I like the concept of "your position is just a few loyal retainers".
However, I don't understand how to make a fair game that uses that
concept.
With the current game, you establish a rule of diminishing returns,
you set up a market system that has a bit of supply and demand and a
limit on how much you can purchase/sell, you set up a few limited
sources of income, and you let it go. I understand how all of that
works. I can tell you that it's going to be basically "fair" and
balanced. Even if you screw up and make one trade run a bit more
profitable, it will become crowded or someone will seek to militarily
monopolize it.
With players scrabbling to control these NPC armies and hire laborers,
I don't think I understand what's going on nearly as well. If there is
a limited supply of army units, how do you parcel them up? Are newbies
going to be bait because they can't hire any guard units? Are the
rich/powerful players going to end up getting a monopoly on armies? If
large amounts of money is required to hire laborers, where does it
come from? The same as today? In what form will the "equity" of my
faction be?
The one commercial game that I can think of that kind of worked that
way was Hypercruier. It required a lot of GM itervention to stay
"fair". The GM did an excellent job, but it was probably pretty
expensive for him.
-- Oleg