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« on: June 10, 2013, 11:29:31 pm »
This is a little mechanic I thought of a while back while considering how the DF economy would function. Now, obviously the economy is still some ways away, and how exactly it will function is very much undecided. But for the sake of this suggestion, there is going to be a lot of what-ifs and assumptions.
Anyway, let’s talk about private property. Or more importantly, your dwarves’ private property. Right now, your little guys don’t have much of it. The clothes on their back is pretty much the extent. And that’s fine when you’re just a little outpost or hamlet in the middle of the wilderness, where all your resources need to go into enriching the fort. Both for protection, enticing migrants and attracting merchants. But as your fort grows, and these threats cease to be an immediate concern, your populace will start developing more self-centered desires.
In this model, dwarves have two separate types of labor, one private and the other fortress. Fortress labors are the ones you instigate. Initially, all your dwarves will work for the good of the fort exclusively, and will behave kind of as they do now, very communally. Once the economy is engaged however, your dwarves would be paid accordingly for their work. However,dwarves would not be paid in gold coins like in the old economy; they would instead run on an invisible voucher system that is only redeemable inside the fort. Luxuries like private rooms, food and furniture would be taxed accordingly from the dwarf’s paycheck. These taxes would go into the private fund of your local baron couple as their own source of income. This of course means that not all your dwarves would be able to afford the nice rooms and furniture you provide for them. If they cannot afford the tax, the item is simply confiscated from them, and cannot be placed in their room again until their pay can afford the tax. Furniture could be bought directly by your dwarves, eliminating the tax and your direct control of the item. Whether or not rooms could be bought in a similar way is debatable. But you as the fortress overseer would probably want to keep taxes low so all your dwarves could afford the finely crafted things you make for them. Well, nobles would (depending on their demeanor) like to keep the taxes high so they can continue lavish in their own wealth. Striking a balance between these two groups would be necessary to insure domestic tranquility.
Now, the economy would also enable the use of private labors. As they sound, private labors are jobs or actions your dwarves perform on their own accord without your surveillance. In this system, workshops could be “leased” for a small fee for your dwarves to use on their free time. Dwarves of a particular labor would use these workshops to make whatever they please. Paying for any raw materials used would also be necessary, since it is fortress property. Dwarves would receive a pretty hefty happy thought for creating and owning their own gabbro cabinet. These special privately owned items would not be taxed, and would be placed by the dwarf as they see fit. You could confiscate or move them, but they would receive an unhappy thought from such unnecessary meddling. These private items could be cut gems, trinkets, mugs, furniture and pretty much any other item craftable from an appropriate workshop.
But what if your furnace operator really wants a bone amulet encrusted with tiger eye gems that he lacks the skill to make on his own? Well, you can also set a workshop to be sold for a particular price. A dwarf of the corresponding skill would purchase this workshop and convert it into a store. After receiving a wacky randomly generated name, they would be open for business. Dwarves would make requests at these stores and the store owner would sell them the crafted item for a fee. Skilled dwarves of a particular craft and personality type would start having unhappy thoughts if they weren't allowed to participate in any private labors, meaning the creation of a shop center would be somewhat necessary. But what if you don’t want your master smith running off to make a bronze throne when he could be making some masterwork blue weaponry? Well, you would have the ability to cancel private jobs in some fashion, leaving your dwarf unhappy but getting your designated work done first. Workers of a particular skill could unionize in some way, demanding a certain amount of free time to work as they please and for lower taxes. Outside travelers could also come to your fort, buying various finely-crafted goods. However stuff like foreign shoppers, guilds, store competitivity and your dwarves potentially purchasing goods outside your fort requires a more defined view of the economy, and delves too deep into the hypothetical.
I think this system strikes a nice balance between dwarf autonomy and allowing the player to still control their fort. It also gels well with the upcoming tavern update, since it would be kind of strange to have a fort-managed pub. Any feedback or ideas are welcome!
