Hey all,
After some discussion about changing the population calculator and boatloads of tinkering on my part, I have come up with a new model for calculating population. There are quite a few similarities with the old model, but it is slightly more complex and does a better job of keeping settlement populations sensible. Here is the process:
Step 1: Counting the Number of BuildingsThis is a relatively easy step. When conducting a census, one would first count the total number of buildings. The census-taker should also note the size of each building (i.e. whether they are small, medium, large, or extra large). Small buildings would be things like one-story houses, storage huts, small stables, and other comparably sized buildings. Medium size buildings would be things like multi-story houses, smaller embassies, barracks, and the like. Large buildings would be things like forts, many-storied buildings, great halls, etc. Extra large buildings would be things like castles, cathedrals, palaces, and other such massive constructions that are absurdly large (real world examples include the Gates of Dunn, Redstone Cathedral, and the Ostur). For further clarification of these categories, an album of example builds for each category could be compiled. Once this step is completed, the census-taker should have both the total number of buildings in the settlement and the total number of each kind of building. I will use Miradost (a town by the current standards) as an example to explain the process.
Ex: Miradost has 11 small buildings, 7 medium-sized buildings, 0 large buildings, and 0 extra large buildings, for a total of 18 buildings.
Step 2: Determining Building ValueThis is where things start to get interesting. Each building size is assigned a multiplier: 1 for small buildings, 2 for medium, 5 for large, and 10 for extra large. This will give larger buildings more weight in the population calculation. In order to determine the total building value for a settlement, multiply the number of each building in its category by its multiplier, then add those totals together.
Ex: 11 small buildings x 1 + 7 medium buildings x 2 + 0 large buildings x 5 + 0 extra large buildings x 10 = building value of 25
Step 3: Adding Multipliers and Calculating Total PopulationNow that we have the building values, we can begin to add the multipliers that give us our population value. This is where it gets a little more complicated. The first modifier changes the building total value, and is equal to the total number of buildings ^ 0.95. The purpose of this multiplier is to boost the population of settlements that have a large number of buildings relative to smaller settlements. The second multiplier changes building value and is equal to the total building value of the settlement ^ 0.6. The new building volume value is then multiplied by the new total building value. This value is then modified again by taking it to the 0.95 power. The final multiplier is just a flat multiplier to be added in to increase the value to something resembling a ‘real’ population total. In this case, it is a flat multiplier of 40. Yes, this is complex, but it allows for the tapering of settlement population for larger settlements and puts proper emphasis on both number of buildings and size of buildings. I feel that this process is more easily understood in equation form:
{[(Total number of buildings ^ 0.95) * (Building Value ^ 0.6)] ^ 0.95} * 40
Ex:
{[(18 ^ 0.95) * (25 ^ 0.6)] ^ 0.95} * 40 = 3,402
Other examples of the population calculations can be seen in the Google Sheet
here. The sheet has the formula built into it so settlement populations will automatically be calculated using the above formula. If people are interested, I can give them the ability to edit the sheet to add in their own population, or they can PM their settlement details and I can sort it out for them.
What does everyone think of this new system? I personally think it produces more reasonable settlement sizes given the scale of our world. Also note that these population calculations are more like the cap for that settlement's population. You can always adjust it downward for lore purposes if you so choose.
**Archive of old system [DO NOT USE]**Hey all,
A few players mentioned in Mumble their desire to adjust the scale of settlement population downward and how said population is determined. After some thought, I think I have come up with a system that will address both of concerns, as well as provide a relatively unbiased method for determining the population of a given settlement. Without further ado, here is my proposal for the new system of determining population:
Step 1: Counting the Number of BuildingsThis is a relatively easy step. When conducting a census, one would first count the total number of buildings. The census-taker should also note the size of each building (i.e. whether they are small, medium, or large). Small buildings would be things like one-story houses, storage huts, small stables, and other comparably sized buildings. Medium size buildings would be things like multi-story houses, embassies, barracks, and the like. Large buildings would be things like castles, cathedrals, palaces, and other such massive constructions. For further clarification of these categories, an album of example builds for each category could be compiled. Once this step is completed, the census-taker should have both the total number of buildings in the settlement and the total number of each kind of building. I will use Miradost (a town by the current standards) as an example to explain the process.
Ex: Miradost has 14 small buildings, 4 medium-sized buildings, and 0 large buildings, for a total of 18 buildings.
Step 2: Determining Building ValueThis is where things start to get interesting. Each building size is assigned a multiplier: 1 for small buildings, 2 for medium, and 5 for large. This will give larger buildings more weight in the population calculation. In order to determine the total building value for a settlement, multiply the number of each building in its category by its multiplier, then add those totals together.
Ex: 14 small buildings x 1 + 4 medium buildings x 2 + 0 large buildings x 5 = building value of 22
Step 3: Adding Multipliers and Calculating Total PopulationNow that we have the building values, we can begin to add the multipliers that give us our population value. The first modifier is a building volume bonus, determined by taking the square root of the building total. The purpose of this multiplier is to boost the population of settlements that have a large number of buildings relative to smaller settlements. The second multiplier is just a flat multiplier to be added in to increase the value to something resembling a ‘real’ population total. In this case, it is a flat multiplier of 100.
Ex:
Building Volume bonus = 22^(.5) = 4.24
Population multiplier = 100
Total Population = Building Value x Building Volume bonus x Population multiplier
Population of Miradost = 22 * 4.24 * 100 = 9,334
Other examples of populations using this calculation:
Ankylos (large city) = 44,400
Secara (city) = 15,069
Risia (small village) = 800
Voltau (village) = 3,900
Review of the SystemWith this system, there is a reliable and consistent way to determine a settlement’s population with minimal bias or confusion. With the current modifiers, it produces a lower population than the current system while maintaining the same relative scale between the different settlement types. The system is also quite modular, as it allows us to adjust the weight of building sizes, building totals, and the total population multiplier to arrive at the desired range of population. With that said, let me know what you all think of this system. Do you think we should change from the current system? Any recommendations for adjustments of the weights/multipliers? The process above is just an example that we can (potentially) adjust following a community discussion.