Well, I have ideas for most of these issues, so I'll go ahead and put out the third draft. I know it's a long read, so here are the highlights:
Isolated realms can register as "outposts" and be traveling raiders.
Mercenaries no longer have unit affiliation restrictions.
Units! I added in a system for units to vie over territory within kingdoms. The overall effect is that realms fight other realms for territories and once they have them, the units in that realm can fight each other to claim them.
Perhaps a realm with lots of territory can recruit more mercenaries? Is there going to be a money system for the game? Or is the hiring of mercs outside of the game rules? Hellhammer will work for beer?
Hiring of mercenaries can be on any terms that realms want to work out. No in-game system, but alcohol would probably be effective
I can already see Illinois turning into a cluster **** but that just because so many of us are in the neighborhood.
Yeah, but you'll have to do lots of traveling to sort it all out, and that's the whole point.
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Statement of Purpose and Intent
The purpose of this extended national campaign scenario is to promote realm teamwork and identity, friendly competition, and inter-realm contact. It is hoped that more extensive contact between local realms will help to foster growth and competition and lead to a better Belegarth. It is not the intent of this scenario to detract in any way from existing national events. Participating realms are encouraged to schedule separate events for Kingdoms play whenever possible.
1.0 Registration
1.1 Fighters must register with a Kingdoms Herald to participate in campaign battles.
1.1.1 To register, email Xipher at XXXXXXXX or register with your local Kingdoms herald.
1.1.2 Registration information should include fighting name, realm, county, and unit.
1.1.3 Fighters may elect to not register as a unit member. They may not participate in unit armies.
1.1.4 Fighters may change their registration if their realm or unit membership changes. They must change their registration at least one week prior to participating in any Kingdoms events.
1.2 Registration is maintained as long as the fighter continues to participate in Kingdom battles. It expires six months after the last Kingdom event attended.
2.0 Kingdoms
2.1 A realm must have 5 registered members to participate.
2.2 A realm’s capital is the territory which practices are held in at the time of initial registration. If there are two or more registered realms within one territory, they may choose to register as a single realm, or the territory will be divided between them.
2.3 Realm classifications.
2.3.1 Realms with fewer than 10 registered fighters are class I realms, realms with 10-19 are class II, realms with 20-29 registered fighters are class III realms, etc.
2.3.2 Realms that are not located near any other registered realms may register as an “outpost.” Outpost realms can not control territory other than their capital.
2.4 Attack range.
2.4.1 A realm’s attack range is used to determine what territories it can invade.
2.4.2 Class I realms have an attack range of 0, they cannot initiate attacks. Class II realms have an attack range of 1; they can attack territories adjacent to their capital. Class III realms have an attack range of 2; they can attack territories two territories removed from their capital, etc.
2.4.3 Outposts do not use attack range. They may attack any territory that borders an unclaimed territory.
2.4.4 Attack ranges are calculated from the number of registered members one week prior to the scheduled Kingdoms event. New fighters may register at a kingdom event, but they will not affect maximum army size or attack range.
2.5 Threatened territory.
2.5.1 A territory is considered threatened if it is adjacent to a territory controlled by another kingdom and it is within that kingdom’s attack range.
2.5.2 Counties that are threatened by two or more realms must be won by conquest in order to be annexed.
2.5.3 Realms may annex unclaimed territories that are not threatened by any other realms at any time.
3.0 Conquest
3.1 The maximum number of fighters that can participate in a conquest attack is equal to the number of fighters registered for the attacking realm, minus five fighters for every territory they are removed from their capital.
3.2 Territories controlled by another kingdom may be invaded if they are threatened by the invading kingdom.
3.3 Once a territory is won through conquest, it is added to the conquering realm’s kingdom.
3.4 Territories lost in conquest battles can not be invaded by the losing kingdom for one month.
3.5 Territories controlled by a kingdom must always have a direct corridor of controlled territories connecting them to that kingdom’s capital. If a territory is cut off from the kingdom so that it is no longer connected, that territory reverts to unclaimed status. If it is threatened by only one realm at that time, it may be annexed immediately.
3.6 When an outpost realm wins a conquest battle, the contested territory reverts to an unclaimed status. It may not be counter attacked by the losing kingdom for one month.
4.0 Conquest Battles
4.1 All realms that threaten a contested territory are allowed to participate in a conquest battle over that territory.
4.2 Multiple territories may be contested at a single event. Each territory must be contested one at a time; multiple territories can not be contested in one set of battles.
4.3 The victory conditions for the conquest battle may be mutually agreed on by the participating realms at the time of scheduling, with a minimum of nine battles. If no agreement can be made, the default victory condition is winning the majority of nine standard field battles.
4.3 Each kingdom may make a maximum of four attacks per calendar month.
4.4 Conquest battles should take place at a place and time mutually agreed upon by the participating kingdoms. If no consensus can be reached, the details can be mediated by a kingdoms herald. Realms should be as fair as possible in determining conquest scheduling.
4.5 Heralding
4.5.1 There must be a campaign herald present to monitor army composition, victory conditions, and be the lead herald for the battles.
4.5.2 The head kingdoms herald is responsible for determining maximum army sizes, recording participants, and registering new fighters.
5.0 Vassal Realms
5.1 When a realm’s capital is attacked, the defending realm has the option to fight from a castle.
5.1.1 A castle is defined as an impenetrable wall with a single gate and two archer towers.
5.1.2 Archer towers can only be manned by archers and can only be attacked by missile weapons.
5.1.3 The gate must be a minimum of four feet across.
5.1.4 These are minimum standards. Castles may be more elaborate at the defender’s discretion.
5.2 If the defending realm loses a conquest battle for their capital, they become a vassal realm of the attacking realm.
5.3 All territory controlled by the defeated realm immediately returns to an uncontrolled status. If, at that time, a territory is threatened by only one realm, it may be annexed immediately. If an uncontrolled territory is threatened by more than one realm, it must be conquered as normal.
5.4 All vassal realms of a conquered kingdom immediately regain independent status with only uncontested territory.
5.5 Vassal realms become part of the conquering realm’s kingdom.
5.5.1 Realms in a Kingdom share attack ranges. A Kingdom’s army may be composed of fighters from any component realms.
5.5.2 A Kingdom army’s maximum size is determined by adding the maximum army sizes each component realm can project into a particular territory.
5.6 Vassal realms may attempt to rebel against their Kingdom’s capital.
5.6.1 One attempt to rebel can be made once every three months.
5.6.2 The Kingdom being rebelled against can not use the rebelling realm’s fighters and does not get additions to their maximum army size from that realm.
5.6.3 The rebelling realm may use a castle as if their capital was being attacked by an outside force.
5.6.4 If a vassal realm wins a rebellion, they are returned to an independent realm status, with no additional territory other than any uncontested territories they may be able to annex. If a vassal realm loses a rebellion, they remain a vassal to their Kingdom’s capital realm.
6.0 Mercenaries
6.1 If a realm is unable to fill their maximum army size with registered members from their own realm, they may hire mercenaries.
6.2 Mercenaries must be registered fighters and may be from any realm except the opposing realm.
6.3 The number of mercenaries hired is limited by two factors: The hiring army can only hire half the number of mercenaries as there are fighters from the kingdom, and the maximum army size must not be exceeded.
6.4 Mercenaries registered as fighters with an outpost realm are raiderss. Each raider mercenary counts as one-half fighter when calculating the number of mercenaries that can be hired. They count as one fighter when calculating maximum army size.
7.0 Alliances
7.1 When a territory is threatened by more than two realms, battling realms may make temporary alliances to conquer or defend that territory.
7.2 Alliances can be made on any terms however; only one realm may claim victory. Allied realms must either decide which realm will claim the county for their kingdom or agree that neither will claim control.
8.0 Units
8.1 Units registered in a kingdom can claim territories within that kingdom. This claim is separate from claims made by a realm.
8.2 The unit with the most registered fighters in a kingdom automatically claims the capital. This claim may be contested by another unit. If the defending unit is defeated, they can not attack the capital for one month.
8.3 Unit armies are composed of fighters registered as members of that unit.
8.3.1 Units can only claim territories within their own kingdom.
8.3.2 A unit’s army may include any number of registered unit members from that kingdom. It may also include as many unit members from other kingdoms as there are present from the home kingdom. It may not include any fighters registered with a different unit.
8.3.3 Maximum unit army size is not affected by distance and claims are not limited by connectivity.
8.4 Units may ally with other units present in that kingdom to defeat another unit. Only one unit may claim a territory however, so the allies must decide which unit will claim the territory if they should win.
8.5 Prior notice is not necessary for unit battles.
8.5.1 Units may challenge another unit at regular realm practices, but they are discouraged from doing so at non-kingdoms events.
8.5.2 There must be a kingdoms herald present to preside over the battles and record the participants.
8.6 Each unit may challenge another unit for control of a territory two times per calendar month. When a unit loses control of a territory it may not challenge that territory for one week.