Types of Settlement

These definitions help me to get a handle on the settlements that are around. Within the game mechanic a City district is a grid of nine blocks and each block is large enough to take four size 1 buildings.

Thorp

A thorp is a very small settlement consisting of a few huts and nothing else. There are (probably) less than twenty residents who make a basic living off the surrounding land, maybe growing a few vegetables and keeping a few chickens. These are pioneering folks, independent, hard working and ready to defend what little they have (although in game terms they are generally L2/3 NPC classes at most)

In game terms these spring up along rivers and roads in settled hex or wild hexes. Wild hexes will rarely have more than one thorp, while settled hexes could have a dozen or so. While they need either a road or decent sized river to exist, the thorp is often hidden away down a little dirt track or creek and is rarely right on the main road..

Hamlet

A hamlet is a stage on from a thorp; it is about the size of a city block and can hold four normal sized buildings. However there is a limited selection of buildings that can be built in a hamlet. If you build a farm, Fishery, Lumber Camp or Mine in an area, one of the Thorps is automatically upgraded to a Hamlet and a House is added – so the settlement now consists of huts and a house.

The new householder is more a skilled craftsmen and organises the workers in that hamlet and surrounding thorps so that they work more effectively and increase their productivity.

A hamlet is normally very close to the main road or river and acts as the central point for its associated thorps.

Advanced Developments- Once a hamlet is established, there are two extra building spaces that can be developed with a limited selection of other buildings. Appropriate buildings might be an Alehouse, Barracks, Granary, Mill, Shrine, Smith or Tannery.

This occurs during Step 4: Develop the Countryside and, in some circumstances, might provide an extra development opportunity over and above the norm.

Village / Town

A village or town covers the same area as a single city district. It is developed in Step 5: Establish and Improve Cities the same as all other major settlement development. Any hex that contains a Village or town automatically attracts a good selection of settlers into the area. Foe every house that is built, assume there is another hamlet somewhere just down the road that helps support the larger settlement.

City

A city is any development that take up more than one city district. Any hex that contains a city automatically attracts a good selection of settlers into the area. Foe every house that is built, assume there is another hamlet somewhere just down the road that helps support the larger settlement.

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