The NPC suits requirement in ClanChallenge is so large that I decided to work overtime and crunch all the numbers immediately to enable everyone to plan to their best. The profit potential for a well-planned and nimble operation is immense, and the TAI-items are completely linear in their payout, so everyone is exactly on the same position to make money, according to their skills and resources.

The numbers currently existing in each item type and their required numbers of each type of suit are listed in Google DBSuitsNeed tab, freely viewable by all and current as of 3 hours ago.

The numbers are based on the design decision (from the first days of the game) that 15% of income is to be spent on suits (in fact, it was 20% then). 35% is to be spent on consumables and 50% will still be paid as salary when Clans comes - this includes rent. These kind of decisions will only be revised extremely slowly.

So we are in the position that the number of suits needed is 5400 and only 1500 exist (numbers ignore PC need and Unique suits). Suits can be converted from IC at the following prices:

(color, IC cost, approx mil)
red      144   10.08
orange 112   7.84
white     64   4.48
green     32   2.24
grey       16   1.12
brown      8   0.56

This means that tailoring is profitable in all stages, the profit margin is ample. However, the need for higher quality suits is much smaller than that of the lower quality ones. Prices may be pressured when the initial need is met.

Additional things to consider are among others:
1. The "labor suits" are priced in IC, so its fluctuations affect the profitability both ways.
2. TAI-7 may not be the best item now as it produces blue suits for a limited number of nobles, however the playercount is planned to increase by not a small percentage, at about the same time that it takes for a TAI-1 to promote to TAI-7.
3. Unique suits production is extremely limited until more TAI-8 get promoted.
4. It is possible to demote a NPC so undesired promotion can be reversed. This is currently an admin action, but will be a command "soon".
5. Tailors promote reasonably quickly, mostly 20% chance. Exact numbers are in item details or in Google/NPCtypes.
6. The influx of new tailors is a given, this increases the need for suits as tailors wear green+.
7. Also the other NPC numbers are on the rise - or perhaps not because there is an initial cost burden per NPC to acquire the minimum stock. Everything will happen very slowly, though, so dumping the NPC right when they (especially high level) will become prized assets might not be the best decision either.
8. The TAI-1 conversion price of 10 IC until the end of this year is peanuts, and a rise is most likely. It is possible to produce to stock. The unknown is when the module is live - I am going to Malla for a few weeks, which historically has been excellent design-productivity. The design is now "almost complete", which can mean anything. The development time should be very contained, perhaps a week for the "suit challenge".
9. If the module delays, the NPCC will continue to use suits, but excess production will meet declining prices (the NPCC can absorb infinite number but their profit formula requires the additional ones to come at a discount). The increased awareness of the importance of suits may cause the NPCC to bid more heavily on them, as historically they have ignored the suits even though they are the key to victory.
10. When the module opens, there is first a 2 year grace that the lacking number of suits will not cause penalty to the owner of the NPC. Then, according to my discernment (which will be communicated as it comes), the penalty will take 5-10 years to rise to the planned level approximately linearly. At the same time the happiness bonus for having excess suits will start from a higher-than-normal value and decrease to the planned level approximately linearly.
11. The NPCC remaining suits will be sold at market when the NPCC ends, so that the NPCC will get points for the money raised. The money goes to Town in the end. This procedure will be announced in advance so that at least 48 hours is given for placing the bids before the dump may start, and the total liquidation time is a year.
12. There is no planning to change the style of WOS-x1 to WOS-x2, so there will be only one model of fungible suit of each color for the time being.

I felt it necessary to disclose every bit of info there could possibly be, to make the playing field level. Crunch the numbers, make a plan and make money! Martti will be doing that, and King as well (if not for other reason, he has   s o m e w h a t   m a n y   NPCs to clothe, himself ).

Town Council Meeting - Prioritisation of New Modules and Features

Jewelry Editor - allowing Coronation to happen with the posh jewelry to be made for it, and the allocation of the rest of the gems, which have risen a lot in value in the aftermarket

Building Changes Editor - allowing demolishing of buildings and reclaim of materials, adding floors to buildings, adding more sqm if the lot has free space, adding lux, repairing the structure, changing window type and decorating the facade.

Buildings will also have their repair_depreciation started so that they will start to require repairs. The median age for the need of structural repair is 150 years, but it has a large variance based on the soil type and building type, and also many of the old buildings are already in need of repair due to being 100+ years old. Early structural repair also increases the payout, especially if the payout is CUL or SCI.

Clans

Complete rehaul in the Character mechanic, including the ClanChallenge requiring the player to feed and clothe the NPC he employs.

This also includes Wood Buildings, which can be built in preset modules one per year at almost zero cost, and may only by utilised by L1-L5 players.

Countryside, Army

Complete rehaul of production shares, event solver, loot, manors, forts, global map etc.

PRE will be gained normally and STOx may be produced to stock. Good MGN+Army in the meantime will be accounted for in the initial distribution of production shares which will be tradable with disclaimer. (The prodshares are more than before since the ClanChallenge requires about double the amount of consumables compared to the NPCC era.)

A large Gold Deal was conducted yesterday when the German Protestants (LittleFlock #410) bought 9500 CKG from TownSwipe, bringing over 5000 XMR more to Town(Swipe) coffers! The total now standing at over 11,000 XMR from the TownSwipe sales alone.

The Gold is sold, and so have many other items, the remaining land is discounted..

Freaky Friday Weekend sales: All land prices slashed -10%
Old Town
1-E-E32 @ 90mil 81mil
1-N-C5 @ 260mil (includes building) 234mil
1-N-C6 @ 260mil 234mil
1-NW-P11 @ 120mil 108mil
1-SW-L26 @ 50mil 45mil

New Town:
2-C-C5 @ 70mil 63mil
2-NW-H4 @ 400mil Includes the item/BFO-1 The Maximos Labyrinth made out of living plants 360mil
2-W-V1 @ 240mil 216mil
2-W-V6 @ 396mil 356mil

Culture&Science
3-W-C12 @ 120mil 108mil

People's Borough (B.22) land 20milq 18milq
22-N-D12 now 54mil
22-N-D14 now 108mil
22-N-D29 now 18mil
22-NE-A11 now 27mil SOLD!
22-S-F15 now 67mil

Borough 4 9milq now at 8milq
4-C-A15 now 12.8mil
4-NW-E5 now 8mil
4-NW-F2 now 8mil
4-NW-G1 now 8mil
4-NW-G6 now 8mil
4-NW-H2 now 8mil
4-NW-H3 now 8mil
4-NW-H5 now 8mil
4-NW-H6 now 8mil
4-NW-H8 now 8mil
4-NW-H9 now 8mil

Gem prices slashed -10%
DIA5 at 100mil 90mil
EMEX at 70mil 63mil
TOPX at 40mil 36mil

IPO: Martti Tailors Corp (S-MT)

(1641) Martti Tailors Inc seeks to capitalise on the massive opportunity when the game shifts to Clans and there is a shortfall of 4,500 suits. Martti has been in the tailor business since 1629 and is the third most longstanding major tailor operator in the town, after the North Face Company and Sir Cryptonic. The company was initially structured by Martti transferring all the tailor assets (23 tailors in TAI-2 or higher and 48 suits, of which 15 green or higher) to the company, which keeping all the debts to himself. The assets were valued at 205 mil. Calculation follows in the end.

The company has 500 shares valued at 1 mil each at the IPO. Instead of getting 205 shares, Martti needs to pay back his personal debts, so receives only 45 shares and a 160 mil privileged mortgage to the company, to be paid immediately as the company receives the IPO funds. The management contract is 16 years (Martti wants to retire at 50) and priced at 5 mil per year. This is payable in shares, so Martti gets 5*16 = 80 shares, making his total ownership 125 shares (25%). The 375 shares are sold to the public, with Martti's existing business partners having priority. Everything listed is buyable by all, a part is withheld and offered to the partners.

Of the 375 mil raised, 160 goes to paying the bridge loan and 215 will be used to convert 130*TAI-1 at the excellent conversion price of 10 IC (1641 only) and buffer the increase in stock levels. To finance more production to stock, which can be sold as Clans comes live, a debt facility will also be negotiated when it is known how much the NPCC still buy and how long Clans still will take. Interested shareholders take priority with these negotiations.

* Appendix: Valuation of the existing tailors and suits and other relevant issues:

IC price used is 0.075 (mil). CUL price (negligible effect) is 0.045.

The valuation of the TAI-1 is based on their conversion now = 0.750.

The life expectancy of all NPC is 3/0.13 = 23 years. In practice, to take into account the variance and profit requirement, they are trading at about 10-20 years profit in the market. TAI-2...TAI-5 were appraised at 10 years profit. Since they promote more readily (15-20%) than spoil (13%), the lifetime value is calculated conservatively at one level higher than current. The value of their production is calculated at suit book price, which is 62.5% of the IC conversion price, which is an extremely conservative assumption, but also takes into account the carry cost before most of the suits can be sold. This lead TAI-2 and TAI-3 to be valued at 5.000, TAI-4 at 12.450 and TAI-5 at 16.150.

The suits existing were estimated to suffer 2 spoils before they can be sold to the peak demand at the conversion price. This assumes that Clans comes latest before the spoil of 1649 (about July 22th). It is scheduled to come sooner, even much so.

Martti's experience and immaterial capital was valued at zero. However, the modest 5 mil management fee (compared to the 10-40 mil that King pays to the managers of his companies) will be paid as a lump sum for 16 years, and is not refundable if the AGM ousts Martti from the position.

Bug fixed in building payout calculations:

The newest buildings when constructed, have had their repair=0.00 instead repair=1.00. This has caused them to "enjoy" -60% payouts in some pools and -30% in others. The Building Editor has reported the values with this error, and also the error has been saved to the building stats.

All the newly built ones with repair=0, will be set to repair=1 today. Also the new building generation will be fixed. To compensate for the loss of income, the ones in 1639-1640 that were affected in the double round, get 1.05 as their starting repair, and better future payouts.

Just checked Master Goldsmith. Pretty cool. It's great to see things taking shape.

Check out the new Welcome Page!

This one is geared towards the New Players, with all the information that helps you get started with the game. When registering a new character, the welcome page loads as a starting screen for the first 10 logins into your character. After that you are already considered an old player, and login redirects to Billboard.

Don't mind the lack of visual effects; Welcome page is still getting its visual update, as Syksy is creating some cool images Crypto Kingdom -style that will be updated to the welcome page once ready.

It has never been this easy to refer Crypto Kingdom to your friends; now all New Players can access all important game info directly after registering, and start their journey in Crypto Kingdom!

The last time a major new set of house necessities/luxuries was introduced, was already 21 years ago (Ming China). The Italian Furniture is similar in the way that:

- it has in total 18 different items, each fungible;
- different items in the series fit together well;
- convertible from IC in unlimited amounts but for limited time only, no future production of the same items;
- is the icebreaker/flagship series of an item type that will also have less prestigious alternatives in the future;
- is therefore a collectible.

The pieces are Most Elaborate or Very Elaborate, so you will certainly find lesser quality more cheaply in the future, but this model is not obtainable at all except for the limited time (will be announced 1 year in advance and end latest 1648-1650 when the Quartermillennial Silver Tableware comes).

The prices range 10...500 IC and the item levels K4...K9.

Please see the Duty Paid IC Shop for the items, or compare in the Furniture (CAF) item type with the existing ancient furniture!

The GM event was played on live IRC solver, with the following results:

Upon large spends of SCI, it was deduced that the following parties had the following chances of being the mastermind:
local robbers   1
english   2
french   2
swedish   3
danish   1
rossiyan   1
polonian king   1
pope   1
polonian rebels   1
louhi   1
dragon   1
mystical   1
empire   3
certain player   1

Then it was determined by d20, who the culprit was. Events were played, resulting in the gaining back of 4/9 aquilas. The story was similar in all the eyewitnesses (some were taken without witnesses though): short and well-built nice people with accent were making friends with the guardians of the aquilas, and at the same moment (determined by the time it took for the news to reach CryptoTown), lured the guardians to a drinking binge using imported VOD, and stole the item. Our select horses were better than theirs, so a basic interception worked in most cases, and a few of the suspects remain for interrogation.

An additional round was arranged where the King had send all available forces to Petrichor to blockade the river. (It was at that time known that the culprit was not the Rossiyans nor any of the far foreign powers. An additional 3 aquilas were caught. Only 2 remained missing, and the trail of evidence points to the North. What if Louhi is not dead? Or her heir has assumed the throne? Or what is behind all this?

The Coronation - Event Time and All Sub-Events with possibility to win Gems


The coronation live event will be held in November 19th-22nd 1642 (officially summer 1640..) that is Saturday June 4th, 2016, at 19 UTC lasting about 3 hours. It happens in IRC freenode ##crypto-kingdom.


Everyone who wants to "attend" Coronation, and not be present in the live event, should message "Crown" ingame latest a month (24 hours) before the  event, and make sure his stats for the sub-events are registered in the appropriate places by admins (other than me). This overrides all previous possible messages on the subject.


The Sub-Events that may win prizes are as follows:


Sharpshooter (Pistol-shooting contest)
rules upthread

Horseback (Pistol-shooting contest)
rules upthread

Half-Section (Pistol-shooting contest)
rules upthread

Residence (Lifestyle contest)

This contest evaluates the style of the players. Each House may participate only once (with the main character). The things evaluated are:
- Style of the Residence/Villa (only one each may exist per character, their IC payouts are summed up)
- Style of Carriage(s)
- Quality of Horses in personal Stables
- Size and Quality of Wardrobe (Unique suits and SFS items)
- Number and Stature of household items (Gold, Silver and Ming China cutlery and tableware; Italian Furniture; Mirrors)
- ART items in the house.
King determines the order of lifestyle status, and hence, prizes.

Coronet (item contest)
- King determines the order of stature of Coronets (with no regard to the level of the owner) and this is recorded as permanent information in the item details as well for the awe of future generations.

Sophomore (beauty contest)

Everyone started in 1601-1619 are eligible. Tell about yourself and your game, what you think of CK, what your character aims to accomplish and how it is going, etc. This will need to be done beforehand on the thread, or copypasted to the IRC window in the live event. Popular vote determines who gets the prizes.

Freshman (beauty contest)

Everyone started in 1620-1639 are eligible. Tell about yourself and your game, what you think of CK, what your character aims to accomplish and how it is going, etc. This will need to be done beforehand on the thread, or copypasted to the IRC window in the live event. Popular vote determines who gets the prizes.

Prize Pool

The total number of gems is transferred to SSP. It is currently worth 1,340 mil.

The DIA10 will be raffled as a grand prize among the winners of all the 7 Sub-Events.

The Event Winners get as follows:

Sharpshooter: DIA5
Horseback: SAPX
Half-Section: COA-16
Residence: EMEX
Sophomore: DIA2
Freshman: DIA2
Coronet: TOPX

Depending on how many participants are and how well they perform, the King may award additional prizes of:
DIA1
RUB
SAP
EME
TOP. In total, there are 52 such gems in the pool.

The unawarded prizes will be raffled among all the guests, as follows:
- The peers get 200 raffle tickets for attending the event
- Others get 100 tickets
- Participants in the sub-events get 50 tickets (max 350 per char).

The Main Menu link Master Goldsmith, will be finished tomorrow!