to vanilla Minecraft. Some parts of what you said at the start could work, but the majority is just too complex and complicated to work in what is still, essentially, a pretty simple game.
But I think I'll hunt down this post later and read the rest of your proposal, because it does sound like it would make a pretty good mod. You might go look at Millenaire for starters; it and a few other mods I've run across have similar aspirations. Actually, there's this one mod I can't recall the name of that does include bandits.
My YouTube channel is currently on hiatus, but I hope to get back to it at some point. Content is fairly random, but can be enjoyable, and is mostly game footage (mostly random Minecraft clips) from my nephews and me. Most popular MC vid so far is the one Vechs laughed at on Twitter!