Ok, after reading everything, I have a few questions:
1. Is there a minimum starting number of settlers?
2. Is there a set start up cost in wealth points, the way there is for businesses? Or is it just a case of adding up everything you want from the Shoppe and deciding how you want to pay for it?
3. Can the founding/survival/focus skills change as the settlement grows, or are they set in stone?
4. I note that Haven changed player leaders, but that's not something noted as possible in the Settlement Guide. Was it a one off or would future settlements be able to do the same?
5. Is there a minimum activity level expected of settlement leaders, or is it just down to the player in question?
6. Can a settlement have a different Primary language from the town/area it's in? And if so, would it affect other things, like job bonuses?
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Hi Dandelion, let me try to answer these one by one. We'll see if you need any clarifications afterward?
1. Is there a minimum starting number of settlers?
Well, Ideally you'd want at least a few people for a settlement, or it's more like a camp. So I'd say a number of flavor npc settlers, say about a dozen at the fewest.
2. Is there a set start up cost in wealth points, the way there is for businesses? Or is it just a case of adding up everything you want from the Shoppe and deciding how you want to pay for it?
It's basically a buy what you want/need from the shoppe, and then roleplay out the building of it. The focus here is more on story than transactions, so weight will be given to your actions so long as you play within skill levels.
3. Can the founding/survival/focus skills change as the settlement grows, or are they set in stone?
Yes, but this is more a function of story than anything. So if you identified a desire to change these skills as a settlement grows/improves/etc. you'd need to do a thread or series of them where you're working on making that shift.
4. I note that Haven changed player leaders, but that's not something noted as possible in the Settlement Guide. Was it a one off or would future settlements be able to do the same?
It's possible to do the same, depending on story constraints, although we'd try to avoid it except in more extreme cases. Of course, if a player wanted to hand off leadership to another, that's doable through story and coordination with local mods.
If you're starting as a satellite of a greater state, within their territory, then yes it can happen if your pc fails to meet their obligations to the settlers, or misuses their position.
If you're starting completely independent and far from any civilized area, people you rule over can throw you out, etc.
5. Is there a minimum activity level expected of settlement leaders, or is it just down to the player in question?
Not really, but you will be expected to deal with seasonal challenges. Other than that, I'd say it's a go at your own speed.
6. Can a settlement have a different Primary language from the town/area it's in? And if so, would it affect other things, like job bonuses?
Yes, for sure. It will probably have narrative effects in the form of seasonal challenges, perhaps, but say you have a bunch of refugee avriel from Athart... They might speak Lorien, and that's fine. It'd inform the challenges that the moderator sets you to, quite possibly. So yes it may affect the narrative of your settlement, and job bonus (As applies to language) will still depend on the larger area that you're a part of.
What happens regarding the reward table if a non-leader player does things for more than one settlement in a cycle (with the settlement leaders' permission, of course)? Do they tally each settlement seperately, or just add all the threads up together for their total?
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Each settlement is treated separately for the purposes of reward points. IC this is rationalized as you getting recognized and rewarded by the people of that particular settlement. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for you to have 10 in one settlement, and 8 in another, and then get a18+ points reward from one, where they erect a statue of you in one or the other town.
Settlement Review Guide wrote:An City NPC in the settlement assists the settlement leader in a way that would lead to them developing a skill they possess.
Should I assume this means that players who are not the settlement leader will not improve the NPC's skills if they have a thread using the NPC?
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I think that line there may be misleading. In my opinion, anyone contributing to a settlement ought to be able to teach the NPCs useful skills, if they're capable.