Who ever has sugar good god the money they'll bring in

Haha, I think someone said that they wanted a tropical climate, they will certainly have the sugar.

OK, I was reading through some people's Nation Sheets to give me an idea of what's going on in this world (I'm looking to make my own nation), and several areas of several people's sheets concern me. Now, I know it may seem as if I'm nit-picking here, but honestly, I am just trying to help.

The reason I am bringing this up is because of this:

HazmatMedic said
3. Keep it realistic. If your nation only has a couple of gold mines, gold will be unlikely to be a major export

Firstly, addressing gowia:

I know full well that you've had requests to scale down your military, and you have done, I commend you for that, but what concerns me really is the quality of your troops' equipment.

gowia said
Golden steel armour, long spear, long sword and large square shield

Now, judging that we are in a time period roughly analogous to about the 1400s, let's see how much a suit of plate armour will cost circa 1470 (using the Wars of the Roses).
Ther are records of one Sir John Cressy purchasing a suit of Milanese armour for himself which cost £8 6s 8d. Now, an English man-at-arms would expect to be paid approximately 12d a day, which works out as Sir John Cressy purchasing that suit of armour for 167 days' worth of payment for the man-at-arms. Now, obviously Sir Cressy was a knight and probably got a lot of money, but this highlights the sheer cost of such armour which is made on a professional level.
Now, this of course assumes that you are using this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Italian_-_Sallet_-_Walters_51580.jpg instead of what I'm thinking you might be referring to, which is munition armour.

Munition armour, also called munitions-grade armour, refers to any mass-produced armour, historically stockpiled in armouries to equip both foot soldiers and mounted cuirassiers. It's by no means as protective of a man as full plate armour is, but it was used to equip armies starting from approximately the 15th century onwards, starting with the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses. Munition armour is usually fairly low-quality iron armour, which is what concerns me when you say this specifically:

gowia said
Golden steel armour

Golden steel armour? OK, it's steel armour painted gold, but it's steel armour, which is the main thing. Munition was often made of iron or sometimes an alloy of iron containing a small amount of phosphorus, which gave a marginal increase in hardness, which causes me concern when you say 'steel' armour. Steel armour is hugely expensive and likely costs even more than iron plate armour of the time, which we know by now is prohibitively expensive to equip an army with. I question how you're able to finance and source the equipment for your army, as iron extraction and refining was a dangerous, difficult and quite a small-scale business - things such as cast iron would not come along until the 1700s with Abraham Darby, and the only reliable way of making steel was the Damascus process: taking a sheet of metal and hammering it over and over again to beat out the impurities of the 'steel'. Therefore, I would like to request that you rethink your army's equipment, as currently it stands at prohibitively expensive and quite possibly able to steamroller over almost any medieval army that was in existence at the time. And as for having a standardised professional army, that would also cost a lot more money as well - you would need to feed, clothe, and pay this army out of the treasury - such centralisation of power would not be seen for another 100 years or so, hence the medieval reliance on the levy system. I'm not saying you can't have a professional army, I'm just saying that it would be difficult to afford one at all, let alone one that you have equipped to such a standard.
Furthermore, I'd like to highlight this:

gowia said
The land scape changes from vast metropolis of cities and towns to industrial hell holes filled with smoke. There is close to no nature in the land as it was all torn down for the advancement of the faith and it’s industry. There are occasional vast wheat plantations to try and feed more of the population than none.

Industrial hell holes filled with smoke? I fail to see how this is even achievable with medieval technology - industry in the medieval age was centred around small-scale localised craftsmen working in either their own workshops or in guilds if in a town. It was very rare to see anything approaching a 'factory', and each piece of armour, sword blade, and even arrowhead was individually hand-crafted, which would slow production and cost a lot of money, as well as prohibiting large-scale manufacture of said finished goods. Another factor in medieval 'industry' was the difficulty in transporting the finished goods from these industrial complexes that you seem to have in mind that are outside of towns. Roads in the medieval age were rutted, broken and very difficult to utilise, not to mention dangerous to travel on - it was often cheaper to send a cargo half-way around the world on a boat than it was to send it to the next city on a cart. Industry in the medieval world was carried out in towns by poor townsfolk using back-breaking manual labour - I do not envisage it being possible to even come close to a factory complex belching smoke into the air akin to those during the Age of Steam.

As for Engimas:

InnovativeEngimas said
Capital Population: 760,000

Whilst I'd love to entertain the possibility of another Constantinople or another Rome, I don't see it happening in the 15th century. I have done some research into this, and the largest city in the world at the time in 1400 in Europe was Paris with an estimated population of 280,000. (Source: P.M. Hoenberg & L.Hollen Lees : “The Making of Urban Europe 1000-1950” Harvard University Press 1985) Bearing in mind that France is blessed with ample amounts of arable land and had a population of between 25-30 million at the same time, whilst your capital has almost 3 times the population and half the overall population deems this quite improbable. Unless there is a very good reason as to the very high rate of urbanisation in your nation with 760,000 people in it's capital, and how you can support such a large population, it's probably a good idea to scale it down so that we don't have yearly famines.

Now, that's all I can see is an issue at the current time. And no, I am not bitching for the sake of bitching, and yes, I will most likely join this RPG.

So I got my idea for a nation, and I'm working on the sheet now. Nobody's claimed Zharka yet, have they?

Ignore this post.

Nation Name: al-Mamlaka al-Za'liyya al-Khaydahiyya (Za'lid Khaydahi Kingdom; Khaydah or the Za'lids for short)
Flag:
Region/color on map: Zharka
Capital: Amrah
Capital Population: 200,000
Other Major Settlements: Qaiqat, Dira, Khudah, Sayunaa
Population: 1,000,000
Racial demographics: 76% ajar, 20% human, 4% other

Social dynamics: Khaydahi society is generally seen as very open to foreigners; most accept outsiders with open arms and hospitality provided they do not prove themselves undeserving of it. However, there is still a rather drastic difference between the rich and the poor and those of lower class are expected to show respect and politeness to their superiors. While most of the less fortunate Khaydahis tend to have lives that are at least tolerable, poverty is not nonexistent. Meanwhile the rich live extravagant and lavish lives of luxury. The society is also built upon slavery; slaves are, of course, considered property by Khaydahi law and how they are treated is dependent upon the disposition of who owns them and what they do for a living. A personal servant-slave may live a life better than a poor freeman, while those forced to do menial labour can be some of the worst off people in the entire nation. The state religion of Khaydah is Haloism, however it is nowhere near as pervasive in their culture as it is in Calxus. Due to the fact that they're located in the center of the continent and are a crossroads of sorts, there are people of all cultures and religions found within the cities. The Haloist nobility do not discriminate against those of other religions, and the populace as a whole is very tolerant.
Fashion: The basic Khaydahi dressis composed of loose robes and turbans, both usually light in colour. The poorest Khaydahis and slaves wear only that, while the outfits of the more well-to-do individuals such as nobles and merchants are more ornate, with elegant and beautifully made jewelry, belts, outerwear, etc. As a general rule the more ornate a Khaydahi's outfit the more important they are.
Calendar: The major holiday in Khaydah is the Thanking, celebrated similarly to how it is celebrated in Calxus though every year. The current Malik's birthday is also considered a holiday, and each of the cities have their own Day of Founding to celebrate the founding of each city.
Art: The most important form of Khaydahi 'art' is their architecture. The most important buildings in the cities are always massive, ornate, and stunningly beautiful. Domes, arches, and minarets are common features, and rarely will you find a room that is not painted or carved in some way. Other than that, the Khaydahi are also rather well known for their intricately detailed rugs, featuring numerous colours and geometric patterns.
Law: Each Wali chooses a Judge who rules on all cases that come to him. Most Khaydahi law is based upon tradition, which is written down with a copy kept within each city. However, the Wali or Malik can overrule any of these decisions, and the Judge for Amrah holds the title of High Judge, and is likewise able to overrule the rulings of any of the Judges. Though his decisions can still be overruled by the Malik.
Education: Education among the lower classes is almost non-existent, and it is explicitly forbidden among slaves. Meanwhile the children of wealthier families are almost all educated; taught by tutors hired by their families. Any sort of state-education is non-existent.

Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Influence and relations: Khaydah prefers to keep positive relations with all nations around it, due to trade involving a large portion of their income.
Important People:
Sa'ah Mee'ah al-Maseebi, Malik al-Mamlaka al-Za'liyya al-Khaydahiyya;
Ahir al-Raydahi, Wali al-Walayah Qaiqat;
Gha'ah al-Habaii, Wali al-Walayah Dira;
Aaseem al-Ri, Wali al-Walayah Khudah;
Mahmee Ma'ma al-Sutafi, Wali al-Walayah Sayunaa

Trading and tax: There is a tax on any kind of goods traded within Khaydah, though they are not particularly heavy. Trade is an important part of Khaydahi commerce, and the cities are the regions hubs of trade. This is the result of most of the region being a barren and dry desert, with the Khaydahi cities being oases of activity and trade.
Major industries: The largest industry in Khaydah is the slave trade, with numerous people being bought and sold in markets. However, the market for exotic Khaydahi trinkets such as jewelry and rugs, as well as for salt, are also fairly large industries within the nation.
Major Associations: N/A
Currency: Khaydah currency comes in the form of metal coins with a square hole in the middle; most are made of metals like copper, tin, bronze, or iron. Though there are coins made of gold and silver, they are usually only used by the richer Khaydahis. In fact, a poorer Khaydahi can go his entire life never seeing a gold coin.

Military:
The Khaydahi consists of approximately 25,000 individuals, 5,000 warriors to each city. It is composed predominantly of slaves trained from a young age to fulfill the role of Khaydah's warriors and protectors. About 15,000 of these warriors are infantry; they wield both bows and blades with shields. Their swords are unique and distinctly Khaydahi, with a long, wavy blade; the shields are small and round, constructed of hardened leather. In terms of armour they do not wear much, lest they succumb to heatstroke in the hot Khaydahi climate; they can usually be seen wearing lamellar armour constructed of hardened leather. The other 10,000 warriors are cavalry mounted on camels, and wear similar armour to their infantry counterparts. However, their primary weapon is the javelin, which they sue for harassing volleys. They do not carry shields, and the only weapon they have besides their javelins is a short blade with a thick forward-curving blade.

Landscape: The Khaydahi environment is barren, hot, and inhospitable. Much of the landscape is nothing but bone-dry sand, though there are large expanses of rocky ground. Though they are just as dry as the sands. The only spots of life are oases frequented by desert nomads and the five Khaydahi cities. These cities are all built on rocky terrain, near to small mountain ranges. The cities utilize a complex series of wells and tunnels built and maintained by slaves to draw water up from the ground. This system allows the great cities to survive in the desert, and even allow the Khaydahi to practice agriculture though they still import and buy much food from other sources.
Wildlife: The wildlife of the desert is mostly found in the oases and cities, though that is not to say nothing lives in the drier parts of the region. In the wide, dry expanse most of what one will find are creatures like lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, and the like. The oases and cities are home to crocodiles, birds, certain species of foxes and antelope. Camels are also commonly seen, being the domesticated animal of choice for traveling.
Notable places: N/A

Summary: Five cities in the desert based around trading, a complex irrigation system, and slaves.
History: (Optional)
Strengths: Highly defensible, highly centralized, trading hub
Weaknesses: Low population, population concentrated in few areas, landlocked

---

Name: Ajar
Classification: Sentient
Appearance: Same basic shape as humans, though with several key differences. They are slightly taller; have dry and rough, leathery grey skin; have no lips and extended canine teeth; their nose are flat against their face, consisting of little more than slits; have sunken eyes and angular faces; their ears are long and pointed; they only have 4 fingers and toes on each hand/foot; and their finger and toenails are long and pointed like claws, though they're no harder than a human's fingernails. Due to their eyes, nose, and mouth some have described their faces as being similar to a skull.
Shared traits: N/A
Natural abilities: Ajar are very resilient to the desert, being more resistant to heat-related illnesses like heatstroke and requiring less water than a regular human. However, they are more quick to succumb to the cold than most others.

Lifespan: About that of a human
Relations with other races: N/A
Lanuages: Depends on where they live; usually Khaydahi
Religious beliefs: Varies
Preferred occupations: N/A
Famous people:
Strengths: Able to survive more readily in desert conditions
Weaknesses: Susceptible to the cold

Legion I changed it earlier on man to 65k

I figure this might be a little handy for deciding on population size; it features population estimates in millions during 500-1450 in different regions of Europe: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/pop-in-eur.asp

Useful particularly if you're basing yourself around a certain historical power.

Not to be a nay say but shouldn't elven population be lower since they live longer???

You're correct, Engimas. Generally, longer-lived species do not breed as fast as shorter-lived species.

Unrelated, but so-called 'Tolkien' elves also unknowingly come with an ungodly amount of shortcomings that most people that are into fantasy don't realize, most important of which are the detrimental effects associated with immortality.

However, just because it's an elf doesn't necessarily mean that it must abide by the general tropes associated with elves.

I have a mixed view on elves than most. Tolkien is something that is widely used. I'm not objected to it just seems.. odd. But if it works cool, just preferably if like other elves no army would try to invade considering all they have to be is bowman and annihilate.

I'll work on my Ns tomorrow, my kids are ill and screaming lol.

Hello everyone, this is my Nation Sheet (Currently WIP)

Nation Name: The Hold of Grimmanar

Flag:

Region/color on map: Baragh

Capital Population:
Armgaudr: 100,000

Other Major Settlements:
Adalamar: 33,000
Adalamar specializes in forging, creating weapons and armor for the kingdom’s armies as well as materials for building the enormous structures used as banks, shops, taverns, etc.
Rakbar: 25,000
Rakbar is home to the farming community, which is relatively well put together. Under the leadership of humans, dwarves tend to crops and domesticated animals. However, the Dwarves aren’t the best at keeping food fresh, resulting in food being a mainly imported good.
Gornae: 32,500
Gornae is the place to go for training, whether it be mining, fighting, or drinking. The majority of King Thordrek Foesword’s royal army is trained here.
Glorla: 26,200
The central urban center, Glorla houses shops, taverns, museums, libraries, and homes for the common folk.

Population: 8,500,000

Racial demographics: 92% Dwarves, 5% Orcs, 3% Human

Well, three new WIP nations and a thing about plate armour.
Everyone seems to love plate armour, but have you considered the downsides?:
- Low manuverability
- troops get exhausted quicker
- weak to bludgeoning weapons
- Restricted swimming, bow use and evasion
- higher vulnerability to disarming, sword-breaking and blinding
- weighs down calvalry and transport, meaning it takes longer to move a legion from one part of the country to the other.
-Snags in forest enviroments, making you even more likely to be hit

Plate armour is for damage-soaking juggernauts who kamikaze into the battlefield and pray their armour is tough enough. And while it is doubtlessly the best protection against swords and spears, it is highly suspectable to warhammers and clubs, which cave in the plating and make it even more awkward to move in. Also, repair costs will be insane. Now let's think about a light armour like leather:
-Lightweight, allowing for faster movement
-Not awkward to move in
-Vulnerable to slashes from swords
-Doesn't slow down cavalry
-Only slightly hampers swimming speed and forest movement
-easy to transport
-fairly cheap to buy and maintain
-Doesn't provide a great deal of protection, so soldiers will rely on agility rather than armours

Obviously, leather is a light and cheap resource, but a soldier can only take one or two hits before he's incapacitated, and you can forget about taking a tower shield with you. It'll just get rid of your agility.

Chainmail and scale armours are a happy medium, but are suspectable to piercing hits (Lunges, spears, polearms). They can take more punishment than light armour, but not as much as plate. They are lighter than steel, but heavier than leathers.

Add a bit of variety into the troops. Light armour isn't worse, just different.

Actually plate armour doesn't restrict you as much as people think. The weight is evenly distributed across the entire body and the armour is articulated around the joints, so long as someone is trained in wearing it it's not that much of a detriment to mobility. Your other points are pretty valid though.

HazmatMedic said
...Low manuverability... troops get exhausted quicker... bow use and evasion ... higher vulnerability to disarming, sword-breaking and blinding ...

Dirk H. Breiding - Department of Arms and Armor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

An entire suit of field armor (that is, armor for battle) usually weighs between 45 and 55 lbs. (20 to 25 kg), with the helmet weighing between 4 and 8 lbs. (2 to 4 kg)—less than the full equipment of a fireman with oxygen gear, or what most modern soldiers have carried into battle since the nineteenth century. Moreover, while most modern equipment is chiefly suspended from the shoulders or waist, the weight of a well-fitted armor is distributed all over the body. It was not until the seventeenth century that the weight of field armor was greatly increased in order to render it bulletproof against ever more accurate firearms. At the same time, however, full armor became increasingly rare and only vital parts of the body, such as the head, torso, and hands, remained protected by metal plate. 

The notion that the development of plate armor (completed by about 1420–30) greatly impaired a wearer's mobility is also untrue. A harness of plate armor was made up of individual elements for each limb. Each element in turn consisted of lames (strips of metal) and plates, linked by movable rivets and leather straps, and thus allowing practically all of the body's movements without any impairment due to rigidity of material. The widely held view that a man in armor could hardly move, and, once he had fallen to the ground, was unable to rise again, is also without foundation. On the contrary, historical sources tell us of the famous French knight Jean de Maingre (ca. 1366–1421), known as Maréchal Boucicault, who, in full armor, was able to climb up the underside of a ladder using only his hands. Furthermore, there are several illustrations from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance depicting men-at-arms, squires, or knights, all in full armor, mounting horses without help or instruments such as ladders or cranes. Modern experiments with genuine fifteenth- and sixteenth-century armor as well as with accurate copies have shown that even an untrained man in a properly fitted armor can mount and dismount a horse, sit or lie on the ground, get up again, run, and generally move his limbs freely and without discomfort.

There are a few exceptional instances when armor was extremely heavy or did indeed render its wearer almost "locked" in a certain position, such as armor for certain types of tournaments. Tournament armor was made for very specific occasions and would have been worn only for limited periods of time. The man-at-arms would have mounted his steed with the aid of his squire or a small step, and the last pieces of his armor could then be donned after securely sitting in the saddle.

HazmatMedic said ... Plate armour is for damage-soaking juggernauts who kamikaze into the battlefield and pray their armour is tough enough ...

Been playing MMORPGs lately?

WIP - Decided to claim land closer to the 'action.'

Nation Name: Kingdom of Albescland
Coat of Arms:

Region/color on map: Noruf / Orange
Capital: Tulicia
Capital Population: Approx. 38,550
Other Major Settlements:
-Altdurf; Approx. 23,130
-Siletina; Approx. 15,420
-Vausili; Approx. 13,493
-Botsani; Approx. 11, 568
-65 towns, villages & smaller settlements distributed throughout the provinces

Population: Approx. 6,600,000
Racial demographics: 94% Human, 4% Wood Elf, 2% Other











Summary: (Optional)
History: (Optional)
Strengths:
Weaknesses:

But think of training. If I was trained to be lightweight, agile and evasive, I will be more manuverable than other soldiers. If i was trained to wade into battle and fight as a man-at-arms, with plates and tower shields, i'd put more faith in my armour and think less about dodging.

4 WIPs...

HazmatMedic said
But think of training. If I was trained to be lightweight, agile and evasive, I will be more manuverable than other soldiers. If i was trained to wade into battle and fight as a man-at-arms, with plates and tower shields, i'd put more faith in my armour and think less about dodging.

The reports of the chroniclers leave little doubt that the medieval knights were indeed in excellent physical condition. According to his biographer, Bousciacaut, famous chevalier and Maréchal of France, could in his youth turn a summersault in full armor, except for his helmet, and scale the inside a ladder equipped in harness by pulling himself up by the arms.

- Painter, Sidney. French Chivalry: Chivalric Ideas and Practices in Medieval France. Johns Hopkins Press, 1940.

Sounds pretty agile to me. I think you misunderstand the reality of medieval warriors' abilities with that of 'classes' prevalent in fantasy genres.