Limit the number of House Members

[dubeck]

I'm really starting to enjoy the game now even though I'm still just dabbling at the moment.

Now I have a suggestion.

Put a limit on the number of characters a house can have.

I am finding it overly complicated at the number of characters joining my house from defunct families who still have all the ties of their old house.It's a nice convoluted web to be sure and opens a lot of role-playing opportunities but it's too much.

Limit the number of family members to say 10.
5 or 6 of which could be major characters.
Only allow characters to join from another family via marriage.This would still allow ties to be maintained across several families as more marriages occur.

But also add retainers.These can be drawn from Freemen/Artisans ,are loyal to the family have the same sort of skills/traits as family members but need to be paid.

Currently we have family acting as Stewards,Legates and the like.Retainers could do this job.
Give them some other skills as well such as for example.Spymaster.

Just thinking of the Dune story with their Weapon Masters,Mentats and the like who were totally loyal to the house but were not family members.

[ryngold]

I happen to like when my house grows from old families or if I ever take over a house. You need family to grow your house into more then just one estate and to keep your name going.

I would like to see us be able to change who a major member of the house is, as estates grow within the House. I think it should be a Major Estate Member, not family. Only having 7 major characters per household won't last long as they do die etc.

[dubeck]

I happen to like when my house grows from old families or if I ever take over a house. You need family to grow your house into more then just one estate and to keep your name going.

I would like to see us be able to change who a major member of the house is, as estates grow within the House. I think it should be a Major Estate Member, not family. Only having 7 major characters per household won't last long as they do die etc.

I can see where you are coming from,but I still think having numerous members joining from other families will become overly complicated and put off a few players.

Also as Houses take over control of other estates this is where retainers come in.

We have a finite playing area and I think I'm right in saying that this game is open-ended,designed so that it continues indefinitely.
If that is so we could get to the point where one player/house becomes so powerful everyone else is wiped out.

Hence my suggestion of limiting family members and using retainers in conjunction with said family members.

My personal preference(as character you understand )is that if House Dubeck conquered a rival house I would not want any of the rival house to survive to possibily become a rallying point for rebellion against my house at a later date.Same goes for characters joining House Dubeck from defunct/extinct houses with ties to other possible rival houses.I don't trust them and don't want them.
I'd rather make alliances through diplomacy and/or marriage.

[monkeyx]

Plans are afoot for more roles and orders to make use of larger household.

However, I think you're right, some houses have grown beyond their usefulness in characters. Some measure of them leaving or retiring if not employed seems like a good addition.

[ryngold]

You're right that is an finite play area, any players that join now will be under powered compared to people that have been playing from the start. Maybe to fix this, so it won't end up being 1 player takes everyone out and wins(unless this is the intention of monkeyx) make it so alien(or whatever) forces come into play down the road to try and take over the planets. So that it just isn't player vs player, add more computer players so we don't eventually have to kill everyone off or everyone ends up married to eachother.

As far as the other former house members, maybe have them form bands of "brothers" so to speak that we could raid as well to give our Legates/Knights something to do. So we can kill them off too if we please. Maybe even gain some Honor for killing those members from Ancient houses that got away.

[monkeyx]

Characters won't join a house with 20 or more characters. You can also retire characters that are surplus to requirements with the Retire order now.

[alecto]

you cant retire prisinors though? S you can get 'filled up' on prisinors that are neither executed ransomed or pardoned?

[toledo]

....any chance of a disown order? I have a character who is a prisoner who is probably more use to the house he is at as he acts as steward for them in addition to the 30 plus characters they have. Whilst he can't build anything he at least keeps their mines etc churning over....but he stops me getting an extra character....

Perhaps if disown could only be used on people not born into the family?

[alecto]

I would like to second that request

[monkeyx]

Added Disown to the to do list. Although may make this a non-order, simple click thing (TBD).