Thursday, July 28, 2011

Pro & Con of the NLS

Okay, here's more boring thoughts about the NLS. - So if you don't have to deal with the Nutri Life System, then you don't have to read this. :-)

In theory it would be really nice, although it still has some weak-points. One of the weak-points is, that some of the "roles" you can chose in the hud, don't have any special skills. Or at least I haven't figured them out. Like for instance I don't know, what my special skills as "trader" would be. Or a warrior, or a builder, or an initiate... - While an ironworker seems to be the most important role as he can handle the forge and make tools, a healer can make medicine, and slaves seem to be multi-talented anyways, the other roles seem to be worthless. I don't even understand, why in the beginning a high caste role gets more coins in his hud then a trader, as in the books the merchants and slavers ALWAYS been the really rich people (therefore my groupname "Gold knows no caste") and therefore the ones with power and influence.

Another weak-point - as Misha already mentioned in the comment to the last article - is that it is all in German. For me of course no problem, but for otheres there is. Especially they seem to confuse the currency, so the prices for goods are very, very different on the certain markets. - So, here's some words about the money-system:

1 GT = 1 Gold Tarn = 100 ST
1 ST = 1 Silver Tarsk = 100 KT
1 KT = 1 Copper Tarsk = 100 TS
1 TS = 1 Copper Tarsk bit (bit!!!)

I wrote a while ago about the money-system in Gor and also about the problem, that John Norman wasn't logical (as so often) when he wrote about that. Like once mentioned, for 1 KT you get a paga + a slave girl for the night in the taverne. In another book mentioned, that for 5 KT you get a whole meal in a taverne. On another page mentioned, that a simple worker earned about 5-7 KT per day. But then again in another book mentioned, that boys in one of the oasises in the tahari got 1 KT for every customer they brought to the taverne. - So, we can't really rely on John Norman in this.
Maybe the easiest would be to relate 1 KT = 1 U$. After all John Norman started to write the books in the 60s and there's propably inflation on Gor too? So for a cup of paga you would easily pay 3-4 KT?
Now the problem is, that I know places - from the creator of the HUD-sytem himself, where you can SELL paga for 3 KT. Which is way too much, I guess. The economy would only work like this: A farmer grows suls and sa-tarna. He sells it to a brewer (or a trader who then sells it to the brewer). The brewer would make paga from it and sell it to a trader. A trader would sell it to the taverne-keepers. The taverne-keepers sell it to their guests. - And each of them make a bit of profit.
That's basics. But it will not work. Cause slaves just make some paga themselves.. because they can (OOC)... and put it in the taverne, where it is given out for free. And because the sources are endless. Everybody can go and harvest Sa-tarna, Sul, Larma, milk a bosk, hunt a tarsk... I think that's another weak-point of the NLS. If a Sa-Tarna field would take some time before it can be harvested - and if it was just 24 hours - then the peasant who would be responsible for it - would have a better eye on it. The warriors would need to protect the fields, so nobody actually steals from them and only the authorized people (the peasant in this case) can harvest it. Things like that.
Yesterday I heard the slaver has a lot of black wine beans. Fine. So why the heck does a slaver have black wine beans which only grow in the city of Thentis and are more valuable then gold? Did he travel? Did he RP? I don't think so. - Well, I don't blame or judge him. It's just an example why the system will not work.
Another point is, that it would be a lot of work. Traders have to RP trading. Farmers have to RP harvesting and selling their goods. Bakers have to RP baking. Brewers have to brew. Physicians would have to take money for their service. And tavern-keepers for their paga and meals. Then there had to be scribes as taxmen who collect taxes from the farmers, traders, bakers, brewers, physicians, tavernkeepers... From these taxes  the warriors would be paid to protect the city/village.
THAT would be a fine system, but it would be a lot of RP and work. But people are people. We were willing to do it. We were RPing traveling, trading, I BOUGHT most of the goods, sold them somewhere else with profit, bought more... But I think me and my boys are the only ones who take it really serious. "It's just a game!", you may say, but: If you don't take it serious, then why use the system at all? If you don't make the best out of it, then it is just a waste of time.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The trading travel

Okay, this post is of no interest for most of my readers (those 3). It's just an example for a trading travel.
So, we have this new Nutri Life System now. In theory it's quite nice. Exactly what I was looking for as a merchant and what I missed at the Gorean Meter (Yes, they missed the chance).
With this system you can hunt animals (bosk, tarsk, verr) harvest trees and fields, chop wood etc. etc. Then you can work with this rawmaterial. Make meals with different ingredients, make fire and so on. Oh, and of course SELL IT! Which for me as merchant in Gor is very important.
The thought of this system is good. You chose your role in the hud and you will have certain skills. Like an ironmaker can make tools, a healer can make medicine, a slave can cook.... I haven't found out what the special skills of a trader are though.
There are different climates like northern, moderate, tropic and desert. And some things only grow in a special region. - So far, so good. But the system is not very conceived yet, I think. The thought would be to encourage RP between SIMs... different regions... like salt only available in the desert, therefor cheap there, expensive in the north. Or leather and tabukhorn cheap in the north, valuable in the south. But 1. people don't take that chance for interactive RP between SIMs, and 2. the creator also offers "global" regions, which have just everything. Well, keeps them independent and they don't need to interact with other SIMs, but why then using the system at all?
Another weak point is the "beaming". Yes, we just click "teleport to" and voila - we are 2000 miles south. Quickly buy some salt and with another click teleport back home. So what's the sense of being a merchant and actually really ROLEPLAY the travels?
That's why I post this as an example. Maybe the one or other Gorean reader really thinks about "just jumping" to another SIM. Of course it didn't take me 6 or 7 weeks to RP this, but at least IC I was away for that time.
I already founded a group for everyone free to join, called "NLS Gold knows no Caste". To support a global system and sychronize prices etc. But about that I will write later....


**************


Franziskus, the merchant and harbourmaster of Kalana Fjord, made his ship ready and sailed with his slaves south to get goods, which won't grow in the cold north, no matter how hard the brave residents of Kalana Fjord try.
After a one hands (=Gorean week, 1 Gorean week = 5 days) travel with his ship, he and his slaves arrived on the islands of Tabor. Not the best friends of Torvaldslands, but Franziskus is a merchant; what does he care about the wargames of the warriors?

While his second boy stayed at the ship, he took his first boy with him to the market. His eyes widened as he noticed all the riches in the marketstalls, his mouth watered at the promise of making good trades. He bought tools and flour and blackwine powder, cacao... oh, and of course bazitea for the tearoom-lady (which - as he later heard - left the village).... and some more blackwine powder as he knew the addiction of the first boy of Kalana Fjord (and his own), though the beans are more precious then gold and not many can afford the bitter liquid... too precious actually for a thrall, but then again... that boy is always busy and on the run, so if his Master spoils him with that very special and luxurious liquid... who cares? The better for the merchant to sell him more of the precious powder. - With these thoughts he ordered just another sack.

So, Franziskus and his first boy strolled the market. More and more barrels and sacks he purchased and put on his slave's back. While he negotiated with a trader from Thentis about more blackwine-powder he pointed over his shoulder "Go and see if you find salt and sugar... oh, and paga and sulpaga... and maybe more bazi-tea for the tealady, my lil sunshine"
"Yes, my Master!", answered the slave and ran to search the stalls. As he came back, catching for breath, he reported: "I seen the tea on the same stall as the coco powder, my Master."
The boy's belly rumbled and he licked his lips at the sight of a ramberry pie, hopefully he looked to his Master, but such was too busy negotiating with a bee-keeper about the prices for honey, and only told his slave over his shoulder "I think the tea-room lady needs much tealeaves, mine"
A kajirus was sneaking between the marketstalls. Curiously he watched the traveling Master and his kajirus. As the merchant with his hands full of glases of honey, turned around, he almost stumbled over the slave "Aiiii! Tal, kajirus!", balancing the jars in his hand.
"Greetings, Master. Greetings, kajirus.", the slave answered in a soft voice
River returned and pointed to another corner of the market "I have found better quality tools, my Master", he said and then noticed the other slave, greeting him.
The other slave scurried back and apologized: "Master this one begs forgiveness, jai did not mean to startle you", but the merchant just shrugged and reached the glasses to his boy who was already heavy sweating from the weight of the southern goods. "No worries, boy", he said while packing his boy like a donkey. Then he looked around "Your peasants have been busy, huh? - I'm a merchant from far North. Many things not grow in our cold lands."
The kajirus nodded quickly, his inky hair falling about his eyes "Yes, Master, the village is excited to have the market. There are even traders from various lands, Master"
Franziskus nodded "Aye, I understand that. Your land must be quite rich!". From the corner of his eyes he watched his boy struggling to keep hold of the shovels and scythe as well as the sacks and honey.
The other boy shrugged. He reached down to adjust himself while he answered: "I guess, Master", but he said it with a sigh, as slave not understanding the monatary concept of Gor.
The merchant from the north looked at his boy "Did you see candies, my lil sunshine? The barrel in our kitchen is mysteriously getting more and more empty..." He smirked at his slave, then reached for the boy's hips, pinching to check if his lovehandles have grown.
"I did see the candy, my Master", the slave answered and licked his lips thinking of how nice the sweet taste of candy is. The other slave peeked arond the boy and saw the barrel of cherry candy, his mouth watering trying to remember the last time he had a piece.
But the merchant was too busy worrying for his boy struggling under the weight of all the errands. He reached into his wallet and grabbed some copper bits, holding it to his boy's lips so he could place them under his slave's tongue "Go and see if you can rent a cart somewhere, mine!"
"ess, mu mather", his slave mumbled with his mouth full.......
While the slave hurried away to find a cart to rent, the merchant turned to the other boy: "Hmmmm... mine said there was candy.... do you know, where it is, boy?"
"Yes, Master!", he answered and quickly scurried over and pointed to the barrel of cherry candy.
"Ah, when my boy gets the cart it will be easier for him.", the merchant said, looking around for his boy he saw him negotiating with a trader, placing the coins from his mouth into the traders hand and then placing the goods on a cart. He pulled it back to where his master was waiting.
"My Master, the trader said we can leave it at the dock."
Fanziskus nodded "Ah, that's good.", and turned to the crate with candies. He picked one of the candies between thumb and finger, turning it before his eyes. Then he looked at his slave "Come here now, mine. Kneel!"
"Yes, my Master", the slave answered quickly and knelt before the wagon. He looked up to his master.
Franziskus with a soft smile picked another candy "The best way to check the quality of candy is.....", he held the candy to his boy's lips and continued with a soft smile: ".... the soft tongue of a slave"
River licked his lips in anticipation, then dutifully opened his mouth waiting till his master placed the candy on his tongue. He moaned softly as the sweet candy tantalises his taste buds. He sucked on the sweet candy with pleasure.
The merchant of Kalana Fjord turned to the other boy and fed him with candy too, but the boy only opened his mouth slightly and carefully bit down on the candy. The merchant with a short laugh pushed the cherry candy deeper into the boy's mouth, then brushed a finger over his cheek. "Don't be so shy, boy!"
With his arms crossed he watched both of the slaves, waiting for their reaction. A smile on his lips as his first boy closed his eyes, relishing the flavour and sugaryness of it. "Mmmm, tank u, mu Mafter" he mumbled, dribbling a little down his chin. The other boy rolled the candy around on his tounge, a smile crossed as the sweetness begins to coat his mouth "Tank yew, Masser", he said too, a bit of drool running down his chin. He reached up whiping it with the back of his hand.
"Now, boys? How's the quality? Good?", Franziskus asked, as if the beaming faces of the slaves wouldn't tell more then 1000 words.
"Cady ish hood, ma Mafter", his boy ansered and nodded enthusiastically.
The other boy nodded too: "yus, Masster"
The merchant looked content and turned to the candymaker, ordering some boxes of candy. Some for his own use, others for selling it in the north.
His boy swallowed the last of his candy and looked up to his master in hope. As his Master saw the happy smile on the slaves' faces grinne and picked another two candies out from his recent purchase "One more for later?"
"Oh yes, please, my Master!"
Franzi grined and reached for another two candies, giving one of each to the boys. "Keep it for later". They quickly tucked it away and thanked him with happy faces. He looked at the slave who was obviously from Tabor: "How are you called, pretty one?"
"They call this one Jai, Master"
"Ah, Jai... very well." He smiled at the slave and ruffled the interesting hair "My regards to your busy peasants. I think I will soon come back to do more errands for trading with the north". The he looked at his own boy and mumbled more to himself "Hmmm, my lil sunshine seems to be tired. We should see to take the ship back"
"Yes, my Master", River answered and stood up, taking hold of the barrow again.
The merchant snipped his fingers "To the ship, my lil sunshine! Time to travel home!" He waved and winked to the other kajirus "Safe paths, Jai", then took his way to the docks.




The next morning the ship left the harbor. But not towards north. South they went, took a short stop at Bazi, but it wasn't the time for the tea-harvest, so they continued traveling to the Port of Schendi. At the harbour of Schendi the ship entered mainland. Through the jungles of Schendi the travel went. Often the river got so tight that they couldn't sail and the seamen had to row. Further and further inlands, one hand they traveled until the jungle got lighter, reaching the southern prairies, and another hand until they reached their destination point: Kurzal.
From there Franziskus joined a caravane inwards. He left his seamen and his slaves in the city to regain their power after the exhausting passage along the river. After another 2 days the caravane finally reached the Oasis of Klima. Formerly the City of slaves [note: As far as I remember it actually still should be. There were no women in Klima and it was only salt-mines, full of male slaves. Not a "city" like it is in SL-Gor], now a rich city... rich from the trading with the famous salt of Klima.
Soon after his arrival, the merchant from the north entered the vivid market, after passing the guards. He wiped the sweat from his face, not used to the hot temperatures. Soon he got into negotiations with different merchants. He wondered that he not only found the salt he was looking for, but even cheap Sul-paga and Sa-Tarna paga. He would never have expected, that they can offer it so cheap there in the south, as there obviously won't grow much suls and sa-tarna in the desert.
However he didn't show his surprise, instead he haggled with the merchant "HOW MUCH should the sul-paga cost?!?", and then started to whine about his spendthrift FC and kids, not to mention the slaves, which were always hungry, how pleasing otherwise they might be....
He did as if he wouldn't understand the strange accent of the merchant ((RP was in German)) negotiating about at least 10 barrels of Sul Paga, as the sul-harvest in the north this year wasn't very fruitful. [[Okay, really... not reasonable. Sul Paga, Sa Tarna Paga... such thinks should be EXPENSIVE in the desert. There just wouldn't grow any Sul or Sa Tarna. While Salt should be cheap, which it wasn't]]
As Franzi in spite of all his whining and complaing wasn't successful to get a discount, he at least could negotiate about a good price to hire a caravane for the way back to Kurzal. With the feeling he still made a good business and already counting the copper tarsks in his mind, he continued his tradings. He stops on another marketstall, when an old woman is offering flour and Blackwine-powder [[Again: such things in the desert???]] Testing the flour with a wet finger, he wonders about the cheap price the woman tells him for a full sack of it, but he shows his best pokerface. He considers to hire a bigger caravane, ordering several sacks of the flour and - of course - even more blackwine powder.
The whole day he was busy negotiating, haggling, buying goods cheap, which would be expensive in the north - if available at all. At the late afternoon, after he got a small meal in one of the tavernes, he rested a bit in the shadows of palms as a slave girl approached him.
"Greetings, Master. Can I help you?", she asked.
Franziskus looked over to the caravane, where the workers for some copper bits were loading the exotic pack animals. Then he turned his gaze to the girl "Tal, kajira". He pointed over to the caravane "I got almost everything what I need for my people in the north. I come from far... far... FAR away.", he said and pointed towards west, always bad with directions.
The girl smiled and her eyes wandered down the body of the the merchant, wondering about his strange clothes of leather and fur.
Franzi continued "I hoped to find Cacao powder, but unfortunately.. nothing"
The kajiar answered with a smile "A long way you got before you, Master. Better you fill your waterbladders well." Then she shook her head "But cacao... ? No, I don't we have that here, Master."
She wished him safe paths and with his permission returned to one of the tents, swinging her hips seductively.The merchant watched her leaving, his eyes fixed on her swaying butt. But then he turned over and continued his little nap.
As the sun went down at the horizon, he got up. Better to travel at night, when the Tahari isn't too hot....



Three days later he was back in Kurzal. The ship was laying deep in the water after all the sacks of salt, the barrels of paga were loaded. With the ship so heavy now, it took them even longer for the way back through the plains and the jungle. Three hands they traveled and another 8 days until they finally reached the north.
The merchant's heart jumped as they saw the coast of Torvaldsland, although deep inside still a child of the south, he felt like coming home. Too long he had been away....



Wednesday, July 20, 2011

and for the good things

I really have to take more pictures again.....

The moves in Kalana Fjord are done. We joined a cluster called Ironhall. It's far north of Gor. Torvaldsland, the equivalent to the vikings. Though straight SIMs they seem nice so far. (Of course you also find idiots like anywhere else)

They use the Nutrilife System, which is a hud to encourage RP. You have to collect and prepare food, you have to eat, you can get ill, then you need medicine. It also has a coin-trading system in it.... We still have to figure it all out, but it seems to be fun (hopefully not so much work that we don't have time for other stuff).

And we finally started roleplaying again. My boy Endy was caught by a kur. By a kur with a cold. *grins* And threatened to kill him when he doesn't bring him medicine. So we went on travels north to find a healer (and to meet new people). It was nice to finally have some RP again, even if I think I'm a bit rusty...

I really wished I had taken pictures....

Bitchy me

And another time got a bit upset yesterday. - I don't like to be so bitchy, but sometimes enuff is enuff. I worked hard on the City of Corcyrus. More then two months day and night... no time for RP, no time for relaxation, no time for my slaves, no time for RL... even jeopardizing my health (and still suffering from it)... But I've done it with love. Love for building and love for creating beauty and love for (most) of the residents of Corcyrus, which (almost) all were very nice and friendly to me and my boys.

A creation like this would at least cost 2000 U$ upwards (I even heard of prices up to 15.000 U$). But I've done it for free. Is that stupid? Maybe. But I've done it for the mentioned love. And I've done it for my reputation as builder. The conditions for that were, that 1. the buildings remain my property and 2. they keep untouched. Whatever they FURNISH inside... I don't care.

But now some individuals think they have to "improve" the building to their own (tasteless) taste. So who the hell do they think they are that THEY have to "improve" something when 1000s of others say it's perfect in it's beauty already? So I get building-parts sent back, doors, walls and building-components arriving in my lost-and-found folder, they exchange it with their own stuff and when they can't, they put walls and floors OVER mine. Like a rustic wooden floor (!) to the marble-walls. *shudders*
If someone wants changes in his private rooms, I'm the first one to come and help. That's not a problem. But all within limits! A healer who doesn't like the green tapestry in the infirmary because she doesn't like the color green? Gosh! Go and join another caste!!! (for those who are not familiar with Gor: Gor has castes and each caste has it's own color. The color of physicians is... guess what!... green! duh!)
And apart from that - you can't be everybody's darling. They want big changes today, and the next day they will leave anyways. They know, but they will try anyways to see how far they can go and get their own will. If you allow it, there would be changes bit by bit, step by step... and soon it would be a cacophony of individual prims and not a matching unity.

So, yes! I'm bitchy about that and scare some people with temper tatrums. But I'd rather delete it all then watch the Jewel of the Vosk becoming uglier day by day...


Monday, July 18, 2011

The move


Now the City of Corcyrus is finished and I hoped to get some rest and time to relax, but this isn't so. I started to sort my inventory on thursday; of course after all that building it's messier then ever! At least I got it down from 35.000 to 33.600 again. And I LOVE the Kinex-texture organizer which makes sorting textures (and then box it up and delete it from the inventory) so much easier. But of course it still takes time and will need some more weeks of sorting. However I hope, that then I'll be under 20.000 again, when this work is done. But hanging around in undies on my building-platform and sorting textures is kinda relaxing.

The weekend was quite stressing. Mostly because of RL work with long shifts. And then because still struggling with connection-problems. Haven't solved those yet (since I'm on windows 7) and it sucks! And with all the fighting against crashes we tried to move our house in Kalana Fjord as the SIM now finally moved and joined the ironhall-cluster.

They use a RP-system there which is called "Nutrilife". It seems interesting, but again: Something new to learn. *sighs* I just hope, that at the end it won't keep us too busy with cooking and hunting and milking bosks and picking larmas... so that we won't have time for real RP anymore. Well, we will see... We will also see about some other things, which I won't talk about here in "public".

And then there's the firestorm viewer... I heard rumours, that SL1 and Phoenix soon won't work anymore, so better get used to the firestorm-viewer, which is phoenix' answer to SL2.0, now. I downloaded it and took a short look. Moaned and shut it down. But I guess I better get used to it soon.

Oh well, and then there's the shop. Wanted to change some things there too and have a lot of new items I should get ready for sales.

Soooo.... relaxation? Not this year!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

finis

And this is, what I was busy for the last two months+

Monday, July 11, 2011

Just a little pride...

Some years ago someone said about my building-skills, I'd be just dropping prefabbed prims and every idiot can do that... Well, I am now almost finished with the City of Corcyrus and although it isn't even officially opened yet, it is in traffic already among the first 5 Gorean SIMs (and there are several 100). And a part of it I think is because people want to see the city, many want to stay and live there and they bring their friends in too. My boys call me a "Master Builder" and the visitors and citizens of Corcyrus are full of praise, some calling it even "A piece of art". I for myself don't see me as Master-Builder. I am still struggling with scripts and sculpts - two skills a Master-Builder in my opinion would have to posess. But I think I have decent skills and I love to create and I have taste combined with being good in mathematics and an eye for details plus - thanks to OCD - a certain.. obsession.
However, I'm a little bit proud of what I created there, although I know.. thinking about it... having more time... and more prims... I know, I could do better. :-)

Anywho... I'm getting a bit tired of not having time for other things, so I hope this week the work will be done. Then we can move back to our Gorean home in Kalana Fjord, which is moving to another cluster. I'm looking forward to a certain RP-system they are using there. And I guess as it has German basics, I have a bit of advantage.

Friday, July 1, 2011

still busy building

Just a short comment to leave, that I'm still busy building that city. Getting a bit tired of it as I got no time to do anything else. Hopefully it will be ready somewhat next week.

And these days often an old song goes through my mind. Those people around me know why!