One of our envoy reports recommended to remove tree chopping conflicts
and power generation of commune trees. I was loathe to remove yet
another conflict system but I totally understand how morale busting it
can be to have enemies chopping your trees and running away and I
understand how it didn't seem fair that communes had an advantage with
power that cities may not. In other words, I get why players want this
but, again, I would prefer not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Also, communes would basically get free wood without any risk or cost
whatsoever.

Therefore, I'd like to try an experiment. To keep, everything operating
as-is but to give commune druids an additional discretionary power.

NEXUS IRONBARK - available to commune druids security. For 150 power,
will prevent trees from being chopped in any manner EXCEPT that a druid
of the same commune as the tree may mulch it. This power can be
stackable up to 48 hours.

Therefore, druids can basically protect trees 24/7 IF they want to spend
the power to do so. In other words, yes, communes can still get power
from trees but they also need to spend power to protect it. Commune
druids will need to weigh when to protect trees (or constantly protect
trees) depending on how much they want trees to generate power.

Also, not having anything to do with trees, we've added another
discretionary power to help deal with forest fires.

NEXUS STORM - available to any security member of the commune. This will
change the weather patterns throughout the entire commune, causing
rainstorms strong enough to put out forest fires. (We've also adjusted
weather code slightly so stronger rainstorms have a better chance of
putting out fires--and the summoned rainstorm is very strong.) Weather
will eventually revert back to its seasonable norm, though in the
meantime shamans will get the benefit of potentially manipulating the
stormy weather.

Again, all of this is experimental and if it doesn't work, we may
reconsider the envoy report. However, until then, I hope you will give
this new system a try!

(We've also discussed potential other discretionary powers to help
defend home orgs but for now we are seeing how this goes.)



Penned by My hand on the 23rd of Dioni, in the year 423 CE.