Mr Luigi, I might be interested in a joint venture. I will send you a PM now to precise my proposal.

This is great news! Already as we speak, Mr. Luigi is privately working out details for a possible arrangement with Mr. binaryFate.

Now, regarding (non)disclosure of contracts/agreements, Mr. Luigi feels in his particular case it would give undue leverage to any prospective future partners to know the details of his current agreements. However, he also recognizes the need for an arbiter to know the details should a dispute arise.

If it please HM, he proposes:
1. Both (or all) parties discuss and find agreeable terms;
2. These terms are drafted in official form;
3. Both (or all) parties digitally sign the document;
4. The signed copies are kept privately by all parties;
5. Should a dispute arise, the disputing party can present his copy(ies) of the terms, signed by the other party(ies), for arbitration, with it being immediately known and accepted that these are, in fact, the exact terms agreed to by the other party(ies).

Considerations:
What signing algorithm do we use? (can XMR be used to sign messages?)
Should there be a central (yet private) storage location for these and any other contracts?
Do we need an additional field associated with each character holding their public key for signature verification?

We beg the Earl to wait until the Version 3: Sandbox (2014-12-14), which should allow the integration of automated exchanges to the game databases. Currently the lack of integration prevents the realization of the benefits from automation.

I will happily purchase this lot for 50 million moneritos, I will need to fund my account as soon as possible.

The Baron and Good Lord James has done well for himself with this purchase, and the Earl of New Liberty commends the Baron on his swiftness and sagacity.
...

Be it known to all Honored Nobles of Crypto Kingdom, both native to this land and from afar, yet another opportunity is made manifest on this day.
A collaborative effort of those in good standing may contribute to the establishment of a cooperative effort in constructing a grand noble's palace facing the Center Square.

The Full Partners in this effort as of this writing include:
The Baron Lord Smooth
The Baron Lord James
Joseph, Earl of New Liberty

This edifice is built for the intent of providing cheer and comfort to the men and women of only the best breeding and finest families, who come to the capital to hold court and pay tribute to His Majesty The King.

The first phases of the design are approved and will consist of a few fine and very fine rooms as well as a galleries, chapel, library, complete kitchen facilities, spaces for the personal servants of traveling nobles and such things as will support their comfort and entertainment whilst residing in the capital.

This palace is to be appointed in such decor as befits those whom may be called to the court by His Majesty, and of such worldly grandeur as may gathered from renowned artisans from near and far.

The location is one providing an unobstructed view of the central courtyard, and the grand cathedral, the Obelisk and His Majesty's Castle.

Those wishing to contribute to this collaborative effort of Baron Lord James, and the Earl Joseph of New Liberty are encouraged to contact us without haste, as construction will begin without delay.

Preliminary plans may be viewed at the site of construction:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16Hu2qsR0KMPlbiOq9Pu5EXHuSZ50IisbbNYhKLcNwlE/edit#gid=1865007466

Once ground has been broken on construction this opportunity will have passed for participation.

Pre-ANN: Version 1.2: Golden Jubilee (2014-11-2/4)

His Majesty has soon been reigning 50 years and all the Kingdom will celebrate his Golden Dubilee in A.D. 1450 (next Tuesday). To keep in line with our version release schedule being on Sundays, the new mechanics will be announced 4 years in advance. This gives the citizens time to prepare. This pre-announcement outlines what is going to happen.

Clothing

We have realized that the traditional ways of clothing ourselves are not fitting anymore as the town grows. The art of tailorship is not well established in our town with nearly no Master and Wizard artesans. Therefore we have let our herald go to the borders of our lands (and even to foreign lands) to employ skilled tailors for producing a line of clothing for every need that our citizens may have.

This is a one-time offer that will not be repeated in 50 years. These clothes are very special - they do not wear down even with much use (though their ancientness makes them increase in value year by year), until in Economy when they will be subject to slow expiry as well as the clothes then produced. Since this is the Golden Jubilee, the clothes can be interwoven with gold thread, and gold embellishments can be used liberally. The gold used continues to be counted towards the owner's gold stash, and 90% of it will be recovered if/when the item eventually expires.

The price list these distant masters have given us is as follows:

Royal Suit (purple) - May only be ordered by the King - 30,000,000 m
Noble Suit (blue) - May only be ordered/worn by nobles - 15,000,000 m
Merchant Suit (red) - If you do business of any kind, these are ok for you - 12,000,000 m
Festive Suit (orange) - Even the rich peasants have a dream to own one of these - 10,000,000 m
Scholar Suit (white) - Only people in academic professions use these clothes - 6,000,000 m
Artesan Suit (green) - Anyone can order these, but no gold embellishment is possible - 3,000,000 m

In addition, please specify the amount of gold to be used for the suit from your own hoards. A labor surcharge of 30,000 m per gram of gold applies. Note that 1 kg or more of gold in a suit is deemed fit for Kings only, and nobles typically understand this, but merchants in distant lands have been seen wearing more. Ordering more than one suit with various amounts of gold is recommended, to distinquish between ordinary and festive occasions. Even a few grams makes a difference.

If the prices seem exorbitant for a set of clothes, as they surely do, we have to repeat that these Golden Jubilee clothes will never again be made, and that even in Version 4: Economy, the perishable clothes are planned to represent up to 20% of a character's expenditure in an ongoing basis. (Clothes are the main way to represent wealth and status, before horlogerie is invented sometime in the 1600s.) Unfortunately no part of this money goes to our Labor pool, but 25% they are planning to spend in our Taverns.

Orders for the suits need to be made latest 2 years before the Golden Jubilee, to enable enough time for the work.

In the coming trollbox chat, the person's clothing (color and number of gold) will be indicated next to his nick, for the visitors to marvel. It is possible to continue to use your traditional grey costume, there is no obligation to dress like a citizen

Renting

Due to pleas from the citizenry to enable making income from their extra rooms, and enable the ones not yet having a house of their own to begin residency, we have decided to enable renting.

Rental offers and contracts are listed in RENT sheet in the database. The best practices will evolve naturally.

Hotel/Guesthouse/Tavern

The town is booming and much visitors enter from near and far. To better capitalize on this opportunity and draw back some of the money that is otherwise lost (eg. half of the peasants' stone cost goes to them (town council), but they would be willing to squander some (50%) of it in the drinkhouses), it is now possible to open Hotels, Guesthouses and Taverns (restaurants). They function as follows:

Hotel (***/****/*****)
A hotel is a full-function establishment with rooms and a restaurant. A hotel may only be opened by the King's charter, which obviously costs money. Every hotel has a star rating denoting the level of its luxury and service (and price).

Guesthouse (*/**)
A guesthouse is similar to hotel except restaurant is not a necessity and rooms are typically smaller and not luxurious at all.

Tavern
A standalone restaurant (when no hospitality is offered) can be called a tavern. Taverns derive income from the Hospitality pool as do the hotels and guesthouses.

Character resident in a hotel/guesthouse
It is possible to live in a hotel or guesthouse so that it counts as a temporary or permanent residence. Because the sqm limits for residency are rather high, they will be lowered in hotels in a case by case basis.

Hospitality pool
Hospitality pool is the name for the new pool that as a game mechanism will collect the money spent in these establishments by various groups of characters and NPCs, and divide it among their popularity (as decided by the administrators).

Corporations

Some great endeavours in the town have seeked to establish themselves as Corporations, to better manage their accounts and provide joint ownership. Corporations are Legal Persons, and can own buildings and do business. It will be possible to post a Charter and Shareholder Registry. The Royal Grant for founding a corporation costs 10,000,000 m.

Servants

The Golden Jubilee marks the end of serfdom inside our glorious city's borders. Any (NPC) servants must be registered and given 100,000 m per year as wages. This applies equally to the ones who are provided quarter and the ones residing in the countryside and travelling to serve their Master in the town.

Our royal understanding is that resident Barons should have at least 2 servants and Earls maybe 4 or more. Commoners may also keep servants according to their wishes and needs.

Servants spend a great part (50%) of their wages in the newly established Taverns.

Serfdom continues in the countryside, and this emancipation has no effect to anyone indentured to serve in the countryside, the farms, lands and castles of the Lords and the King.

Obelisk

In the CHAR sheet is the list for the citizens who are generous enough to grant 1% of their gold for the gilding of the most ancient Obelisk standing on our Central Square. We accept any means of contact to notify us that you want to be among the Ancient Munificents, and receive your name in the golden plaque as the eternal testimony of it.

Royal Offspring

We are proud to announce to the noble and common people of the town that we have produced a son! (This is according to the 1 sockpuppet per char who owns at least 10,000 gold rule.) He is currently receiving education in foreign lands. Jungherr Zechariah will be 14 in the year of the Golden Jubilee, and take his residence in the city. Since there is no primogeniture in the Kingdom (and in fact not even hereditary kingship, since these things have not been interesting so far as the King feels like 34 when he is already 74, and there would have been no heir anyway), the son will assume the lowest noble title, Jungherr L8, and be further promoted according to his own merits.

There are two levels above Duke, of which L13 - Grand Duke, is reserved for about 10% of the most distinguished Dukes, and L14 - Royal Prince, is reserved for assigned Heirs to the Throne, in order of their succession.

General

Rather many features originally planned to be introduced in Versions 2-5 are now brought to the spreadsheet database game. When the first online version is released, it is expected that these advanced features will, at least partly, at least for a time, be managed in the spreadsheets still. The new characters in Version 2: Ancients (2014-11-16), will start play at level 1. Only upon promotion to L3, they will have to care about advanced features. Renting a room is a gate to L3 and the real game for these new players.

Also no new features will be introduced before Version 2.

We acknowledge this much needed stone market. May it be a blessing to the even grander pursuits of the entrepreneurs!

Our heart has longed for a meeting place for all the citizens (while the church remains uninaugurated and locked, wtf??). The proposal is that Monero House be constructed in the lot A3, in a nice corner of the town. Plans are laid out in the Building Editor in the appropriate sheet. The building would feature:
- 105 sqm meeting hall with lobby
- 49 sqm meeting hall
- tavern with a half-separate den, separate club room and kitchen.
- Monero info centre (street level shop of 49 sqm)
- 2 offices (21 sqm each)
- 4 apartments (9-30 sqm)
- a gallery 4 m high and 14 m long to be used for exhibitions
- 2 balconies in the facade
- about 200 sqm gardens

The floor area, despite the compact design, is about 600 sqm, and the approximate cost of the building is 250,000,000 moneretos. No final calculus is yet available.

The MEW members and supporters of Monero are offered this invitation - we would like this to be a building whose incomes would support the development of Monero. How is it best achievable? We are open to suggestions.

Question from a non-player (and by the way, I think its a great project, just not my cup of tea).

Between the auctioned gold, use of moneritos, stone, etc., is there a calculation of how XMR has been placed into the game by the various characters?

About the designing of the buildings

There is finally a quite conscise tutorial on how to design and calculate the cost of buildings. It is in Building EditorMoneroHouse with nice bonuses for everyone who read it.

In the long term, about 0.5-1% of the population is needed to be architects. In the beginning stage the percentage is more. The King likes architecture and has designed the building subsystem, so has a clear edge in it. In order to encourage others also to design their own buildings, the King raises his own fees to 15% for complete design, 7.5% for proofreading/costcalculation of a user-made design. If the cost calculation is done, there is no fee for the checking (included in the building permit of 500,000 m).

There has been a question for "model houses". Now, the case is that it is difficult to design a "model house" in the old town area where lots are constricted and the buildings lean over each other, defensive structures dot the landscape etc. There is currently not so much free land where large areas of planned housing could be erected. That would allow for professional land development also.

Umm... the position is paying only 300,000 year. Let's see, you make currently 262,000. I think it makes sense.

DEAL.