Patrizierforum

This replaces the "dreaming for 2007"

I'm glad you dropped in. Right now we are not yet at the map design. But, it looks like the starting save will have only 12 towns. Emphasis of this contest wil be on supply/satisfaction level without any regard to company value.
Currently I am pleading to just have a minimum population level each year, based on the lower mid-field from prior years, so nothing you could'nt cope with.
With up to 14 towns to found, I'm sure you will be able to get Neavsted.
The map design, followed by a vote, will start in earnest once the objectives and the point system has been established.

[OT]When do you think you have the 6 towns completed? I anticipate sometimes in 1311/12 and in realtim by then end of the year[/OT]

Steersman:
I saw Taian sneek through the forum a few days back and Westcoast Trader might give it a run too.
There are no reports from the German players. I guess everybody is still in the party mode
There are always up to 26 towns if you start with less than that. Of course, you can go with more starting towns but then there will be no new production towns. In the contest2005 there were 16 starting towns and we could found 10 new towns. I guess time will tell if we get to make it 14 this time.
In my game I'm doing mostly preliminaries, such as finding Med trading towns and the pirate nests. I found two additional ones; they're in the hint thread.
All I can tell is that it will be quite an eye-opener to have to satisfy all the people rather than just to provide for the working class and slam down the buildings. Also, the low number of citizens makes it difficult to fund a fast expansion strategy without additional finance help.

Wellcome back Taian.
This year's contest does not require as much effort (time-wise) since you only have to play until the end of 1302 to make the standings.
I believe the captain in Ladoga hangs around fo ra while.

Charlotte:

wellcome to the forum. Hosping is probably glad to see that his team got another member.

Now, I shall mull it over if I play for baden wuerttemberg (where I grew up) hessen, where I was born or NewWorld, where I live. If another two promise to make an effort to reach at least the end of 1302 I shall remain true to my residence.

In other news: I got to the end of June. A pesky 2-crayer convoy thought they could help themselves to IG earmarked for Bergen since all I have is a lone snaikka crusing the North Sea. Well, one ended up feeding the fish and the other one is in London for repairs. The snaikka sailed for Hamburg to fill the empty crew slots and do some minor repairs (97%). Once repaired it will go into service against cogs. All tavern missions ended up being @#$%^ holks, which were sunk, since a snaikka can never dream to catch one intact by itself and I don't have enough ships for cascades, they are needed for trading.

Taian:

You have a long way ahead of you. I know of several players who liked a little boost in their fleet before they put their shirts to the drycleaners.

Zitat

Originally posted by Steersman
So: in late June I had taken only eight ships of the competition. I have run arbitrage, but not for CV since it doesn't count either. But that is unfortunately about the limit, I think. More, your reputation takes a hit, and you won't get to be a patrician. If I loot any cities, yeah, I get cash and goods, but I will just have to rebuild the towers. Sucker bet. Now, let me see. I have trade offices under construction in every city, sixteen businesses, twenty three ships, and a quarter million in cool cash. CV? Over a million. That's on the 27th. And I am not pushing it, friend.

Where did you find the remaining 13 ships? Since I only had upgraded snaikkas at that time, the prime objectvie was destruction. Who cares if it took 4 runs at Beneke with his 2 crayers and one cog? The main thing was that he was out of business and left my ships alone. The smoking cog would have been put into service in early fall.
This is past tense, since I had to restart due to lack of funds. I did raid towns and used almost all of that cash to grant loans. Impounding brings goods and ships when it's needed most. I think it should be possible to lend to 120 people by the end of July and that should help with supply of scarce goods plus net about 20 ships. Of course, with my luck all owing more than 20,000 will have the money so I will not get any ships.
Just looking at the progress of some German players it seems that quite a few will make the LM elections in Reval. I was seen by everybody as the future LM by June 10 but, for my new game, am mulling over the actual benefit. Ulnless I can get about 30 brickworks going in Ladoga by the end of July there are not enough bricks around to build 3 walls there and be in time to move to a supply-cruicial town to build the protecting walls there. Leaving it to the town will not work since, even if it's not raided, it will not have enough funds and the process is rather slow. ( I know of the wall building dates etc.)

Steersman:
I ain't no chicken, rather a retired turkey (vulture)
The symbol besides your avtar means that you play as a lily white trader; that's why I asked where you got the ships from.
I admit to my conviction: piracy. It's just soemthing I have to do. Mind you, I don't wipe out the white fleet in the beginning months. They are far too important to help with the supply. I am even lagging in the raiding; I won't get to more than 3 raids in June, which is less than half my normal yield. And those were done primarily to prevent the priates from carting away the loot. It does not matter to the towns if Beneke or an unknow pirate aka John bizpro Le Blund takes the coffers. At least I reinvest in the community through new businesses and loans.
This year, more than ever before, we will need additional supplies, and ships, which are kindly provided by impounding on shaky loans. The reputation earned with the goods far outweighs the loss of repuation for impounding. I am short of my goal for June but, with any luck, should surpass the 200 mark in mid August. Counting on 10% ships frome those would provide a nice influx of 20 ships early in the next year. Since I did not get a desirabel bride, I passed and am now waiting for one that comes with a two-ship dowry.
From the German forum I see that players are pondering on white strategies but it seems that most cannot resist the chance to raid a few ships. Armed with 4 cutlasses, the starting snaikka will yield 5 ships before the need to add crew arises. There are enough waiting in Gothenburg to relieve the whites of another 3 or 4 ships, which is a good starting point. Londond has enough weapons to arm two upgraded snaikkas and a short stop in Brugge will leave each with around 10; enough to take over a crayer from escort missions.
There are two revenge missions which yield level 2 snaikkas in reasonable shape. By the end of June none of the pirate convoy will survive. And, as posted earlier, I don't care if I get a holk or cog; the safety of the seas is the paramount task.
I believe the rush to make LM in Reval is to have access to the AM missions. What's the difference between destroying priates with or without mission? There are simply not enough bricks to start a new production town in 1300, at least not I my "slow" game. And, if you start the production town January 01 or May 01 really doesn't matter. It's not merely placing the brickyards, they have to be populated as well. And trying it the fast way requires more goods than there are available so you must concentrate on one or two towns to bring them up fast.
According to my simple spreadsheet the following goods will be in surplus for 24,000 citizens once the plants have been fully staffed:
beer, fish, grain, timber, meat, pitch, wool, pig iron and whale oil.
However, with merely 29 brickyards there is simply not enough to go around and any further expansion will require more bfg goods. I have a contract to import 705 cloth @ 220, which is nice for starters. It will allow further building activites and the advacne of at least 3 more yards. At the momen I have London at 3 lanterns and Stettin & Hamburg at 2. I am not pushing Edinburgh until I have some cogs to take on better pirate ships.

@ Charlotte:
I haven't used a mouse in eons; it's trackballs for me. First, you dont have to move your arm for miles and secondly, my thumb is stronger than my index finger.
Pirates know how to build ships, they even start sooner than others since they have the funds by selling the zero-cost goods. A prize with 9 skins and some timber equals a new ship. You just have to get the scarce cloth and pitch.

Baltic Trader:

After reading your impressive starting stats I wonder if the callus on your index finger is from brandishing scalpels or playing P III

We just have to make a believer in loans out of you and you'll do just fine