Okay, first chapter is up. I just finished writing it. I am totally open to any comments or criticisms. Feedback is very much welcomed. The character abnd author pages are also complete.

http://valleyofrainbows.weebly.com/

Looks good! Intruiging beginning.

Love the website and great prologue! That last sentence is really haunting. Can't wait to see pics of everybody--Dane Whyte the mystery man is my fave so far. I guess I like that element of the unknown!

Does anyone know where I can find the medieval themed neighborhood-wide ROS? I know the Medieval Charter Challenge has a ROS, but that one's for families, not the entire neighborhood. I'm sure there is one, as I used it before, but now I can't find it.

Edited to add:

Just came across some new questions, this time relating to serfs and indenture. Boys are of age at age 18, and the eldest male child of a serf inherits the indenture. What if the eldest child is still a minor - I'd guess he'd still hold the indenture and the widow (mother of the child) would be responsible for keeping the payments?

Also, if the widow cannot work the land (due to health), then the minor children can work the land as much as they're able. A teen of say, 13, can do quite a lot. Kids can weed, but maybe not plant...but if the serfs fish for a living, kids can catch quite a lot. (It's not like there were labor laws). But, what happens if the mother dies or is already and the teen/child that inherited the indenture becomes an orphan? If he gets sent to an orphanage, what happens to the remaining money owed? Would that child have to start with a brand new indenture once he's old enough to work the land? Or can an indentures teen 'take care of himself' as long as the payments are being made?

One last edit for one last question:

When calculating scores for healers, do you take the highest badge/skill - say gold gardening badge - and count just 3 points, or do you count the 3 points for the gold badge, plus the 2 for the (previously held) silver badge, plus the 1 for the bronze badge, totalling 6 points in total? Because if you don't, I don't see any way you'd get >20 points.

I love how all these people are connected somehow good luck with all these challenges mixed together!

PS: I haven't forgotten the chart-sheets. I'm visiting my parents and forgot to take them with me

Baba,
Yvi-sama

Edit:



Badge-Points are added together. If you have a golden badge you get 6 points total (bronze 1 + silver 2 + gold 3 = 6)

Edit 2:

I'm doing my tax-chart right now and came across another question.

"Hearth Taxes are paid by everyone except nobles and royalty. Once every five days, sims pay 5% of lot value plus 10% of total family funds to the local tax collector."--> Since Serfs don't earn the land, does the sovereign lord pay these taxes?

I seem to recall that Amy over at Plumbbob did one. Is this the one you remember?



Yes, that's right. See p. 15, concerning death or disability of the head of household, whereby the indenture is passed first to the widow, and then on to the children.



That's a harder question, because it really depends upon the exact circumstances. It is left up to players to decide and to work out the story as best fits the overall picture. It would make sense that if only young children were left these would be sent away, either to other family members or to an orphanage, etc. However, if there is an able bodied teen to work the land, s/he could stay and try to make a go of it. I think what should happen to the remaining money owed is that the indenture would be canceled, though again, it is really up to you what to do in such a case.


As to totaling badge scores, etc--Yvi-sama's got it right!



Yes--only citizens who own the land they work should pay hearth taxes. This would include any freemen, or citizens of any class station, that rent their lands from a lord or gentleman. That said, the noble may, if he so wishes, require a percentage--or even all--of the taxes to be paid by those he rents his land to, depending upon how severe he is, or how tight the financial straits are. This caveat is up to the player to decide, as so much else is in the challenge. It is just nearly impossible, and would be really onerous, to try to dictate every conceivable contingency or foresee every possible circumstance. And goodness knows, my foresight isn't that good!

It is about time

So my big old school paper's done woo! I'm going to work on the next chapter (which is partially complete but I didn't want to upload it since it's a bit short).

I feel kind of bad for posting my story here, because it isn't exactly Warwickshire in it's truest form, nor am I applying big parts of it until the new place is set up (if it ever does get off the ground) but I don't know where else to post it

Edit: I decided to post the short chapter because the next portion didn't flow well with it being in the same chapter

Yes, that's the one! Thank you! I never would've thought to look at Plumbbob.





So basically, player gets to decide. I can work with that




I thought that was the case - but then, my math skills aren't the best so I started doubting myself

Not at all--what a haunting, beautiful story! I hope you'll indulge us with the next chapter when you have it ready.

Samantha_kathy: glad to hear the questions are answered!

So, I'm still working on my rebuild ... and it's still slow ... not much to add there. Played some serf families yesterday and had lots of girls born. I think this time round we may have a matriarchy!

I want some! My sims have so many sons and so many women died last round

**Packs up a dozen or so girls and ships 'em off**'
Hope this helps! I seem to be stuck in girl mode. Even after rolling the pacifier multiple times ... I just don't know what's up with it. Got me stumped, it has.

I'm somewhat confused as to how anyone can actually die in childbirth. I've probably somehow managed to miss something vital but: The largest amount that can be lost in childbirth is 35 (for a terrible outcome at it's worst random roll) But the health states say a sim with less than average (41) health can't indulge in romantic interactions, or therefore get pregnant. This seems to leave a clear 6 point safe gap so that only those few cases where an age related health roll, or a random illness falling between conception and birth actually are in any danger of childbirth related death at all. What am I not understanding?

MattieOReilly--good question! A woman in average health (41+) can get sick during her pregnancy or have a multiple birth which would result in a death in childbirth. Because each birth is calculated separately, a twin birth could result in a loss of 70 points (!). I lost a woman who had a solid health score of 65 going in to her birth in this way. But, it does happen. Very sad.
Also, women in poor health should be able to get pregnant, though I can see why this is not clear in the challenge as it written right now. That "all romance interactions" under average health would include going on dates, etc--but, basically anything that a sim can do inside a sim in poor health can do--because they are housebound, not bedridden. Hence, under Adult for sims in poor health, there is the stipulation that pregnant sims should be on bed rest because they have a high risk pregnancy. With this in mind, a sim who falls ill during pregnancy could potentially be in terrible health when she gives birth, which would practically resign her to death unless she had an excellent midwife and a great deal of good luck. Even then ... it wouldn't be good.

OK, thanks for explaining it, it makes much more sense now. I know a few sims who are going to be happy they have acr priviledges back

New chapter is up. Sorry, it doesn't include Dane

Am I the only one with a dirty mind?

Another question: I`m organizing the noble's fiefs right now. Let's say I have an Gentleman being overseen by a Viscount. Can Serfs live on the plot squares of a Gentry if they have a contract with the overseeing noble? Or do they life on the "purely Viscount plot squares" that are under the direct control of the noble?

Something I stumbled upon: A child in poor health is house ridden. According to the chart, he/she/it can not be home schooled. Is this a special case, or something that will be changed in the final version? (If the later is the case, it would be helpful if you added to average health, that boarding schools are possible, as long as a doctor is present)

baba,
Yvi-sama

Hmmm ... I suddenly got a very odd image of one sim crawling inside another ... semantics ... just. wow.



No--they should be able to live on the gentleman's estate, since fiefs can be nested; however, if the gentleman leaves the estate, the serfs will stay behind, because they are bound to the land.



Yes. I think it should be changed--and may have just fallen through the cracks--don't get any ideas --since the teaser has not been edited for minor inconsistencies (that's what playtesters are tremendously helpful for!). So, a housebound child, i.e. in poor health, should be able to be homeschooled, or even tutored by a governess/tutor, as long as the instruction remains within their physical capacity (the health chart should be followed for this). A child in average health should be able to attend any boarding school as long as there is a doctor present. (Adding this to the growing list of lots of stuffz that need revising!) The main idea here is not to arbitrarily make schooling impossible or difficult, but to keep it reasonable based upon the total health score of the individual. Given that, I suppose it would make sense that a child might be sent home from school if s/he became seriously ill--but it is equally possible that s/he might die at school, too, if s/he received treatment that was insufficient or ineffective. Breakouts of serious disease did happen at boarding schools. Not good. Nope.

Well, everybody ... guess what? I'm not dead XD I know, I know, I've been pretty inactive those past few weeks and I haven't posted a new chapter since last December, but now I'm back and ready to play&write&post more ^^
First of all, I wanted to welcome everybody who is new here ^^ I'm happy to see this thread so active and I can't wait to read some new stories and see some pictures.
So ... here's the new chapter I promised ^^

Lady Scarlet--HI!

... Argh! ... I need to know more ... Alleken: what will happen? I hate that she is so divided in this way (and where are her children?) .... too many worries! Beautiful pictures, though. I can see that this last installment took a long time to put together. I await with bated breath to hear the next episode. :lovestruc

AriTheWise--just read the new chapter--Wow! Things are really heating up, it looks like. I *do* like Dane, 'tis true, but Maud is very interesting! Such a spirited woman. Looking forward to the next chapter!

**Edit**


Yvi-sama, I went back into 3.0 to make the changes for the boarding schools and found this (I thought I had recalled something like this, but I never know if it was something I meant to say, but didn't, or something that actually made it in ...): "Boarding Schools should retain a Doctor or Healer at or above the minimum skill level indicated to care for students. If no doctor is present, the school may only admit students in Good or better health." So, basically, yes--children *can* attend boarding school as long as there is a doctor present. --I have added this to the health/behavior charts so that children in as low as poor health and above may attend boarding school if there is a doctor present. Of course, that should not extend to military training, i.e. the knighthood because the physical requirements would be too high for a child or teen in poor health to bear. Sims must have at least good health to enter knighthood training. However, it is possible for a person to enter the knighthood, become ill--fall into poor health and receive treatment--all without having to leave the knighthood, but his training would be adversely affected since having poor health will limit the degree of physical activity the student can partake in. If his condition worsens, or becomes an impediment to his success in the program, he might have to leave, be sent home, etc. Geez, I hope that makes sense ... (!)

M3g7e, I'm so happy that you liked this chapter! And the pictures too ^^ I have the next few chapter already written, I just need to take the pictures and post them ^^ As for Alleken's children, as she (I) mentioned in the last chapter, she decided to send the children (her 4 children, along with Sarah, the wet-nurse's daughter fathered by Alleken's husband and born just a couple of months ago) at her monther's until they are weaned (because she doesn't want to 'encourage' her husband by bringing another wet-nurse under their roof >.> ) Now, with this war, I think she will be separated from her children far longer than she anticipated.
More about that in the next chapter ^^

OK, yes--I do remember that now. Alleken's story is so intense: I always love her chapters. She seems so willful and independent, but somehow sad, or maybe just serious, too. At any rate, I love her stories.

Huhu,

I started to play my first round of Boarding Schools - a lot of fun^^ But (who might have guessed?) I return with more questions XD

Graduation Requirements Public Boarding School:
A) "Skills: 2 mechanical, plus 3 points across 2 catgories" --> Does it mean these skill points need to be learned(/added) during the term, or are total (meaning a student with these skills at the start of term can "relax"?)

B) There is something fishy about the progress requiremts for girls (who are suppoused to study the big 4 Cs) "Skills: 3 points total, with a minimum of 2 mechanical"

C) Are fee reductions addable? E.g. a sim with scholarship pays 1500§, his younger brother get's -10% of normal fee (200§) + scholarship = 1300§

Private Bording schools:
A) Is the fullfillment of Emphasis Area a requirement for "Minimum Graduation Requirements"?

B) what is "primary category"? The first listed skill-area of each Emphasis Area?


A mixup with the Finishing Schools and Universities:

A) Private FS: "Noble + Royal sims who have graduated from Elite BS" --> Private University "Gentry and Noble sims who graduated from Private BS"

B) Elite FS: Gentry sims who have graduated from Elite BS or with honors from Private BS" --> Ivy League University "Noble + Royal sims who graduated from Elite BS or with honors from Private BS"

baba
Yvi-sama

Cool! Glad to hear you're enjoying the new schools. It looks like this section probably needs some cleaning up, based on your questions. I'll go through them one by one.



These are the total number of points, or "credits," required for graduation, so a student who entered school with this number of points already would not need to earn any new skill points; however, he would still need to maintain a grade point average of C or better across three days of classwork, and earn the required number of badges--i.e. 2 bronze or 1 silver.



This is an error: it should read "Skills: 3 points total, with a minimum of 2 in one primary category" (which would one of the the 4 Cs)


If the younger brother has a scholarship, then yes, his tuition cost would be 1300§. If only the elder brother has a scholarship, then the fees would be calculated as such:
First brother: 1500§ (scholarship)
Second brother: 2000§ -10% = 1800§
The combined fee for the two together would then be 1500§ + 1800§ or 3300§ total.
If both have scholarships, then the 500§ scholarship would be applied to the younger brother's fees, making the total cost 2800§.



Yes: I can see how this would be confusing. The text for this section is not clear. In the intro material for this section, it states: "Students are expected to fulfill a general course of study and to develop one area of interest in depth. " That "area of interest" is the emphasis area. All students are expected to complete an area of interest, because the private boarding school is designed to prepare gentry class citizens for work in professional fields, so the instruction given is a combination of academic and practical. The emphasis area is the academic preparation.


Yes, it is. To graduate with honors, you have to do more than fulfill the basic requirements given--it is a very difficult thing to do. However, students who enter with scholarships or who have completed preparatory school, might reasonably have more than three skill points in a single area before even entering private boarding school, which would put them on the fast track to graduating with honors. These students will probably have very little time to do anything but study however.



The order should be as follows:
Gentry Class Males:
Nanny--> Tutor/Governess OR Prep School --> Private Boarding School --> Private University OR Ivy League University (only if graduated with honors from Private Boarding school)

Gentry Class Females:
Nanny--> Tutor/Governess OR Prep School --> Private Boarding School --> Private Finishing School OR Elite Finishing School (only if graduated with honors from Private Boarding school)

For Nobles and Royals, the order is identical to the above--the only difference is that the elite schools are not automatically open to gentry class students, so these students have to graduate with honors to be admitted to the finest programs in land.

This section will need some clarification: I really appreciate your taking the time to read it so closely. It helps me tremendously to have such good readers and playtesters of the challenge.

Huhu,

thank you so much for taking all the time to answer all my questions

until next time ,
Yvi-sama