Land Settlement Rules

Introduction
Land settlement patterns begin the implementation of the story motivations of the Roleplay model which expand on those found in the game Minecraft. These roleplay story motivations are: An ideal sandbox game will have a range of a land danger levels which may be fixed or which may drift in location over time due to game conditions. The more dangerous the level the richer are the natural resources or other treasures to be found there. These levels are:
 * 1) Economic Power (Wealth Accumulation)
 * 2) Crafting Power
 * 3) Magical Power
 * 4) Military Power


 * 1) Level One Safety - No destruction on either group common land (like city roads) or individual land, no attacking creatures, no PvP (player versus player fights)


 * 1) Level Two Safety - Land may have attacking non-player creatures which can kill the player characters.


 * 1) Level Three Safety - Attacking creatures may also destroy builds on group common areas.


 * 1) Level Four Safety - PvP is added but player fighters cannot destroy builds anywhere.


 * 1) Level Five Safety - PvP and attacking players can destroy builds on group common land only.

To encourage settlement, the more dangerous lands have to have richer resources. Yet the game must be completely playable at level one safety levels. Consequently most of the land will probably be at level 1 but its final distribution will have to be determined from actual player interest once the game goes live.
 * 1) Level Six Safety - Hardcore with full PvP and all builds destroyable.

Land claims may be Estate Claims or Group Claims. The Estate Claims are the conventional Everquest Next Landmark claims and they are meant to represent landed estates out in the countryside distant from other claims. These sort of claims are for players mostly interested in creating things in peace and so most will be established in level 1 land safety levels. The Group Claims are for groups who want to build communities. The various types of Group Claims are described below:

The City-State Group Claims
The economic power game is centered around the city-states. Because City-States are  the core of the economic and social gameplay, they should only be established in safe land zones leaving the settlements of the dangerous lands to be more like smaller satellite powers.

City player claims consist of 4 Landmark sized claims separated from other player claims by only one claim width which is meant to be a road right-of-way. These roads form a grid pattern.

A city-state is formed when at least 6 players come together at an in-game registrar's office to register it for some amount of game money. They will elect a leader and a treasurer who must approve all financial transactions done by the leader. The leader will plant the city-state claim flag which gives the city its core market area of four landmark claims. This is a common area under the control of the leader. The city-state members may then plant their individual claims around and adjacent to the central market area.

Every player who plants a claim adjacent to the city’s market core automatically becomes a city-state member so unlike other settlements, city-states have open membership. Others who plant their claims adjacent to the claims of other members also automatically become members. All members vote on the city leader and the treasurer every month.

If a player owns a city land claim then that player may sell it on the market. If no one wants it then the claim may be abandoned leaving it vacant land. If players do not like a city they can vote with their feet and leave and the city will shrink in size. A city having less than six members is disbanded. Thus in the history of the game city-states, like empires, will rise and fall.

Village Group Claims
This settlement pattern is characterized by a cluster of small villages. It is the best settlement form for those groups seeking to work in harmony with the land. his pattern consists of four adjacent clusters of claims facing outward. This four clustered claim defined the village. This pattern then has three claim wide communal areas between villages and between the outer villages and unclaimed land.

Four players are needed for its initial registration. It may be established on any safety land level. The governance is more conventional player guild type governance meaning it can be anything as long as other players join up. No elections are required. All income is reported according to city state rules. No treasurer is required but that option exists if desired. Income can come from internal taxes or from the guild selling services to other guilds. This settlement pattern has closed membership meaning that players must petition the group leader to join.

When the village group falls below four members it is disbanded. When a whole village is abandoned the group claim shrinks by that amount.

Fortress Group Claims
This settlement pattern is characterized by one large building or complex much like a monastery, fortress, or a castle. It is the best settlement form for player associations relying on physical defenses out in the dangerous lands. Four players are needed for its initial registration. It may be established on any safety land level. This pattern consists of all player claims being adjacent to each other as in the city settlement pattern but without the road right-of-way in between. It has a large outer common land buffer (3 claims wide) which is cannot be developed except for land sculpting (like moats)

An inner abandoned claim can no longer be developed further but its construction remains. If an outer claim is abandoned it slowly goes to ruin. If the fortress group falls below four members it is abandoned.