ip_Building_a_Village|Building a Village
ip_Building_a_Village_text|Once you have over a hundred men in your army you can build a village from the camp menu. ^^ This is the dark ages, and new villages and settlements rose and fell regularly.^ Using your troops to found a village will remove them from your party, its suggested you leave your best troops at a camp quarters and raise low teir troops that can used for the village founding. ^^ If you are not yet part of a kingdom, founding a village will also found a new kingdom under your rule. ^ Your court will be established at the village and can be lost if raided. ^^Villages can also be upgraded into towns.
ip_armies_size|Army Size
ip_armies_size_text|The size of your army, similar to the armies of the lords, depends on several factors:^^Leadership: each point will increase the maximum size of your army by 5. Companions with Leadership help lead the party.^^Charisma: each point of your charisma will increase the maximum size of your army by 1. It is your ability to attract men to your cause.^^Renown: every 9 points will increase the maximum size of your army by 1. Fame attracts followers.^^Holdings: every town will add 80 men and each fort 40 to the maximum size of your army. These spots represent men you can raise through a levy.^^Bear in mind that party size at sea is restricted by ship capacity. Extra troops can always be left at a settlement garrison, player Refuge (once built), or any Camp Quarters.
ip_morale|Morale
ip_morale_text|Morale represents the ability and willingness of the troops in a party to summon up the endurance, bravery, and discipline they need to face the stresses of battle and the march. It is not the same thing as the troops' happiness. Elite troops may grumble and whine about the hardships of campaigning -- but then stand together as one when the arrows start to fly. On the other hand, a commander who gives his men everything they want may find that they grow soft, and waiver before the enemy's charge.^^ Morale's greatest impact is on a party's behavior in battle, determining how aggressively troops engage the enemy, and how likely they are to break and run if they perceive the tide of battle turning against them. Morale also affects a party's march speed, as a less motivated party will move more slowly, as the men are not pushing themselves to their physical limit, and pause more frequently, as it waits for stragglers to catch up. Finally, a party with very low morale will start to suffer desertions.^^ Some factors that affect morale are intuitive. For example, a charismatic commander with a reputation for winning battles can infuse his or her men with a sense of confidence. Leaders who give their men well ample and varied supplies of food, and pay them on time, demonstrate that they care about their troops' welfare, and are less likely to lead them into disaster.^^ Other factors are less intuitive -- particularly those related to a party's sense of group cohesion. In a small tight-knit party, for example, men will often fight hard against daunting odds to avoid showing cowardice before their comrades-in-arms. A large party on the other hand may see its cohesion strained, as the commander has less time to supervise the men, listen to their grievances, and resolve their disputes. Frequent battles will strengthen the bonds between men, while long periods without combat will see the troops become bored and quarrelsome.^^ The morale report, accessibly by hitting the 'reports' button will give the player a sense of the factors affecting his or her men's morale.
ip_economy|Economy
ip_economy_text|Towns and villages in these lands need a wide variety of goods for their populations to remain healthy and productive. First in importance is food. Grain is the staple crop of the Isles, but people also need fat and protein in the form of meat, fish, or cheese. It takes almost as much work to preserve meat as to produce it in the first place, so salt is also in high demand. After food comes clothing: heavy wool, lighter linens, or luxurious velvet. Finally, people need the tools of their trade: ironware, pottery, leatherware, and, of course, arms, armor, and horses for war.^^Most agricultural products are produced in the villages, while artisans in the towns specialize in manufactured or artisanal goods like fabrics or ironware. Also, different resources can be found in different parts of the country. Consequently, the key to prosperity in Calradia is trade -- both between the villages and the towns, and between the major towns themselves.^^When trade flows, goods will be available and affordable, the population of a center will be healthy and energetic, and migrants will flock from the nearby regions. The center will produce more, consume more, and be able to contribute more in taxes to their lords. When trade dries up, towns and villages will see their workers flee to seek work elsewhere, and economic activity will drift to a stand-still. Thus, it is in the interests of rulers to protect trade routes from the hazards of war and banditry. A smart merchant, however, may want to seek out towns which have become isolated from the rest of the land, as he or she may be able to turn a tidy profit from the resulting price imbalances.^^Because villagers usually plan to take their goods to market in towns, village markets will be rather quiet places, and villagers will buy cheap and sell dear. Serious merchants will stick to the towns to make a profit, although some parties may decide to make a quick stop in a village to acquire supplies.^^A player who wants to know about the factors affecting a region's prosperity can speak to the guildmaster of the local town. Other information can be gleaned from passers-by, although they might not know very much outside of their own particular trade.
ip_courtship|Courtship
ip_courtship_text|Players may wish to marry into one of these lands noble families. Marriage is not necessary for a player to rise in power and stature, but it does provide players with an opportunity to improve their relation with lords and establish a claim to the throne.^^Marriage requirements will be different for males and females. A male character will usually need to pursue a traditional path of courtship. He should establish a reputation in the Isles aristocratic society, get on good terms with his bride's parents or guardians, and then woo the lady according to local custom. If a player grows impatient, he may attempt to take a shortcut -- but there will be consequences in his relations with other lords.^^A male character should keep in mind that other lords will be competing with him for the affections of the kingdom's ladies. Also, a lady's tastes are unpredictable, and a player may also find that the object of his love does not love him in return. Romance, in Calradia as elsewhere, does not always prosper. Of course, a player may resort to other, less gentlemanly means of winning a lady's heart, but again, that will have a serious impact on his reputation.^^To get started on the path of courtship, a male player should try to get involved in the social life of the Isles aristocracy, attending feasts and tournaments. Also, wandering troubadours and poets can serve as a useful repository of information on courtship, and keep the player up to date about the latest gossip.^^Female characters can also marry -- but they should keep in mind that society is very traditional, and, as adventurers, they have chosen a very unconventional path for a woman. A female character may have to look for a while to find a lord who is open-minded enough to marry her.^^On the bright side, a female character does not have to go through the elaborate rituals of courtship, and she also may gain more from a marriage than her male counterpart. For a woman adventurer, marriage can be a quick path to power -- and an unscrupulous character may be able to use her husband as a tool of her political ambitions.
ip_politics|Politics
ip_politics_text|The realms of the Isles, although they represent different cultures, all adhere to the same basic political system: feudalism. Feudalism is based on the relationships between individuals: the oaths of loyalty given by a vassal to his or her liege. In exchange for this oath, the vassal will usually receive a fief, a parcel of land whose income will be used by the vassal to raise troops to support the liege in time of war. A liege also has an obligation to protect his vassals, and to treat them justly.^^This is how it works in theory, anyway. In practice, vassals will not always work in their factions' interests, particular as they are often quarreling with one another. Nobles have different personalities, and sometimes those personalities clash. Or, perhaps two nobles were once friends, but fell out over in the aftermath of a setback or a defeat -- or because they both were wooing the same lady. Jealousies will also surface as they vie for the favor of the king -- perhaps over newly conquered lands, or over who will be given the coveted office of marshal, the lord in charge of organizing large-scale campaigns.^^When one realm in the Isles makes war on another, the political unity of the each kingdom is as important as the quality or number of its soldiers in determining the outcome. In a cohesive kingdom, nobles will join together in a large force to sweep their opponents before them. In a kingdom divided by petty quarrels, lords will fail to respond to the marshal's summons, or drift away to attend to their own business if a campaign is not going well. A faction's political cohesion will also impact warfare when campaigns are not in progress. In a divided faction, lords will be less likely to join together on raids and patrols, and come to each other's defense.^^If it seems self-defeating for nobles to bicker and quarrel when the enemy is just over the horizon, keep this in mind -- ultimately, a noble's loyalty goes not to a particular faction or culture, but to himself and to his family. If a noble fears that his faction is collapsing, or if he is being neglected by his liege, he can usually find a reason to withdraw his oath of allegiance, and change sides. Players should keep this in mind, as they may find that there are opportunities to turn discontented former enemies into allies.
ip_character_backgrounds|Character Backgrounds
ip_character_backgrounds_text|A player character in these lands may choose to come from a variety of social backgrounds. This choice will affect not just his or her starting skills and equipment, but also the course of his or her career as an adventurer.^^War and politics in these lands are traditionally dominated by male aristocrats. A nobleman player character may find that he is invited into this 'old boys' club' fairly quickly, but women and commoners may face a few extra hurdles on the way. If you choose to start the game as a male nobleman, you can think of it as the 'easy' setting. Starting as a noblewoman or a male commoner is somewhat more difficult, and starting as a female commoner is probably the most challenging way to begin a game.^^However, women have some starting advantages. Simply by taking up arms, a female warrior will draw attention to herself, and she may find that she can build up her reputation faster than a male. Also, it is traditionally easier for a woman to marry up the social ladder than it is for a man, and a woman may find she can gain more from a strategic marital alliance than her male counterpart.^^Finally, keep in mind that the game does not place any limits on the upward mobility of characters based on their background. Noble or common, male or female, married or unmarried -- anyone can rise to become ruler of all these lands, if they are sufficiently brave, lucky, or resourceful.
ip_military_campaigns|Military Campaigns
ip_military_campaigns_text|When kingdoms in the Isles go to war, their armies have two basic offensive options. They can try to attack villages and lay waste to the countryside, damaging their enemy's prestige and economy. Or, they can try to seize and hold castles or towns, taking territory This second option can involve long, bloody sieges, but will yield more decisive results.^^It is important to note that the realms of these lands do not field standing armies, which remain in the field as long as the ruler desires. Rather, realms are protected by feudal levies comprised of the major nobles and their individual retinues. Sometimes, these nobles launch their own private attacks into enemy territory, but the most decisive events will usually take place when the great hosts are assembled. The kingdom's marshal, a noble appointed by the king, will summon the host before the campaign and lead them out to battle. However, he should be careful not to keep them in the field too long. Otherwise, the host will begin to disintegrate, as the vassals drift off to pursue their own business, and the army will be vulnerable to a counter-attack.^^For this reason, the rhythm of wars in these lands often resemble the rhythm of a duel between two individual combatants. One side will gather its strength and seek to land a blow against the enemy's territory. If the marshal spends too little time gathering the vassals, he may not be able to do any real damage. If he spends too much time, then the campaign may end before it has even begun. A large realm will have an advantage over a smaller one, just as a brawny combatant has an edge over a smaller foe, but a realm's political cohesion can also be a factor, just as a fighter with great stamina can outlast her opponent. Sometimes, the armies of two realms will meet head on, resulting in a major battle in which both numbers and morale will decide the outcome.^^Kingdoms will have imperfect intelligence about their enemies. Attacking lords will need to frequently scout enemy territory to determine which fortresses may be vulnerable. An army defending its homeland will benefit from the alarms raised by castles and towns, which broadcast intelligence about enemy movements in the area. Such intelligence will be imprecise, however, particularly when it comes to numbers. A defending force which sets out to raise a siege or rescue a village may be able to overwhelm an unprepared attacker -- or it may miscalculate, and find that it is the one to be overwhelmed. Attackers, in turn, must be careful how far they advance into enemy territory, with aggressive marshals venturing further than cautious ones.^^Players will be expected to join in their faction's military campaign, either by joining the host, or by scouting ahead into enemy territory. Some players may find that their realm's marshal is too cautious, or too aggressive, for their tastes. In this case, they can intrigue with other lords to try to replace the marshal, or build support to become the marshal themselves.^^Most wars are of limited duration. A king who goes to war will, for the sake of honor, feel obligated to pursue the conflict for a short while. However, unless he is soundly beating his enemy. he may soon start looking for a way out of the conflict, lest he leave himself vulnerable to an attack by a third party. These rulers are keenly aware that today's ally may be tomorrow's enemy, and vice versa.
ip_siege_warfare|Siege Warfare
ip_siege_warfare_text|
Age of Arthur offers siege warfare accurate to the Dark Ages period. When the player besieges a settlement, two paths can be taken to conquer the place: by debilitation (hunger, diseases ...) or by assault.^^In the former case, the player's goal is to blockade the settlement and prevent it from receiving supplies or reinforcements. At the same time various actions can be performed to undermine morale, spread disease or destroy the food reserves of the settlement. This type of action will take longer, but also avoid a large number of casualties.^^In the latter case, direct action is undertaken, provided assault equipment is available or preparatory actions have been taken, such as wearing down the defenders or burning their houses and walls. This option should be used when the player feels ready to launch a full-scale assault to conquer the settlement. It has the advantage of leading to success more quickly, but usually at a relatively high cost in lives.^^In addition, when the settlement has a port, the player may equip a fleet and assault the port, leading an assault from the sea.^^The complexity and characteristics of the new siege system are too numerous to describe here in detail. The best thing is to discover and develop strategies on your own.
ip_sea_travel|Sea Travel
ip_sea_travel_text|Ferries on the world map transport your party between two stations. While this is cheap when your party is small, it becomes more expensive with party size.^^To travel longer distances on the sea, one may travel from one port town to another. This can be initiated from the town menu or by talking to the ship captains and befriending them in the port part of the town scene. Similar to ferries, this service becomes more expensive with party size.^^Once you have your own ship, you may embark from the port it is in by clicking on 'Sail from port' in the port menu. You will return to the map, but this time at sea on your ship. Sea travel then works much like land travel.^^There are two different ways to get back on land. You can either click on a port or use a landing point. To find a landing point, travel closely along the coast or right click on your party and select 'find closest landing point.' As with ports, click on the landing point to disembark. In either case, your ships will remain at the position where you landed.^^If your party's size is greater than the capacity of your ships, you won't be able to embark. In this case, you can establish troop quarters (Camp menu) at your current position and another troop quarters at your target position, then transport your army step by step between both quarters.^^When traveling by sea on the campaign map, you can always check the current weather. After clicking on the 'Camp' button, current conditions are shown on the left side. If the weather conditions change, you will be notified by a message in the lower left corner of the screen.^^On the one hand, windy weather is good for the speed of your ships on the campaign map and in sea battles. On the other hand, the chance that it will damage your ships also increases. Damage worsens the condition of a ship, slowing it or even destroying when the condition reaches 'Dangerous.' You may check the conditions of your ships by clicking on 'Camp' and then on 'Fleet.'^^Finally, the weather also determines the behavior of ships in battle. This can always be checked beforehand by clicking 'Camp' and then on 'Check location.'^^Sea travel is dangerous and can lower the morale of your troops. When this happens, you will be notified by a message. Troops especially dislike spending the night on the water. Therefore, consider plotting your route to make landfall by night. If morale on the sea gets too low, troops may mutiny.^^Some troops like Sailors and certain Saxon troops are experienced seamen and will increase the travel speed of your ships on the campaign map. You can check the effect on the left side of the camp menu.^^If there is more than one ship in your fleet, the speed of the fleet is determined by its slowest ship. However, as soon as you have more than one ship in your fleet, you can split the fleet. To do so, travel close to a shore. Then click on 'Camp', 'Fleet' and finally on 'Leave ship at shore' to leave the slower ship(s) there. To bring ships together again, one needs to bring them all to a port. To get a overview of all your ships at their location, click on 'Character' and then on 'Ships.'
ip_sea_battle|Sea Battle
ip_sea_battle_text|At some point after starting to travel on the sea, you will participate in a naval battle.^^First of all, you need to know how to control your ship. You can give the command to row forward, fast forward, backwards, or stay. The up and down arrow keys switch between these commands. You can also give the command to go straight, starboard, hard starboard, port or hard port. The left and right arrow keys switch between these commands.^^Current commands are represented by arrows around the representation of your ship in the upper right corner. Press Enter to set the sail and Backspace to get a tactical view of the scene. Try these commands to get a feeling for steering a ship and the effect of the wind.^^As soon as you get close enough to an enemy ship, boarding will commence. The ships are lashed together and the fight starts.^If you are lucky, you may capture the enemy flagship after winning the fight.^^In a sea battle where you have several ships, you can give a 'stand ground' or 'charge' command to your ships, which are assigned to the ninth 'division.' The first troops in your army list will be together with you on the flagship. The other troops will be in the remaining ships. One can change one's flagship in a port or while camping on the sea.^
ip_wounds|Wounds
ip_wounds_text|The player may receive specific, debilitating wounds in battle. Physicians in larger towns will treat these wounds for a price, after which they will heal within a few days. Any negative effects will then be removed. If wound is not treated after some time, it will change to a scar, and the negative effects will then be permanent.
ip_recruitment|Recruitment
ip_recruitment_text|Recruitment in Age of Arthur is not always automatic but depends on a number of factors.^^Firstly, in order to recruit in a town, you need to obtain the permission of its lord. To do this, you'll need to have enough renown (150+) and be on good terms with the lord and his faction.^^For villages, you dont need to obtain permission, however the troop quality is always the lowest. ^^Once permission is obtained, you are free to recruit as long as your relations with the settlement remain positive. In villages you may be able to recruit tier 1 troops, and if have high enough relations (60+), you may be able to recruit tier 2 troops. If you happen to be the village's lord, you need only 20+ relations to do this.^^In towns, you maybe able to recruit tier 2 troops, as well as specialized troops from special cities. The maximum number of troops that you may be able to recruit is determined by your relations with the settlement, your leadership, your charisma, your religion, the predominant religion of the settlement, and whether or not you are the lord of the place.^^Other options are available. If you're Christian, you may be able to find some desperate refugees in monasteries. There is always a chance to find fellows looking for work at farmsteads.
ip_skills|
Skills and
Attributes
ip_skills_text|When creating or developing a character in Age of Arthur, one has to pay attention to the many skills and attributes. Skills like persuasion and leadership are essential for trading, wages, lord and lady interaction, and forced conversion. Attributes such as intelligence and charisma are also essential in these activities, but will also affect your ability to marry or lead people.^^There are three important skills for the sea: 'Sea King,' 'Navigation' and 'Looting.'^^One's Sea King level determines the amount of ships one can command. Level one allows up to two ships. Seven ships are the maximum at the Sea King level of four.^^The Navigation skill allows one to travel faster on the sea. It is the naval equivalent of the Pathfinding skill on land (which, by the way, will not help on the sea).^^A higher Looting skill results in a higher chance of capturing enemy ships.^
ip_tactical_controls|Tactical Controls
ip_tactical_controls_text|Use the keyboard NUMBERS to select a division. Press 0 to select your entire force.^^Use F1-F4 to order selected divisions. Keep the F1 key down to place selected divisions. You may target an enemy division through this mechanism.^^Pressing the ENTER key often initiates an overhead Strategy Camera.^^Pressing the BACKSPACE key often initiates a Battle Command Display with 'radar.^^Pressing the H key will make your horse come to you (requires riding skill of 4 or higher).^^Pressing the Z key will enable Crouching.^^Pressing the T key will trigger your war-cry and can be used to rally your troops.^^
ip_division_placement|Division Placement
ip_division_placement_text|When ONE division is selected, the center of its front rank is placed at the spot indicated.^^When MANY divisions are selected, they are separated and spread out as if the player were standing at the spot indicated.^^One may memorize the placement of selected divisions relative to the player by pressing F2, F7. Default is infantry to the left, cavalry right, and ranged forward. Placement is overridden for any division the player chooses to personally head through the Formations Options menu.^^If the camp menu game option is set, divisions will rotate to face the enemy. Otherwise, they will maintain the facing that the player had when they were placed.
ip_formations|Formations
ip_formations_text|The Complex Formations on the Battle Menu are:^^- RANKS with best troops up front^- SHIELD WALL, ranks with shields in front and longer weapons in back^- WEDGE with best troops up front^- SQUARE in no particular order^- NO FORMATION^^Even in the last case, the player can make formations up to four lines by ordering Stand Closer enough times.
ip_children|Children
ip_children_text|Children can play an important part of Age of Arthur. Both the player and NPC's can have children during the course of the game.^^ For NPC's, children give factions new lords and ladies, while also creating heirs for faction leaders.^^ For players, children grant both new companions, or lords if the player is a vessel/monarch of their own lands.^If the player is female, they must be careful when entering battle while pregnant as being wounded can cause the death of their child and bad relations with your husband.^^ Both male and female players should be married before having children or their child will be a Bastard.^
ip_quarters|Quarters
ip_quarters_text|Quarters allow you to leave some of your troops at a particular location on the map. You can have up to two quarters.^^There are several scenarios which make quarters useful:^- If you need to travel on a boat, but you can't afford to pay passage for all your troops^- If the capacity of your fleet isn't big enough to transport all your troops at the same time^- If you want to sneak into a town^- If you want to travel faster over the world map
ip_war_cry|War Cry
ip_war_cry_text|You can use a war-cry in battle to rally your men, hit 'T' to do so. This has the best effect of the troops closest to you on the field.
ip_horse_calling|Call your Horse
ip_horse_calling_text|If you riding skill is higher then level 3 you can call your horse (provided you have one) during battle by hitting 'H'.
ip_special_triats|Special Traits
ip_special_triats_text|Once you go past level 12 special traits become possible, however you will need to meet the conditions and play style to develop one.^^ They include: ^^ Words-smith: A person who read books, or learns poems and has recruited companions or lovers. This trait unlocks a more powerful war-cry use it once per battle by hitting 'Y' ^^ Trickster: A person who has won many battles no matter the cost and either has taken many lords prisoner, or has many enemies. This trait unlocks shield taunting in battle use it by hitting 'Y' ^^Musician: A person who has leaned a number of poems and either carries a musical instrument or has developed their entertainment skills. This trait gives you a horn, use it in battle to inspire men by hitting 'Y'^^ Knowledge of the Dark arts: (magic must be turned on in mod option), A person who has studied magic and knows the right companion. This trait unlocks spell casting in battle by hitting 'Y'^
ip_ambushing|Ambushing
ip_ambushing_text|Ambushing was an important part of dark age battle tactics. To this end, both the player and AI can set ambushes.To set an ambush you will need to hold down the left CTRL key while hitting 'A' on the overland map. Also an ambush will only remain set while you stay resting in the same map position.^^You can increase the effectiveness of ambushes by increasing you parties tactics and spotting skills.
ip_partition_laws|Partition Laws
ip_partition_laws_text|Every kingdom in Age of Arthur now has their own possible succession laws which govern how heirs will inherit lands upon a rulers death. If a kingdom is big enough, and has more then one possible heir these laws come into play...^^Confederate Partition: In this law all sons/daughters and eldest brother have a chance of being included in succession. Depending on how large a kingdom is it may be divided up to three times. The kingdom vessels and former monarchs wealth will be divided among them equally. Although the main title holder (the oldest heir) does maintain a slight advantage it can severly weaken their original kingdom. All kingdoms start at this level, though it can be even more devestating for Britonnic kingdoms.^^Regular Partition: After game year 508 (530 for Britonnic Kingdoms) regular partitions become available. In this case, although the kingdom is still divided, the eldest brother is no longer included in succession if there are sons/daughters and the main heir does maintain a greater advantage when dividing up vessels and wealth.^^High Partition: In this case a kingdom can only be divided once between the two eldest sons/daughters. The main heir maintains most of the kingdoms vessels and wealth and the second heir will be an ally/tributary of the eldest. This law is not available until the year 540 (or 560 for Britonnic Kingdoms).^^No Partition / Single heir: After the year 550 the single heir law becomes available and thus returns to default play of the eldest inheriting everything.^^In order to change the laws for your kingdom you need to be the factions head of government and talk to your chancellor. They will call a vote of your vessels and you will need a majority of yes votes for the law to change.^If you are a vessel in another kingdom, your liege may call the vote to change laws from time to time, yet either way a majority of yes votes are needed.
ip_stress_system|Stress System
ip_stress_system_text|From now on decisions you make during your course of play, or events such as running our of food, can cause you stress.^^ If you make choices that don't align with your current honor rating, or personality you will see stress start to mount. Having high stress unlocks a number of possible negative health events and could even cause your character to loss thier mind!^^ Once stress gets too high you will suffer a mental break and will be forced to pick an activity to reduce stress, though at a cost of possible wealth, ability or even changes to your body wieght. Stress adds another element to consider when making decisions.
