Population Centers

The term "population center" refers collectively to cities, towns and villages. These account for virtually all the revenue and food production in Alamaze. Each has a certain civilian population, capacity for defense, and level of food and gold production. Also, each bears its own name. In addition, population centers serve as the base of operations for political emissaries, agents, fanatics and the High Priestess.

• Production. A king's military must be fed and paid each month (game turn) in order to preserve

their capacity for combat. The quantity of food and gold production indicated for each population center reflects the net amount available to the controlling power after the needs of the populace are taken into account. Production levels and defensive capacity may be raised by the controlling king by issuing the appropriate order to do so (and paying the applicable resource cost). From these available resources a king can feed and outfit his groups or indicate which groups must fend for themselves.

• Cities are the primary source of revenue for a kingdom. Revenue (gold) produced in a city is

normally about three times greater than that produced in a town. Cities also have the largest defensive capabilities. However, cities are normally net consumers of food rather than producers. A king needs towns and villages to produce adequate food for his military.

• Towns are the next best source of revenue, and also produce food which is available to the

controlling king. They share with villages the advantage of being inconspicuous, ie, they are not shown on the map and must be discovered. There are over 60 towns scattered throughout Alamaze.

• Villages are the smallest population centers but are the breadbaskets of Alamaze, accounting for

about 75% of the total food production. There are over 70 villages hidden on the map. Control. Population centers are either controlled or neutral. As the campaign begins, over half of all population centers are uncontrolled. Players may gain or lose control of population centers by either military or political means (described later).

• Capitol. Each kingdom maintains one population center as its capitol. The capitol is where reinforcements will arrive and where prisoners taken by your kingdom are held. A capitol cannot

be usurped (Order# 330), rebelled (Order# 320), or taken control of by means other than military attack (Order# 150) or siege (Order# 190).

Population centers have a + /- modifier to adjust how they defend compared to the stated defensive values. Defenders in the capitol always fight at the highest level in order to protect The Realm. A group attacking a population center generally should have an attack value verses population centers that is at least twice the defense of the PC.

Towns and villages often have their values increased with Order-600 or Spell-603. When a PC obtains a sufficiently high gold production word of this will reach to all the other kingdoms. A capitol is unable to be relocated (Order-355) if it is under siege.