March 1640 - Day 126

Martti is back from the south. His regiment did not participate in significant action, but right next to his, the whole army of HH The Duke of North Face surrendered after losses, and was taken prisoner up to the commander, the Marquess Grass. So that was a close call, that.

After that, a year seems to have passed without more action than the losing of one health rank (to Decent, from Good). Martti is now officially middle-aged at 33.

The finances were surprisingly good, given the premise that one salary round had passed and the goods are unsold and subject to spoil at the end of the year. The reason was predominantly that 4-NW-D5 (empty 100 sqm lot) was sold for 9.5 mil.

King gifted Martti a Topaz, and upon checking, the Ask for Sapphire (Martti had bought his for 8 mil) had risen to 23 mil. Martti could not help but change his coronet plans and list the sapphire for 20 mil. If it sells before the coronet time, something else will be featured instead. 20 mil is half the price of a house!

Very much has happened in the game since Martti logged in the last time - NewCorp has IPOed, and already is trading at 25% higher than the IPO price. It is giving a fixed dividend, same as CON. The difference is that NewCorp returns 0.8% whereas CON is less than 0.5%. Also NewCorp's assets may go up or down based on whether it makes more or less than the dividend return. CON does not have anything, except the return.

Another thing is the New Department Store (DeptStore) that started market making in several goods and is going to expand even more.

Martti browses through his assets and realises he owns 140*SCI, a massive amount. It is needed to spend some for practising the aim with pistol, and 50 SCI is consumed towards this. The rest is needed for aiming. SCI is perhaps also otherwise a good investment, since its book value is 0.14 mil and it is trading at half that.

It also does not go unnoticed that W1628 that Martti happens to own, is a reasonably good wine. The NPCC get one point for consuming 40 bottles, which is only about 0.82 mil! (They will consume anything below 2 mil a point). The wine is currently not in a conversion, so Martti withdraws his bids and lets others sell cheaply. Same goes for W1629S. W163W, instead, is dishwater that fits better for own consumption (10). Martti also smokes 7*CIG, just to boost health and wisdom, as now it is public that they are rather cost-effective for both.

December 1638 - Day 117

Suits were selling real good and the money is back positive! And it's good since the first loan is coming due in 1640!

It is now important to buy SCI to be able to consume it in Aim preparation for the sharpshooting. Also Wine is needed for horseback contest.

As the cooks are in charge, and balance is positive, they stock up a little on slowly-spoiling foods (meat, beer). This will ease the sweat when the year is closing and the account is negative.

At the first sight of Insignificant remaining health challenge, Martti quits consuming for 1638.

November 1638 - Day 116

Cooks are handling the business at home. Since the NPC have yielded their benefits and have been billed, the balance is negative -8.3 mil. With cool head, it should resolve itself. (Wiser than before, Martti's balance includes a S-VE1 and some BLD that could be sold to the bid without undue suffering if suits don't sell - as Martti expects them not to).

The most critical situation is with health. No possibility to buy and 80 left in Food quota is not an enviable situation. Martti drinks a sixpack of W1608, the 30-year old French wine that is going for a ridiculously low ask of 35k in the market. Even Foie Gras is cheap enough to be consumed: 4 kilos tastes good.

Since health is a concern and Martti found 10 doses of mushrooms, he though: "hey, what the heck, this is what the nobles take to get wise" and tries out the first time in his life, just one. Martti's Wisdom has in the recent years gone up to "7" and has room to increase.

There are yet no news on what Martti may have done in his journey, eagerly anticipating :)

July 1638 - Day 114

Martti was still on his way to the battlefields in the south, when, to his very great surprise, he met HE Princess Roopatra of Neverland on a gold Unicorn "Star" that she had owned since the 1400s. Never before spoken to a Princess, Martti sends a message via his page:

HE The Princess;  The Pistol contest rules are now known and my calculations show it is quite possible to win the disciplines 1 & 2 (ones not involving the army). I have most of the equipment and am in the best bonus health range (30-45). If YE would kindly consider the following profit sharing proposal: there is a SAPX and DIA5, conservatively 200 mil total value, as prizes. If either of both of these is won, we split the selling price. Your share of the costs would be a mere 10 mil + I could use the H9 [the Unicorn mentioned]. I even have an ancient suit and willing to risk it for the fame!

Audience was admitted and the following conversation ensued:
[1:05pm] Roopatra: Martti you would wish to borrow 10mil and my dearest horse Star (H9) during the festivities?

[1:05pm] KnightMartti: No Ma'am,

[1:06pm] Roopatra: I wonder with all that shooting action if my horse Star is in any danger?

[1:06pm] KnightMartti: I would like to receive 10 mil outright, no refund, and the horse would be in my use for the Horseback contest only

[1:06pm] KnightMartti: The King’s announcement said only the suit is in danger.

[1:07pm] KnightMartti: There cannot be any danger galloping around the Jousting Ground in 1-W, shooting from the hip, if the King says so…

[1:07pm] KnightMartti: With spectators pacified by 1000s of liters of wine

[1:08pm] Roopatra: Haha

[1:08pm] KnightMartti: The horse under the rider is surely the best preserved thing in the town at that moment!

[1:08pm] KnightMartti: My H4 is at your disposal during this of course.

[1:09pm] KnightMartti: What could be more noble than winning the diamond for the Princess!

[1:10pm] KnightMartti: Or the Large Sapphire (5ct diamond is in the sharpshooting..)

[1:10pm] Roopatra: Martti you would want to keep that 10mil, and to borrow my dear horse and return it unharmed after the tournament, ride victoriously  and split any winnings 50/50?

[1:11pm] KnightMartti: I don’t know about other winnings as those may be pooled with other stuff and it may be difficult to split equitably the amounts of the lesser win pool tickets. But the winners of the 3 contests enter the DIA10 pool.

[1:11pm] KnightMartti: If that is won, I propose you will keep it and I will keep the lesser stone, no 50/50.

[1:11pm] KnightMartti: Your favor

[1:12pm] KnightMartti: But in this case I will seek to kiss your hand with the DIA10 …

[1:13pm] KnightMartti: There is a DIA10 in the Sceptre, and one in NewLiberty’s coronet. They are no joke since HSH The Prince refused to sell the DIA20 to the King @250mil

[1:14pm] Roopatra: Martti proposes a diamond or nothing?

[1:15pm] Roopatra: which is a gamble

[1:16pm] KnightMartti: My final proposal is that the possibilities are:

[1:17pm] KnightMartti: - win 1 of the 2, in which case the sell price is split 50/50

[1:17pm] KnightMartti: - win both, your excellency can choose one stone

[1:17pm] KnightMartti: - if DIA10 is won additionally, your excellency can take that instead of a minor stone

[1:18pm] KnightMartti: - if both events and the DIA10 are won, you will have 2, of your choice

[1:18pm] KnightMartti: The upside is on your side, I am just your most humble servant

[1:19pm] KnightMartti: The peerages of FS and NL are from 1420 and 1434, respectively

[1:20pm] KnightMartti: I do not believe there will be any sales from them in the future any more than what the King reportedly tried already

[1:20pm] KnightMartti: So it is the most precious gem outside those 3 guys

[1:21pm] KnightMartti: oh.. I got the vision -

[1:21pm] KnightMartti: Star needs a diamond tiara

[1:21pm] KnightMartti: won by her own splendidness!!!

[1:21pm] KnightMartti: in the coronation !!!!!!!!!!

[1:22pm] Roopatra: KnightMartti, I agree to your terms, I will send over 10mil for your preparations. Star (H9) will stay in my ownership, as he is just a loan during the tournament(?).

[1:24pm] KnightMartti: I am most gracious to your excellency and appreciate the business acumen and will seek to win with all my effort, the 10 mil being spent for SCI preparations.

A fortunate meeting truly. Martti's chances to win the Horseback contest go up greatly with a H9 instead of a H4. The money provides the SCI preparation and aiming fund for the other contest. And all the other prizes except the large gems mentioned, Martti gets to keep to himself. And kiss the Princess' hand.

Things are truly going well now - hopefully the COOK-2's that were left at home can reasonably trim the market offers. There will be a cashflow crisis the next year since all the suits have been sold and the next opportunity is after 2 NPC salary rounds that are very serious money each.

Ahead towards the thundering voice of cannons (figuratively for now of course), Martti rides, whistling on his way.

May 1638 - Day 113

Martti started feeling bad:  his rules of play were originally 8 logins per week, and now it has been almost 2 per day. Checking the blog entries relieves the burden: only 73 were written in 113 days, so even if there were 10 extra logins, or 20, it would still average less than 6 per week.

So it's possible to check out things. While consuming a meditative amount of CAN (50, enough to make the most of the Frequency Bonus - These days Martti opens the year with just CAN and starts consuming other stuff when Superveg arrives), Martti laments that terrible haste with preparations has prevented him from marketing his goods properly, and that even though he won the 4th raffle prize from his lot bids, it was a prestigious exactly-200-year-old gold coin CR1438E. It is from the earliest decade of CryptoTown, rarest of the ancient coins with 20 minted only (the minimum) and would be fetched 15-20 mil even in the premium only times. Now, however, Coinshop is selling one at 6.5 mil, including gold, and preventing Martti to sell his at a collectors' price.

Coinshop by the way listed prices for all gold coins, both bid and ask, so the trading desk is dripping with goodness - as you can see, even the maximum possible combo of historicity and rarity is only 4 mil above spot per coin! Just out of being a merchant, and not from any special desire to even sell the coin at so much below value, Martti lists his to the 3rd spot at 9.9 mil, the minimum to even consider a trade.

Ming China bids are primed higher. Martti believes the coming Italian Furniture will awaken more interest to its predecessor Ming China as well. If anyone still wants to dump Ming, some of the bids are in more than a million range now..

Martti sheds his WAI (N1 NPC). He has not promoted to anything and is not particularly good in things (producing net 1*CUL+1*IC at a cost of 0.22 mil, only 8% promotion chance - even retire is higher at 13%!).

Martti has 5*COOK-x in N2-N3, they can take care of the household when Martti is having important knightly business with his page and the horses.

March 1638 - Day 112

The reports from the campaigns last year are brought back to CryptoTown. Martti feels he missed the opportunity for gold and glory with the building projects and such and makes plans to go to Ramsey this summer to participate in the possible action there.

The Margrave of Stonehaven is tending his NPCC and wants to buy the remainder of the WOS-E1 at a good price of 2 mil each (their labor maxprice is 2.24 and system price 1.40 mil). So the deal does not take long to complete.

In the spirit of easy come, easy go, Martti picks the RWWC reduced price offer on pistols and grabs 2, and recruits a PTE at the full price. Why skimp when money is not an issue? After the 15 mil purchases, he feels ready to join the battle or whatever is coming! Horse situation is good with a H4 and 2*H3, well enough for only two men, with the PTE having a sidesword, Martti has his own sword and 2 pistols total. Perhaps a musket would have given some longer-range firepower in addition but finances permit only this far.

The house is unsold but returned a nice 0.57 mil + 7 CUL + 7 IC (two years back taxes will be happening soon, but they are only 0.18 mil total).

4 more pearls are converted from the IC, so the coronet has all the jewels now. Only the 200-gram silver base, most/very elaborate, remains (costing 110-120 IC). Bids are placed as it is most likely that there will be a pressure on IC price after 10,000+ was dividended from buildings and there is somewhat of a glut existing.

BuildCO seems hot, but after being so involved with tailors (unwilling to buy more just now though, as not only they will not promote, but also the suits market will likely dry up in awaiting for the next moth), Martti cannot expand too much. The 53 mil loan base is also coming for renewal soon, so this will take some priority after returning from the summer ride.

January 1638 - Day 111

New day dawns with only a slightly negative balance. Most of the brown and grey clothes have sold themselves, only 6 sets of greens (worth about 10 mil total) remain. It will be 3 more years since suits sell big time again, so it is imperative to get the greens sold as well.

The tailor business has not exactly been a success. But it could be... Martti's stable consists of 1*TAI-4, 5*TAI-3, 10*TAI-2, 8*TAI-1 (and btw also 1*H4, 2*H3, 1*H2, 1*H1, and in the NPC side: 3*COOK-2, 2*COOK-1, 1*WAI). So in total, Martti now controls 35 NPC's and horses. If the fortunes turn even a little better, this could make a powerful business. Buying the tailors cheaply in the initial levels and waiting for them to promote, is patient work. Tailors live as long as Martti does, so perhaps when Martti himself is 45 or 50, the business also becomes better.

Meanwhile, the RAF-2 jewely raffle finished on Martti's part. Originally he had bought about 2,000 tickets for perhaps 16 mil, and all of them had spoiled. Then a relative lowball of about 5 mil was filled, and did not spoil in the first round, rather in the second (which is already considered a win) and produced a Ruby! Rubies are the rarest of all colored gemstones, and will therefore likely be second only to diamonds in price. Ruby does not match that well with silver, and procuring the needed amount of gold for coronet (100-400 CKG) is impossible, so Martti is seeking to exchange it for a sapphire and money. It is still a net negative, but not as crushing as it would be to spend 8 figures and get nothing in return.

The house has not sold, so marketing is probably wanting. The offer is seriously good, because the house is new and does not need fixes for a long time to come, and the building material prices have shot up. Since cash flow does not urgently demand selling, the price is left untouched. After all, it's not only selling that makes you money, you must sell for a profit, and Martti's only profit in the deal is getting rid of the excess lot that he believes will rise in value slower than the other opportunities he could invest in. The other lot is for sale at the land price, 12 mil, only. That one is also not gone yet.

Martti makes petition to Church to return the stone that was erroneously credited to them from the demolishing of the 24+24 sqm houses. The issue is clear, the stone was credited to the "1608 owner" of the houses (Martti was a toddler then and the houses still belonged to the Church), but belongs to the "1624 owner" (when the Lot master was pulled from the system for update). The solving could have been complicated, but luckily Martti knew a clerk from the Church who speedily credited him the 62,400*STO1.

This allowed Martti some breathing space, as he quickly dumped all his stone to the bid at 77. Stone can always be bought back, but 5 mil in the balance allows raising the lot bids to trump those of SyksyII. If the King has 1-2 prize rounds left, with any luck, an additional gift that can be sold at 10 mil can be obtained.

Success tracker 
Age: 32 (17 years played, health: Good)

Level: 11/14 (getting Baron (L13) is a near certainty if health continues favorably, but Earl (L14) is the target, and there are many depositing players and old players seeking the same rank, and the promotions to peerage are limited. Whereas aspiring Masters get their Barony at about 35-40 yo, the early knighting is actually a relative disadvantage as they do not have a fast lane and it may take much longer before getting the Barony - not to mention the loss of production shares and increased costs)

Wealth:
+ gold, silver and gemstones: 10 mil (1*RUB only - Martti cannot buy gold as long as he is in debt, that does not make sense, and same with unnecessary silver)
+ real estate: 65 mil (250 sqm lot, 100 sqm lot, 100 sqm lot with a new 90 sqm building)
+ cash: 5 mil
+ building materials 9 mil (BLD, a speculation)
+ consumables 9 mil (mostly wine, partly as the lot market raffle prize, partly own speculations - not too profitable yet)
+ NPC stock 36 mil (30 in total, mostly early level ; just one high level NPC can be 100 mil..)
+ Horses stock 10 mil (they need to be put to use, since otherwise horses are just a drain on the economy)
+ Suits and clothes 35 mil (highest number is trading stock, but highest value is tied in Martti's own noble blue and Most Ancient red)
+ S-VE1 5 mil (this could be sold but since the cash flow is so erratic, it is a good backup to get something to eat if balance is negative)
+ Miscellaneous 5 mil (growing collection of Ming China, custom sword, etc.)
- debt 53 mil

Net total wealth at approximate midprice: 127 mil / 1000 (target)
A short 4 realmonths of play, and the character is worth $100. This is a decent situation. If we can count on 30 more years of life, the rate of return needed for the remaining years is 7.1% to get to the target billionaire wealth. During the last 15 years, from a starting point of 10 mil, the wealth has grown at a 18.5% annual pace, mostly with a debt leverage of 30-50% of total assets.

Martti raises the lot bids, puts on his red merchant suit and walks whistling to Gilded Goose to solicit some more loan from whomever is sitting there with extra balance and benevolence. To get into the mood, he consumes 12 bottles of 1629 Sweet Wine. After all, health, happiness and long life are paramount for realising the other objectives in life, which he hopefully has many years left :)

ADD: Gems market is taking shape as Martti traded away the RUB at 12 mil and got a SAP at 8 mil in return in a negotiated trade fulfilled via the market.