Realms

Realms and Land Ownership

Welcome to the realm system of Lord of the Craft! This guide will help you understand the basics of land ownership and the different features that come with it.

Obtaining Land

To get land for your realm, you need to have at least 40 unique accounts attached to it. Once you have the required number of players, you can obtain land through an approval process from the implementation team and a fee of 25,000 mina upon creation (or 10,000 if you are being given a core tile from an existing realm). The application form can be found here. New realms can be established in any unowned land except adjacent to the capital tile of another realm. If there is an ongoing war when your realm is created, you may not participate in it (unless granted an exception by both sides).

If accepted, you will be given a free 2500 mina non-refundable LC region to facilitate your Capital build. Note that builds must conform with our build standards, and screenshots of build plans / assets must be provided as part of the application.

Activity Checks

To keep your realm active, you need to pass activity checks. These checks are conducted by an internal program and measure the activity of your realm. Activity is measured on two signals which are calculated based on a rolling-average of four weeks - online realm members, and players within your realm. The exact algorithm for how these are calculated is internal, though as a guideline you should maintain an average of 2% global activity, with an increase of 1% per core tile. Exterior tiles do not contribute to the expected activity increase.

• THRIVING

  • Both signals passing significantly above requirement.

• SLIGHTLY OVER

  • Both signals passing.

• SLIGHTLY UNDER

  • One or more signals failing, though close to the requirement.

• NOT MEETING

  • Both signals failing, or one signal significantly failing, eviction is imminent.

  • Core tiles will need to be evicted to bring down your requirement.

  • If the base 2% requirement is not being met, the realm may be dissolved.

  • Realm dissolution will require final approval by both the Tech + Mod Admins.

Tiles

There are two types of tiles within realms, core and exterior tiles. Core tiles represent the bustling, lived-in parts of a realm and may be used for settlements, forts, vassals, estates, etc. Exterior tiles represent the vast territorial claims realms may have, and may not be developed beyond small improvements like farms, mines, docks, camps, small outposts, shrines, etc.
 
Your capital tile is automatically a core tile. Additionally, your capital region may span multiple tiles with approval from the implementation team. One of these must be indicated as ‘true’ capital tile for administrative purposes.
 

Monetary Upkeep

To keep your land, you need to pay a monetary upkeep. The cost of this upkeep depends on the type of tiles you own. 

• Your capital costs 300 minas in upkeep; and

• Additional core tiles cost 300 minas each, and;

• Exterior tiles cost 100 minas each.

The upkeep will be automatically withdrawn from your treasury every Sunday. If you fail to pay your monetary upkeep and are unable to rectify the missed payment with staff, your realm will be dissolved.

Normal Expansion

If you want to expand your realm, you will need to pay for expansion.

• 10,000 minas to purchase an exterior tile.

• 5,000 minas to upgrade an exterior tile to a core tile.

To purchase a tile, it must border at least one of your other tiles, or your capital. Expanding into a tile bordering another realm’s capital is considered an act of war. Tile purchases or core upgrades after a declaration of war will have no effect on victory conditions or war pathing, and any vassals added to these tiles will be annexed automatically if/when your capital is taken.

Be aware that each new core tile increases your activity requirement by 1%. There is no activity-based limit on how many core tiles you can purchase at a time, though four weeks after acquisition your activity will be evaluated and may lose these tiles with no refund if you are not making the requirement.

Previously, the system permitted expansion from any core tile without the rule of two bordering tiles. Realms that expanded this way will not have any of that land considered exclaves or removed, but may not continue expanding from those tiles unless they purchase additional land to satisfy the expansion rules from their capital to the expansion point.
 

Tiles cannot be redrawn or split.

Exclave Expansion

An exclave is a region that is  not connected to your capital tile per the normal expansion rules. It must have at least one core tile with an active vassal on it, which functions as the vassal-capital of the exclave. The tile must be cored immediately, though you have a one month “establishing” phase to get the active vassal in place, or the land is lost. Upkeep for exclaves is an additional 50 minas per tile. The additional upkeep and vassal-capital requirement does not apply to exclaves created due to a conquest warclaim, unless you wish to start expanding from / upgrading tiles in that exclave. Tile dispersal or evictions that result in an exclave losing its vassal-capital will initiate a one-month “establishing” phase, after which there must be a new vassal-capital, or the land is lost.

Capital Relocation

Your capital may be relocated as long as you are not involved in a war and you may not join an ongoing war after a capital relocation (unless granted an exception by both sides). Your capital may only be moved with sufficient roleplay and a build, and the new location must adhere to the normal expansion bordering guidelines. If you wish to move your capital to a tile you do not own (or is not cored), you must first purchase and core it. Capitals may be moved to an exclave with consent of the vassal-capital’s leadership (or if the exclave is in the “establishing” phase), though this would turn the previous capital-connected land into an exclave. If the intention is to surrender the previous capital's lands upon relocation to an exclave, this exclave will be charged only an exterior tile's upkeep until the relocation, though this must be communicated to staff prior to tile acquisition.

Tile Dispersal / Downgrading

You can get rid of tiles in your realm using the following methods, note that you may not disperse of a tile if it results in a violation of normal expansion bordering guidelines:

• Exterior / vacant core tiles: Exterior tiles, or core tiles without vassals, may be abandoned or sold to another realm at any point. This will cause the tile to be removed from the realm. You can also downgrade a core tile to exterior at any time. When a tile is downgraded or abandoned you will receive a refund of 50% of the cost, given you owned the tile for at least 3 months and your realm is not pending dissolution or being downsized due to activity checks, for that case no refund is given.
• Occupied core tiles: If a tile you wish to disperse of contains a vassal, you may either expel them from the realm, transfer them to another realm, or evict them.
  • Eviction: Follow the process outlined in the region rules, after this you can abandon or sell the tile as outlined above.
  • Expulsion: One week notice (unless otherwise mutually agreed on) before they become their own realm, they may revolt during this time if they do not want independence.
    • They must meet the requirements for realm creation signatures.
  • Transfer: One week notice (unless otherwise mutually agreed on) until they transfer to another realm. The other realm must also be in agreement before the process begins. If the vassal does not wish to be transferred, they may declare a rebellion or revolution during this time.
     

Realm Merging

Two realms may agree to merge. One realm's capital must be designated the capital for administrative purposes. A one week notice will be given in both realms, during which time any vassals may rebel / revolt, unless all vassals agree to the merger. The merger may not proceed until any issues with vassals are resolved through.

Realm Dissolution

A realm may be dissolved by it's leadership, or by staff if upkeep or activity requirements have not been met, with a one week notice. During this time, any vassals may declare independence should they meet the realm creation requirements. A dissolution may also be stopped by a revolution. If the realm is being dissolved due to failure to pay upkeep, the relevant upkeep must be paid by any newly independent vassals, or in the event of a revolution, the new leadership.

Administration Features

As a realm owner, you have access to several administration features. Every feature is free, aside from carts. 

Multiple within the realm:

• Carts: 

  • These allow your players to fast-travel across your lands. Carts are only allowed for use within the realm, and not to anywhere outside of your lands.

  • Upkeep Cost

    • Carts require a standard upkeep cost per week based on the distance they travel. The further the distance, the higher the cost. Keep this in mind when deciding where to send your carts, and how much to charge as a usage fee.

  • Usage Fee

    • Realm leaders can optionally determine the price players pay for using carts. A separate price can be set for realm members and non-members.

One within the realm:

• Soul Beacon: 

  • Location where realm members can always soulstone to. This will be where new players have their soulstone set when leaving cloud temple should they select your realm.

  • This location can be viewed with /rg info realm_<realm_id> and looking at the region coordinates.

  • Please make a /treq to update this location.

• Default Mine: 

  • This is a free mine that comes with each realm. You can use it to gather resources and materials.

• Treasury: 

  • Hold your realm’s mina. It is free, and you can have one per realm.

  • Treasuries have sub-accounts for the realm’s leadership to manage.

    • Each account has a transaction ledger that allows managers to review outgoing and incoming payments.

    • You can link shops to any treasury account.

One per core-tile within a realm:

• Green Soulstone Pillar: 

  • These allow your players to travel to your realm. 

• Banks: 

  • NPCs that allow players to store their mina.

• Aviaries: 

  • These allow you to send messages to other players.

• Bells: 

  • These allow you to send a roleplay-valid Discord message to a channel from in-game; useful for events, attacks, or other RP announcements.