Banking and Basic Local Aristocrats

Mutilating colonists and unleashing plagues upon them didn't feel evil enough, so I've added banking into the game.

For now, if you have enough capital, you'll be able to lend money to lobbies and other independent aristocrats you might meet and approach before voting. Lobbies now ask for loans but won't provide them. If you accept their conditions, the loan increases their power by 1, but you might choose between getting in exchange their proposed interest rates of between 18 and 36 percent, or leaving it at 10% in order to earn 2 favours from them. Each lobby's return rate is chosen at random during its creation and so is its chance of defaulting and keeping the money, but you'll be able to see this chance and make your choices accordingly.

It will be generally safer to lend money to lobbies than it will be to lend it to independent aristocrats. From some of these local aristocrats and landlords, you'll be able to receive loans instead. The chance is small, but if you lend money to some aristocrats they might end up disappearing with your money. You'll be able to contact these aristocrats under the correspondence menu once you meet at least one of them. Lending and borrowing is all they do for now, but they'll be expanded upon very soon.

Positive Local Belligerence will slightly increase the chances of a default, while a negative value will lower them. The effects of belligerence will also slightly affect the rest of the economic activity of the game now, including maritime trade and investments.

There has been an unexpected influx of feedback in the Dwarf Fortress forums recently, so I'm going to rush a release to fix some bugs and make a few tweaks.

Noticeable among these tweaks are the slight increase in actions available when you are an outcast, the fix of a serious problem when manufacturing units, which consumed unit slots, the creation of new slots for appearance and gear for your character, and the ability to buy land through envoys even if the land is occupied by monsters. Now that they exist, it will be assumed that you are dealing with the local aristocrats instead of the monsters when carrying these purchases.

Another fun thing that came out of this feedback is that when a territory is destroyed, it's occupying unit will go on a desperate rampage looking for a new home instead of simply dying out.

Also, you'll get a second chance to hide from an enemy if you are an outcast and come under attack. This roll will be only a little easier, but even if you succeed, you'll be forced to move to another territory.


I'll try to get this release finished in a few days.