District Profile: Canals

The Canal District is a Rank 3 District belonging to the Interior Department. It represents all the smaller waterways that run throughout a Settlement, facilitating shipping. With the canals comes interior water based trade and much easier transport of heavy but not unreasonably large cargo.

District Action - Customs Inspection

Customs Inspection is accessed through the Commerce Action menu. Every time a player uses Customs Inspection, they increase Security by 5 for an Immigration cycle and get to keep 10 of a Random Good that may have been on the boats inspected.

Main Building - Canal Infrastructure

While the main building of the Canal District, this building is also classified as a Rank 3 Productivity and Processing building. It has an excellent set of bonuses, providing 0.25% production output per level of the Canal Infrastructure to Settlement wide Processing buildings. It also increases Boat income by 1% and Prosperity by 2 throughout the district. However, these extra passages through the city also decrease Security by 2 per level throughout.

Exclusive Building - Cargo Dock

The Cargo Dock is a Rank 2 Happiness and Prosperity building, providing an increase in Boat Income by 15 Silver Drachma and an increase in Prosperity by 15 per level within the Canal District. It can also assemble and recruit crews for new Carts, but decreases Security by 2 Per level inside the Canal District.

Linked Building - Fishery

The Fishery is one of the most important buildings in the game, though one could say that about many of the harvesting and processing buildings. Here is where the Mollusk, Fish and Oysters get processed into valuable Dyes, tasty Fillets and magically significant Pearls and Black Pearls. Unfortunately, all those fish guts decrease District Health by 1 per building level. This building can be built anywhere, but gets bonuses when inside the Canal District. 

Ministry - Canal Authority

The Canal Authority is a Ministry belonging to the Interior Department. The Charm, Grace, Guile, Leadership, Might, and Mettle of the Canal Director effect efficiency and happiness of the Canal District. The Sovereign may want to consider these attributes when choosing the head of the Canal Authority.

Minister - Canal Director

The Canal Director takes charge of the management, storage, and building ownership of the Canal District. All buildings within the district by default belong to the Canal Director and they are responsible for all Taxes both they and their Sovereign choose to collect. This person must be part Coordinator, part Bureaucrat, and part Watchman to keep the busy Canal District running smoothly. 

Downsides - Easy to Steal, Easy to Escape

Consider how busy a well run Canal District might be, and how many easy canal-based escapes might be achieved? One might as well take note that both the Main and Exclusive buildings lower Security with every sweet Prosperity raising level. Sovereigns and the Canal Directors they employ would be wise to consider a few Security buildings, and regular patrols will be needed to prevent smuggling and crime. 

District Profile: Town Square

The Town Square is the Default Rank 2 District so you have to build it if you want to build anything more than the five Rank 1 Districts. Fortunately, it's an incredibly rewarding district to have. It's main building is a Currency boosting Infrastructure building, it's Exclusive is a happiness generator and it's linked is residential.

District Action - Vote

Voting is only available in Settlements that are with Government and Society systems that allow for participatory Government. Depending on a variety of things including your Level, Rank, Class, and Social Position, you may be able to Vote on matters of Diplomacy, Warfare, Taxation, Immigration, and the changing of Economic, Social, and Political Systems. 

Main Building - Courthouse

Citizens rejoice as justice and peace are brought to the land! The Courthouse brings both happiness and security. It increases currency income by 2% per level within the Town Square and by 2% for all Districts in the Interior category Settlement wide. It also increases by 2 and by 1% throughout the Settlement. There can only be one, so you might as well build a really big one.

Exclusive Building - Barber Shop

Local Barber Shops are vital to Civilian happiness and health. They offer some of the best healthcare available in the time period! These handy buildings can only be built in the Town Square but you can build as many as you have lots for. The Barber Shop is a Rank 2 Happiness and Health building, prividing 10 Bronze Litra per Peasant living in the Town Square and 20 Health per building per level in the Town Square as well as processing Herbs into valuable Tinctures.

Linked Building - Cottage

The Cottage is the natural linked partner to the Barber Shop, as it houses Peasants with relative efficiency, which will in turn stack the Barber shop bonuses per Peasant. Cottages are lovely Sandstone constructions that can house up to 100 Peasants per level. They don't mind being packed together so tightly if everyone is clean and well shaven.

Ministry - Prefecture

The Prefecture is the first Ministry of the Religion Department. It is therefore naturally mainly responsible for the happiness and welfare of the people. Managing this residential and happiness district in a way that balances other, less happy districts in the overall Settlement will be enough of a job for any talented Minister.

Minister - Prefect

Naturally the Minister to take up both the Courthouse and the first primary Religious district must be a head, shoulders, and moral standing above the rest (or at least perceived as such). Prefecture is a hold-over from the Roman systems of the past, and the Lord holding this position is responsible for the safety of those living within.

The Markets in Brunelleschi

Local Market

For players in established Settlements this is usually going to be the best option. It's not easy to identify the best prices in a complex economy, so you'll usually just want to deal with local merchants you can trust. There are no hidden fees or Logistics Costs here, just the Tax Rate your Government decides on.

World Market

Trading on the 'World Market' means dealing with somewhat questionable neutral merchants. The 'Logistics Cost' for doing business in this way represents losses, thefts, tariffs, banditry, and outright corruption that might decrease your profit margins. The advantage, however, is that everyone in the Game can see your offer! 

The number of Trading Ports and other mercantile buildings your Settlement possesses determines how many offers you can place, and your Guile attribute can significantly reduce the Logistics penalties for trading in this way. Be warned, however, as your Government can impose different taxes on World Trade and might be looking to recoup the costs of Infrastructure.

Military Market

Military forces occasionally find themselves in need of some 'Hired Help'. The Military Market allows Sovereigns and Ministers to 'Sell' units to their Citizens and potentially deregulate military activity. 'Units' that have been Recruited (Publically or Privately) may be placed for Hire here, and if 'Purchased' will join the 'Buyer's' Retinue. Settlements with a 'Defensive Pact' or better Diplomatic Relationship may link their Military Markets, allowing for the cross-Settlement trading of Units.

Real Estate Market

Settlement Governments wishing to decentralize ownership of property can Sell Buildings or Plots on the open Market. This allows Citizens, Residents, or even Visitors to invest in the Settlement and take on some of the Managerial responsibility for the Industry there. Building owners can manage production, employment, and Upgrade their buildings. If raw Plots are sold, the owners may construct any building they wish, and can contribute to the Settlement's Economy freely!

Transport Market 

From opulent Ships to humble wheeled Carts, the Transport Market will allow those producing Vehicles to sell them to Residents for use in Commerce or as Personal Vehicles. This can make independent trading much more effective and provide a powerful economic outlet for Settlements that wish to craft Trains, Carts, Boats, and Ships for Military and Commercial purposes.

The 'Premium' Market

The Premium Market is a place to Buy and Sell resources for the 'Premium' currency of the game. This market ensures that the overall prices have 'Bumpers', and allows players to exchange surplus resources for Platinum that can be spent on other resources or Bonuses. The Premium Market adjusts in response to sales, and is beneficial without being exploitable. 

If this looks interesting to you, please try the free webgame at BruneGame.com or you can download weekly builds of the Windows Client FromIndieDB

You can also find our crowdfunding site at RocketHub and here on our Page. Thanks for Reading!

RocketHub! - The first CrowdFunding Step!

We've gone live with a Brunelleschi: Age of Architects RocketHub Campaign! We're starting a long one here (70 days) to allow for the maximum exposure time and really give people a chance to find out about this project! 

As always, the Support Page will serve as place to find all of the Rewards, Stretch Goals, and up to date information about our current CrowdFunding and Steam Greenlight efforts. When the Crowdfunding efforts are finished, we'll add a Paypal link and retain all progress towards Stretch Goals from *all* the Campaigns.

We've chosen RocketHub as our starting place for a variety of reasons. Foremost are the natural affinities present between A&E and our project, both of which focus on Artistic and Historical subjects with an emphasis on finding connections between modern life and the creative experiences of the past. We also like their format and emphasis on Updates and adding Goods. Hopefully we'll be able to find some interested parties on their service, and since we're going with low target (less than $10 a day), I think it's likely that we'll succeed. 

Most of the rewards available in the CrowdFunding project are available TWICE! You'll get them once in the Beta test, and again at Release (July 2015). While the game's far from 'Pay-to-Win', there are a lot of fun Starter Packs that will get you established more quickly and help to jump-start the Economies of Settlements!

We're strong believers in CrowdFunding and think it's great that the players get to decide our budget. We've been supporters of the Crowd model of game funding for 6 years and think it's the perfect way for the Gaming Community to identify and influence titles that are created.

Thanks for reading! If you want to play Brunelleschi, visit BruneGame.com , or check out our overall CrowdFunding Support page: http://www.aesopgames.com/app.php/support

District Profile: Palisade

The Palisade line is the first Defensive District in Brunelleschi, and provides some basic protection against the types of 'hit-and-run' raiding that are likely to occur in the early phases of the game. While the District itself is relatively inexpensive, the protections it provides against Cavalry units may be valuable enough to keep the District popular even for larger Settlements.

District Action - Basic Patrol

As soon as there's some kind of defensive structure, people will want to walk around it to make sure it's doing it's job. What's the point of building a big log wall if no one can see it keeping people out? All it takes to perform Basic Patrol is have a Palisade to patrol around and a mere 4 Action Points!

Main Building - Palisade

Quite clearly the main structure of the Palisade is the line of logs itself. This is a Defensive and Attribute Effect building. It makes attackers pay 1% more Action Points and decreases attacking Cavalry Unit' Toughness by 5% per level. It also raises Settlement wide Security by 2, but lowers Prosperity by 1 per level, which can be an impediment to Logistics and Construction. Governments should take care to only build the Defensive Infrastructure they need, lest the accidentally place unnecessary drag on the Economy. In essence, it slows brigands and enemy armies down and it gives you some peace of mind.

Exclusive Building - Abatis

It is a very bad idea to run cavalry over an Abatis. It is essentially made of sharp pointy stakes sticking out of uneven land. Therefore understandably the Abatis decreases attacking Cavalry Might by 0.6% per level and slows attacking sieges down with a . 2% Siege Unity Celerity hit. Finally, much like the Palisade Line, it increases Security (+5 in the Palisade) while decreasing Prosperity (-1 for the whole Settlement) per level.

Linked Building - Roadblock

Don't let anybody in! Roads can be blocked in any district in your Settlement but Roadblocks are most effective at the Palisade line. So, for example, if you wanted to check every person in your settlement and make sure they hadn't snuck sweets in after bedtime, the Roadblock would be your new favorite Linked building. Every Roadblock increases Security for that district by 15 per level. Unfortunately, traders need roads, so every Roadblock also decreases Settlement Prosperity by 1 per level.

Ministry - Border Patrol

The Border Patrol Ministry belongs to the Defense Department and is usually among the least important defense ministries. However, careful attention to Immigration can be critical to the Security of a Settlement, so competent Governments will always choose a conscientious young Commander, Trader, or Noble Lord to administer this space (and watch the Citizenship rolls!)

Minister - Heyward

The Heyward is the leader of the Border Patrol and has personal responsibility over all the building products the Border Patrol brings to them. Their attributes also contribute to the bonuses of the Palisade so Sovereigns may want to consider their entire Settlement's defense when selecting a new Heyward.

Downsides - Limited Space, Easy to Destroy

The Palisade is not only spread around the entire settlement, but as it's a Rank 1 District there simply aren't many lots for buildings. This may seem inconvenient at first until you consider that the Palisade is also the first target of attacking Sieges. Ultimately, a row of logs, however well constructed, won't be a match for Cannons or a heavy assault, so this District might wind up being replaced once the Outer Walls become available.

If any of this is of interest to you, please check out our work at http://BruneGame.com , or on IndieDB . We also have a Youtube Channel which is continually updated. Thank you very much for reading!

District Profile: Fishing Outpost

The Fishing Outpost

More than just a strong smell of virtual fish, the Fishing Outpost has a flavor all it's own. Fish based jokes aside, this district has a lot to offer a Settlement, new or old. The Fishing Outpost is a Rank 1 district and therefore one of the first options a new Sovereign gains. While both the Forest Outpost and the Residential are incredibly tempting, and the Palisade is undeniably comforting, it's important to consider economic power of the oceans. 

Action - Go Fishing

The first benefit of the fishing district is a brand new action. Sure, every district gives you an action of some sort but where else can you reap the wealth of the sea? Go Fishing offers number of Fish, Mollusks, Oysters, Dyes, or Pearls based on your character's Mettle and Judgement scores.

Main Building - Boat Launch

The Boat Launch is the main building and the secret strength of the Fishing Outpost. It is not only a processing building for the resources produced by the Fishing Piers, but is also a sovereign's first access to the Shipping aspect of the game. The Boat Launch can store 2 Boats per level, recruits their crews, and increases prosperity for the whole settlement. It processes Oysters into Pearls and mysterious Black Pearls, Mollusks into Dyes, and Fish into tasty Fillets.

Exclusive Building - Marina

The Marina is the exclusive building of the Fishing Outpost that adds 1 Boat of storage for every level you build it. It also increases your Boat income by 5 Silver Drachma and District health of 5 per level. 

Linked Building - Fishing Pier

The Fishing Pier is a harvesting building linked to the Fishing Outpost. This means you can build one anywhere in your city but are 10% more effective in the Fishing Outpost. This is where you get all those raw ingredients the Boat Launch and Fishery process. It harvests Fish, Mollusks and Oysters.

Ministry - Marine Affairs

The Ministry of Marine Affairs resides in the Education Department. They will rule over the coast and control ownership and construction of buildings in the Fishing Outpost. They will have access to the product of Fishing Outpost Harvesting, Processing, and Crafting buildings and their attributes will contribute to the district's effectiveness.

Minister - Marine Biologist

Downsides - Rank 1 and Specialized

The Fishing Outpost suffers from all the same downsides as most R1 Districts, including very limited Minister power, low Defense rating, minimal Garrison Space, and an overall limitation to the number of plots. The 10% bonus to Fishing Piers may ultimately not save this District from the chopping block as more lucrative and effective Maritime solutions present themselves later in the game. 

If any of this is of interest to you, please check out our work at http://BruneGame.com , or on IndieDB . We also have a Youtube Channel which is continually updated. Thank you very much for reading!

District Profile: Forest Outpost

There's simply no overstating the importance of Wooden Products to the Early Modern era in Europe. Woodworking is essential to the advancement of any civilization at this level of technology and the products of wild forests are still considered integral to daily life. In game terms, the Forest Outpost is one of the most potentially profitable of all Rank 1 Districts and can form the entire basis for a successful economy. 

Sovereigns hoping to build self-sufficient Cities will have to include this district. The Lumber and Pulp materials produced by the Logging Camp are essential for Boards and Paper, which serve as the building materials and fuel for activities like Scholarship and Trading. Paper is ultimately needed to operate a Government so most Settlements will prefer to generate at least some internally. 

Main Building - The Lodge

The Seat of the Chief Botanist, this cozy little building provides a host of useful benefits. It produces carts, adding to the overall economic efficiency of the Settlement. The health bonus creates some odd possibilities as well, as it could counterbalance Industry or Population located in the district. The employment opportunities and resources also increase the speed at which your settlement will gain Middle Class population.

Exclusive Building - Logging Camp

Most Sovereigns agree that the Logging camp is a necessary building for any Settlement. Aside from being the primary (and only reliable) source of Pulp and raw Lumber, the fine wood produced there improves the storage infrastructure of every other building in the Settlement! 

Linked Building - Hunting Camp

The Hunting Camp can be built anywhere (even the Sewers, if you want that for some reason) but it's most efficient in the Forest District. The fine Pelts and quality wild Game produced there can be used and sold directly, or more profitably processed into Meat and Furs, which are a necessary Military Supply for 'Northern-Culture' units such as the Thegn or Fyrd.

Ministry - Chief Botanist

The chief Botanist is an Education Minister so they rely on Attributes that will be strongest in a Clergy or Caster lord. The position is unusually powerful for a Rank 1 minister due to the inclusion of the Building Speed and Upkeep Reduction bonuses. A Caster Lord in this position will significantly reduce the amount of expenditure and increase the start-up speed of a fully fledged Lumber and Fur economy. On the other hand a Clergy member would emphasize the more unusual options for the District, such as increasing the Education score of the district for Population or increasing the Crafting Speed in the case of a small, tightly integrated crafting structure for the District

Downside - Difficult to Defend

This valuable district will always suffer from a severe lack of defensibly. For such an Economically important district, it's almost laughably attackable. Investing a lot into this district could create an overly appealing target for a Military Conquest. Other than that, it suffers only from the somewhat weak Ministry provided, but will likely be impossible to replace unless Lumber becomes very cheap on the Market. 

Thanks very much for reading, if you'd like to try Brunelleschi it's always free to play at http://BruneGame.com , and if you're interested in our future plans and Crowdfunding efforts you can visit http://www.aesopgames.com/app.php/support