This project has been really fun to watch evolve.

When I have time, one day I will definitely open an account and try and own some land in Crypto Kingdom

The ideal investment for a non-player is S-HODL. Full reinvestment of dividends with no ongoing management required.

As simple as 1-2-3:

1. Buy
2. HODL
3. Profit?

This all sounds pretty interesting.

How does S-HODL work?

Did you move your asset to a new character? When I tried looking at your items (https://cryptokingdom.me/player/playerItems/95), I just see some windows and stone.

The great moth has feasted, and some suits were randomly destroyed. This happens every three years (I think). Given that being found without clothes, or without clothes fitting your station, leads to a fine, I encourage everyone to double check whether they're good on that front. Clothes of all types are available for sale from town, and players may also list clothes there, so get yours before the enforcer sees you in the nude!

Economic information, straight from the Villa Rotonda

I had talks with some players, and frankly, there was both enthusiasm for the new modules that are coming, but also "battle fatigue" that many items have been in constant decline in price for a long time now, and it is difficult to make profits, except by buying CON.

We have been here before. Recessions happen, as well as booms. Let me quickly evaluate some of the reasons why things are getting cheaper:

1. XMR has gone up, it has doubled from October 2015 to 0.71 EUR/XMR now. It is difficult to keep the values fixed in XMR if the home currency of the players is something else. CON is immune to this since it pays XMR. But wines and ming china don't pay anything, so their prices will suffer.

CKG has actually held up quite well since it is 30% up in 30 days in EUR terms. So whether you buy or sell CKG, you can make good profits or losses, depending how you think. It is no secret that I view the game in terms of both currencies and rejoice if it goes up in either.

2. I have a rather large wealth and health management empire still (although I wish to get rid of it as it's not helping me to save time for design). I have saved more than 10,000 mil for these guys in anticipation of the Building module to open. All this money is not in circulation and not bidding the prices up. When it flows to the pools, ripple effect is large and instant. Already last year, CKG div was 8,000 m, instead of the 1,000 for some previous years. (Actually I feel the turn is happening already...)

3. The unclaimed characters are auctioned and money set aside in Town account, to market the game to the masses when Skills is open (or why not Buildings already!)

4. Crypto Kingdom has grown 10x more valuable in a year. Nothing goes up in a straight line. When you feel prices are cheap, how about sitting back and placing some bids instead


NPC retire & promote round is READY. Labor will be adding its asks in a few moments and others can do as well

The 13% spoil rate is delivering maximum pain, because it feels unfair to lose one or many high-prized (& priced) NPC's. In total, I checked how many were retired and the number came out at 13.5% (well within statistics) so if you feel the luck was bad, someone else had a better one  Hopefully next time yours will be saved! 

All new NPC by Labor are listed for sale, and you can easily check their prices and stats in here (tabNPCtypes). (I will wait 6 hours before buying at the ask.)

Wines were also graded (reminder) and this info will come to Ultima soon as well.

Year has been changed.

The NPCC's should buy their suits right now, to get 11x benefit of them instead of only 10x (last year suit evaluation closes in 2 hours, and you should update the figures yourselves!)

Army will have a march-past this summer as well, meaning that every soldier, horse, and weapon derives benefits according to where he is assigned at the time of the march-past. The effect is equivalent to several past and future years.
We now have quite potent weapons:
- MKT for increasing the strength of ground troops
- Horses for officers (remember to check them separately as officers split their horses to separate H1-H5 items already) and cavalry
- PIS as a fearful weapon for mounted troops
- CANN to grind our enemies to dust

The BV calculation is generally unaffected, there may be small changes, I will review it soon.

Suggested garrison

Intown
The external defence is tasked to the Royal troops who haven't had other duties now.

Since we live the Age of Intrigue, after all, it might make sense to have a personal protection guard nevertheless. For some time before the festivities, We the King were wary if the foreign powers would try something, but they did not (those who were around in 1450 remember that's what I do). So now we feel at peace if any corporation or noble wants to have their private army.

Farm level
Farms are located inside the town, so they do not need a garrison.

Estate level
Estates should aim to keep a section or half, just in case. Random events come without warning, and threats that did not materialize are not even announced.

County level
Counties can have a garrison, which means a defensive force tasked to repel unannounced attacks to the camp, and aid in local management and collection of taxes. Both the size and BV matter. Marquessate/Principality is not really different from a county in this sense.

March level
Marches are counties located in strategic places in the borders. We have 2 marches: White Cross and Plath. Stonehaven should also be designated a march, but the local Earl lacks resources to upgrade the preparations (and I lack time to help him in the administration ). Marches should have a sizable, preferably mobile, force that can be used for defence and offence before the dukes and King can send for help. A regiment is preferable.

Duchy level
The hierarchy is not yet completely established, but the aim is that Dukes will coordinate the counties in the area, for which (surprise!) they need a mobile regiment in addition to the defensive garrison located in the Duchy seat.

Kingdom level
When the foreign powers attack us, they will need to be punished, and King has nearly half of the total BV in the Kingdom for this purpose. In addition, the construction of the Perimeter Wall of CryptoTown and the 100-200 cannons, will reduce the risk of stupid enemies coming to disturb our glorious buildings.

ADD: Also MEAD, BEER, CAN and MUS have been divided (early!) so please check the situation and place your asks. There is very little VEG in the Kingdom now, so hunger will be the result unless we all pull together and the markets work!

ADD: PRE has been given until 1627, so only one year backlog anymore. Remember to send SCI to the counties and keep up your workers if you want PRE to be generated (the production has been cratering as stone cannot be used for PRE any more). Army is having a separate reward session in the summer.

The Earl of Stonehaven has been maintaining and slowly increasing his troops, mindful of the need to keep a balance between cost and effectiveness. It is with this in mind that the Earl will lend pistols and cannons to Stonehaven. The county itself already just acquired new recruits for its army.

CryptoKnight Liquidation Auction

CryptoKnight has decided that it is time to pack up from Crypto Kingdom and move to other lands. Before he goes, he expressed to me that he would like his belongings sold if possible before he leaves. I have decided to do an auction for these items.  Please bid on these-you have 48 hours from this post to add bids for the items to Ultima.

If you bid on an item and the timestamp is after the deadline, it will be disregarded. If you see something in the LOT that says x5, for example, that means there is a quantity 5 items. Thanks, and happy bidding!

[LOT1]  2-C-C1 - 2 Story Town Palace
Lot Area: 300 sqm
Buildings Total (Density): 236 sqm (0.787 )

[LOT2] 3-E-F18 - Lot
Lot Area: 400 sqm

[LOT3] 3-S-G2 - Holiday Hut
Lot Area: 400 sqm
Buildings Total (Density): 9 sqm (0.023 )

[LOT4] 3-S-G3 - Holiday Hut
Lot Area: 400 sqm
Buildings Total (Density): 9 sqm (0.023 )

[LOT5] 4-SE-N3 - Lot
Lot Area: 200 sqm

[LOT6] 4-SE-N5 - Lot
Lot Area: 400 sqm

[LOT7] 5-E-X7 - Lot
Lot Area: 400 sqm

[LOT8] 5-E-X8 - Lot
Lot Area: 400 sqm

[LOT9] CR1602E   x22    1   CR-series 5 CKG gold coin from 1602   Gold, 5 CKG
[LOT10] CS1617E   x5    1   CS-series 5 CKS silver coin from 1617   Silver, 5 CKG
[LOT11] CT1566   x1   1   Royal CryptoArmy Centenary bronze medallion      
[LOT12] S-PGC   x100   0   Palazzo Gaming Corp      
[LOT13] S-VE1   x2   0   Well-tended vegetable garden      
[LOT14] TRC4-13   x1   8   Carriage, 4-horse model   Noble Blue   
[LOT15] TS162   x21   1   Trade silver coin from the 162x      Silver, 12 CKG
[LOT16] WIA1   x3   2   Ancient window 1x1 m   Transparent
[LOT17] WIAL   x12   2   Large Pane Ancient Window   Bronze/Copper
[LOT18] WIAS   x30   2   Standard Pane Ancient Window   Bronze/Copper
[LOT19] WIASS   x30   2   Small Pane Ancient Window   Bronze/Copper
[LOT20] WIASSS   x30   2   Tiny Pane Ancient Window   Bronze/Copper

   

ADD: Practical changes to costs & prices
This post will be updated as needed.

Brewery variable cost basis has been 2,000 m bottle. When Building opens, the breweries need to build a Factory. Factory is a new fungible building (one factory can produce anything, such as cannons, muskets, pistols, carriages, windows, or beer). The cost has just been reduced by 30%. One factory requires manning of 50*WP, which costs more than the current 20 mil fixed cost (per 10,000*BEER). Therefore, one factory output is doubled if not tripled (to 20-30k BEER) and Town will consider selling more licenses if necessary, since they are per 10,000 btl each.

Brewers are allowed to establish a Guild that can decide the level of production and maintain prices, but hopefully at a lower level than the previous 4,000 m target.

There is also possibility to research Craft Beer, which would be a special beer type (eg. Stout), most probably with similar characteristics as BEER but variety bonus makes it a really interesting option to be sipped in small quantities, and the price asked can be higher as well. Ask me.

Town has decided to keep the taxes of BEER tax of 1k, WINE tax of 10k or spirits tax of 100k unchanged. All these products have already declined in price, mostly more than 29% already.

Farms' labor cost is reduced to 3.5 mil (previously 5 mil). Manors pay mostly in kind, so unaffected. VEG price will be up to the markets as before, and to get more production, either more roads will need to be built to nearby regions, or more farms opened in CryptoTown.

Farmers (system account) now have the ability to support unlimited MEAT in between 5,500-6,000 m unless there is an emergency such as war or siege. As long as we don't have unspoilable bread, stockpiling of meat might make sense as the spoil is only 10%.

Suits and stone have their "book prices" (target that gives good profits to the producers) lowered by 30% and the max prices (1.6*book price = the price at which the importers will sell them) lowered accordingly. The reduction in max price will happen in 5 years, to allow the markets to find their price levels.

Horse prices have been lowered by 30% effective immediately.

New NPC prices and fixed payouts are visible inNPCtypes and will be listed to Agora soon.

The Town has decided that land will be kept affordable for new players in B.4 (small free lot) and B.11 (wetland lot sold cheaply for limited audience). The chapelries for sale in B.6 and B.8 continue at 1,000 mil, and no new boroughs will be opened as per earlier ruling, until 1640.

CKG market is currently at 66.8/65.0 mil. Coinshop continues to provide marketmaking as usual.

CON is unchanged at 18.8/18.3 mil.

S-BLD was split to BLD (1:1220). Labor is not selling BLD, it can be obtained from aftermarket and Building Co's can produce more of it (with their only cost being labor, now 29% cheaper). There is 2.0 million BLD in existence, enough to build 10,000s of sqm.



* Declaration of the GM *

The decision to alter the pricing of the commoner/consumer economy had been in planning ever since XMR price went up in Feb 13. We waited initially if XMR would shoot reasonably high to halve the ingame production prices (consumables and resources). The current reduction was implemented as a surprise move and all bids were not cancelled, because it was deemed to be less disruptive as the consumables and resources store very little value compared to investments (land, CKG, CON) whose value in always determined by markets.

* Decision of the Town Council *

To reduce the disruption what similar possible actions would cause in the future, we will have a FOMC meeting every 10 years at a pre-announced time to discuss if there is need to alter the NPC salaries. Then the markets can speculate before with no need for drastic changes. The councillors and all their wm will have a freeze during and immediately after the meeting for placing new orders.

* Declaration of HM The King *

We have not dumped a single item to take advantage of the anticipation of the initial reaction. We will start placing bids to items now and will not sell anything until March 16th (today 4pm), if even then. It is wholly and completely a good thing that everyone has the same amount of money as before, yet everything gets cheaper. We are buying.

* Greatest Benefiter *

Rental Pool, which has 11,100 mil in cash. This money will continue to be divided to building owners: so relative to construction cost, the building payouts just shot up 43%. This incentivises much more building than perhaps was planned, causing the pool to get even more money and higher payouts. Hopefully the new module with cool graphics, easy controls, and (even more) lucrative payouts, will cause the players to tell about the game to new ones as well, who will come and enjoy the lower prices throughout