Test of the Coffee Grower

2018-01-25T01:34:42Z

Blueshift: /* Rounds – Each round lasts 6 Egyptian days */

File:SampleRound.png

2018-01-25T01:30:24Z

Blueshift:

2018-01-20T19:32:13Z

Blueshift:

{{Template:BuildingInfo|image=Harbor.png|size=n/a|where=[[where::Harbor Construction Site]]|description=A possible Harbor}}

=== Abstract ===
In the test of the Trade Route, you will participate in newly opened trade route with Greece. Those who profit and know the conditions of the trade route the best shall pass the test!
In this test, a ship will depart for Greece each Egyptian month carrying crates of luxury goods. Before the ship departs, each player will be able to load crates of goods on it. When the ship returns the following month, each player who participated will receive an amount of Drachma based on the amount of crates they shipped and the uniqueness of each crate.

== Types of trade goods ==
There are eight types of trade goods.
*Perfume
*Raeli Tile
*Paint
*Powdered Dye
*Beer
*Wine
*Dried herbs
*Cut Gems
Perfume is made in a kitchen from citrus fruit and is already used in tests such as Festivals. Powdered Dye is new type of complex item - it is made in a chemistry lab from fish scales. 10 db of a color of fish scales produces 1 db of powdered dye of the same color. Beer shipped in crates must be 'Very potent' in order to survive the trip. Dried herbs are a new type of complex item made from herbs in a drying hammock. 10 db of one herb type makes 1 db of Dried Herb:(herb type).

==To open the test==
A new tech at the University of Harmony will be available to research: Harbor Construction.
Completion of this tech will allow the populace of Egypt to build a harbor along the Mediterranean Sea to facilitate trade with Greece. The harbor must be built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and must be built near sea level, with a fair amount of flat land around it. The harbor is built in a Harbor Construction Site. This is an Egypt-wide project, so you will need to recruit others to help provide construction materials. Once completed, a harbor may never be torn down, salvaged, guilded, or have ownership transferred. Any paid player has access to use the functions of the harbor. The test may then be demonstrated (opened) by any owner of a completed harbor at the University of Harmony.

==The ship from Greece==
At 6:00 AM on Day 1 of each month, a ship from Greece will dock at the harbor. It will stay there until 6:00 AM of Day 15 of the same month, at which time it will depart for Greece. It will return the following month.

While the ship is docked, any player may submit a crate of trade goods onto the ship. The amount of crates you are able to ship depends on your nautical influence level. All players who begin the test are “Volunteers”. Volunteers are given the use of 1 crate on the ship, therefore they may ship one good type each month. You may advance in rank by paying drachma at a University of Harmony.

Volunteer → Quartermaster → Midshipman → Master's Mate → Lieutenant → Captain

Each increase in rank doubles the number of crates you are allowed ship per voyage.
The Volunteer can ship 1 crate, and the Captain may ship up to 32 crates. To advance your rank, visit a University of Harmony. The 1st advancement costs 625 drachma and doubles each time, costing 10000 drachma to move from Lieutenant to Captain. If you can ship more than 1 crate, you can either ship various crates of different types or multiple crates of one type of good (or any combination). For example, a Midshipman could ship 2 crates of perfume, 1 crate of wine, and another crate of cut gem.

==What goes in a crate?==
Crate types:
*Perfume: this crate must contain exactly 1 db each of 2 different types of perfume.
*Raeli Tiles: 10 tiles each of 2 different colors
*Paint: 1 db each of 2 different colored paints
*Powdered Dye: 1 db each of 2 different colored Dyes
*Beer: 2 different barrels of beer
*Dried Herbs: 1 db each of 2 different dried herbs
*Wine: 2 different bottles of wine
*Cut Gems: 2 different cuts, each must be from a different type of cuttable gem

Players earn drachma based on the demand for that good in Greece. Demand is based on the uniqueness of your shipment. Uniqueness is calculated a by looking at what you shipped versus what other players shipped in the same voyage, as well as the previous 4 voyages to Greece.
A crate receives a 'major' penalty if it has a good type that is in another crate on the same ship, and a 'minor' penalty if it has a good type that was shipped in one of the previous 4 voyages. Each major penalty reduces the value of the crate by 30% (value*0.7). Then, minor penalties are calculated by reducing the value by 10% each (value*0.9).

====Perfume trade====
A crate of perfume is worth 1000 drachma. Perfumes are identified by the base fruit and adjective used to describe it. For example, Long Corian and Sweet Corian make different perfumes. Each crate contains two different perfumes.

====Raeli Trade====
A crate of Raeli tiles (2 colors of 10 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Paint Trade====
A crate of paint (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Powdered dye Trade====
A crate of powdered dye (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Beer====
A crate of beer (2 different barrels) is worth 1000 drachma. Only “Very Potent” beer may be shipped, so it may survive the trip. For the purpose of this test, a beer's 'uniqueness' is determined by the color and flavor combination. So, a Brown Nutmeg Cinnamon beer is different from a Brown Nutmeg Clove beer. But, a Spicy Cinnamon beer and a Sweet Cinnamon beer would be considered the 'same' for the purposes of the trade route. Only the color and flavors count.

====Dried Herbs====
A crate of dried herbs (1 db each of 2 different dried herbs) is worth 400 drachma.

====Wine====
A crate of wine (2 different bottles of wine) is worth 800 drachma. For the purposes of this test, a wine's uniqueness is determined by ''dominant'' flavor in the bottle, assuming it was drank with a quality 9999 glass. This would correspond to the strongest individual flavor in the bottle.

====Cut Gems====
A crate of cut gems (2 different cuts from a different cuttable type each) is worth 400 drachma. A cut lapis: Queen's tomb would be considered different from a cut sunstone: Queen's tomb. You cannot use cut zircon gems for this test.

The demand for your crate depends on the uniqueness of its contents amongst that shipment AND the previous 4 shipments to Greece. To maximize your drachma, you should ship as many crates as possible, ship different things each time, and don't ship what other players are likely to ship!
When you start the test, you can only ship 1 crate, so you should spend drachma you earn at a University of Harmony to upgrade your rank so you may ship more. It's an investment that will pay off!

==An example of a trade==
Player 'Bob' is a midshipman. He decides to ship 2 crates of perfume and a crate of wine this month. He goes over to the harbor while the trading ship is in port and selects 'Load a crate onto the ship'. He then selects 'Crate of perfume' and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Corian) from his inventory. He gets a message that he successfully loaded a crate onto the ship. He repeats this, loading another crate of perfume and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Lemon) from his inventory. Then, he repeats this but loads a crate of wine (Nutmeg and Dust). He can load up to 4 crates this month because he is a midshipman, however he has decided to only ship 3.
He waits until the 1st of the next month, and then receives his drachma. Since his 2 wine flavors (Nutmeg and Dust) was not sent by anyone else, and was not sent by anyone in the previous 4 shipments, he gets 800 drachma from that crate (the maximum value). However, his perfume crates (Long Lime/Sweet Corian and Long Lime/Sweet Lemon) were not totally unique. 5 crates shipped on the boat contained a Long Lime, and in the previous 3 months Long Lime and Sweet Corian were both shipped once each time. This means he gets 4 'major' penalties and 6 'minor' penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Corain crate and 4 'major' penalties and 3 'minor penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Lemon. The base value of his perfume crates were 1000 drachma. They would be modified as follows: ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^6) and ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^3) which would yield 127 drachma and 175 drachma respectively. His total for the month would be 1102 drachma (his perfume and wine crate totals added together). The math is a little complex, but really, you only need to worry about trying to ship interesting things each time and the drachma will flow in. Note that Bob made a bit of a mistake by using Long Lime in 2 different crates - he would have earned more drachma if both of his perfume crates were totally unique.
One requirement of passing the test is possessing at least 40000 drachma – this basically makes you ''eligible'' to pass during weekly passes, but you'll need to do a bit more to actually pass.

==Top Traders==
To be recognized as a master of trade is part of this test; you must show you know the trading business inside out! If you earn more drachma than anyone else in one of the 8 trading categories during a single shipment, you are recognized as the top trader for that good for that month. You can select the Harbor to view a list of the previous month's top traders for each category: it lists the top trader and the runner-up for each category. Additionally, you may visit an Essence of Harmony and submit a prediction on who you think will be the top trader in a certain category for that month: you may designate one player for each of the 8 trades.

==Passing the Test==
You must possess at least 40000 drachma, have been recognized at some point as the top trader in at least 4 different categories, and have correctly predicted at least once the top trader for 4 different categories at an Essence of Harmony. Anyone who fulfills all three of these requirements will pass the test during the next set of weekly passes! Multiple people or none at all could pass each week. For example, a player would had 52000 drachma, was the top trader in cut gems, dried herbs, beer, and wine, and predicted the top trader in paint, wine, beer, and powdered dye would pass the test.

==Some other details==
Drachma for the previous month's shipment are distributed to players when the ship returns to Egypt at 6:00 AM on the 1st day of the month. The top trader list at the Harbor is also updated at this time and players who were the top trader in a category or predicted the top trader of a category also receive credit for it at this time. You can view your current amount of drachma from your test menu, which also lists how much drachma you earned for the previous month's shipment and your current trader rank (volunteer, captain, etc). The 'show status' submenu also indicates if you have ever been the top trader in a category or predicted successfully the top trader of a category.

File:Harbor.png

2018-01-20T19:31:56Z

Blueshift: uploaded a new version of "File:Harbor.png"

Test of the Trade Route

2018-01-20T19:30:51Z

Blueshift:

{{Template:BuildingInfo|image=Harbor.png|size=n/a|where=[[where::Harbor Construction Site]]|description=A possible Harbor}}

= Test of the Trade Route proposal =

=== Abstract ===
In the test of the Trade Route, you will participate in newly opened trade route with Greece. Those who profit and know the conditions of the trade route the best shall pass the test!
In this test, a ship will depart for Greece each Egyptian month carrying crates of luxury goods. Before the ship departs, each player will be able to load crates of goods on it. When the ship returns the following month, each player who participated will receive an amount of Drachma based on the amount of crates they shipped and the uniqueness of each crate.

== Types of trade goods ==
There are eight types of trade goods.
*Perfume
*Raeli Tile
*Paint
*Powdered Dye
*Beer
*Wine
*Dried herbs
*Cut Gems
Perfume is made in a kitchen from citrus fruit and is already used in tests such as Festivals. Powdered Dye is new type of complex item - it is made in a chemistry lab from fish scales. 10 db of a color of fish scales produces 1 db of powdered dye of the same color. Beer shipped in crates must be 'Very potent' in order to survive the trip. Dried herbs are a new type of complex item made from herbs in a drying hammock. 10 db of one herb type makes 1 db of Dried Herb:(herb type).

==To open the test==
A new tech at the University of Harmony will be available to research: Harbor Construction.
Completion of this tech will allow the populace of Egypt to build a harbor along the Mediterranean Sea to facilitate trade with Greece. The harbor must be built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and must be built near sea level, with a fair amount of flat land around it. The harbor is built in a Harbor Construction Site. This is an Egypt-wide project, so you will need to recruit others to help provide construction materials. Once completed, a harbor may never be torn down, salvaged, guilded, or have ownership transferred. Any paid player has access to use the functions of the harbor. The test may then be demonstrated (opened) by any owner of a completed harbor at the University of Harmony.

==The ship from Greece==
At 6:00 AM on Day 1 of each month, a ship from Greece will dock at the harbor. It will stay there until 6:00 AM of Day 15 of the same month, at which time it will depart for Greece. It will return the following month.

While the ship is docked, any player may submit a crate of trade goods onto the ship. The amount of crates you are able to ship depends on your nautical influence level. All players who begin the test are “Volunteers”. Volunteers are given the use of 1 crate on the ship, therefore they may ship one good type each month. You may advance in rank by paying drachma at a University of Harmony.

Volunteer → Quartermaster → Midshipman → Master's Mate → Lieutenant → Captain

Each increase in rank doubles the number of crates you are allowed ship per voyage.
The Volunteer can ship 1 crate, and the Captain may ship up to 32 crates. To advance your rank, visit a University of Harmony. The 1st advancement costs 625 drachma and doubles each time, costing 10000 drachma to move from Lieutenant to Captain. If you can ship more than 1 crate, you can either ship various crates of different types or multiple crates of one type of good (or any combination). For example, a Midshipman could ship 2 crates of perfume, 1 crate of wine, and another crate of cut gem.

==What goes in a crate?==
Crate types:
*Perfume: this crate must contain exactly 1 db each of 2 different types of perfume.
*Raeli Tiles: 10 tiles each of 2 different colors
*Paint: 1 db each of 2 different colored paints
*Powdered Dye: 1 db each of 2 different colored Dyes
*Beer: 2 different barrels of beer
*Dried Herbs: 1 db each of 2 different dried herbs
*Wine: 2 different bottles of wine
*Cut Gems: 2 different cuts, each must be from a different type of cuttable gem

Players earn drachma based on the demand for that good in Greece. Demand is based on the uniqueness of your shipment. Uniqueness is calculated a by looking at what you shipped versus what other players shipped in the same voyage, as well as the previous 4 voyages to Greece.
A crate receives a 'major' penalty if it has a good type that is in another crate on the same ship, and a 'minor' penalty if it has a good type that was shipped in one of the previous 4 voyages. Each major penalty reduces the value of the crate by 30% (value*0.7). Then, minor penalties are calculated by reducing the value by 10% each (value*0.9).

====Perfume trade====
A crate of perfume is worth 1000 drachma. Perfumes are identified by the base fruit and adjective used to describe it. For example, Long Corian and Sweet Corian make different perfumes. Each crate contains two different perfumes.

====Raeli Trade====
A crate of Raeli tiles (2 colors of 10 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Paint Trade====
A crate of paint (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Powdered dye Trade====
A crate of powdered dye (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Beer====
A crate of beer (2 different barrels) is worth 1000 drachma. Only “Very Potent” beer may be shipped, so it may survive the trip. For the purpose of this test, a beer's 'uniqueness' is determined by the color and flavor combination. So, a Brown Nutmeg Cinnamon beer is different from a Brown Nutmeg Clove beer. But, a Spicy Cinnamon beer and a Sweet Cinnamon beer would be considered the 'same' for the purposes of the trade route. Only the color and flavors count.

====Dried Herbs====
A crate of dried herbs (1 db each of 2 different dried herbs) is worth 400 drachma.

====Wine====
A crate of wine (2 different bottles of wine) is worth 800 drachma. For the purposes of this test, a wine's uniqueness is determined by ''dominant'' flavor in the bottle, assuming it was drank with a quality 9999 glass. This would correspond to the strongest individual flavor in the bottle.

====Cut Gems====
A crate of cut gems (2 different cuts from a different cuttable type each) is worth 400 drachma. A cut lapis: Queen's tomb would be considered different from a cut sunstone: Queen's tomb. You cannot use cut zircon gems for this test.

The demand for your crate depends on the uniqueness of its contents amongst that shipment AND the previous 4 shipments to Greece. To maximize your drachma, you should ship as many crates as possible, ship different things each time, and don't ship what other players are likely to ship!
When you start the test, you can only ship 1 crate, so you should spend drachma you earn at a University of Harmony to upgrade your rank so you may ship more. It's an investment that will pay off!

==An example of a trade==
Player 'Bob' is a midshipman. He decides to ship 2 crates of perfume and a crate of wine this month. He goes over to the harbor while the trading ship is in port and selects 'Load a crate onto the ship'. He then selects 'Crate of perfume' and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Corian) from his inventory. He gets a message that he successfully loaded a crate onto the ship. He repeats this, loading another crate of perfume and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Lemon) from his inventory. Then, he repeats this but loads a crate of wine (Nutmeg and Dust). He can load up to 4 crates this month because he is a midshipman, however he has decided to only ship 3.
He waits until the 1st of the next month, and then receives his drachma. Since his 2 wine flavors (Nutmeg and Dust) was not sent by anyone else, and was not sent by anyone in the previous 4 shipments, he gets 800 drachma from that crate (the maximum value). However, his perfume crates (Long Lime/Sweet Corian and Long Lime/Sweet Lemon) were not totally unique. 5 crates shipped on the boat contained a Long Lime, and in the previous 3 months Long Lime and Sweet Corian were both shipped once each time. This means he gets 4 'major' penalties and 6 'minor' penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Corain crate and 4 'major' penalties and 3 'minor penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Lemon. The base value of his perfume crates were 1000 drachma. They would be modified as follows: ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^6) and ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^3) which would yield 127 drachma and 175 drachma respectively. His total for the month would be 1102 drachma (his perfume and wine crate totals added together). The math is a little complex, but really, you only need to worry about trying to ship interesting things each time and the drachma will flow in. Note that Bob made a bit of a mistake by using Long Lime in 2 different crates - he would have earned more drachma if both of his perfume crates were totally unique.
One requirement of passing the test is possessing at least 40000 drachma – this basically makes you ''eligible'' to pass during weekly passes, but you'll need to do a bit more to actually pass.

==Top Traders==
To be recognized as a master of trade is part of this test; you must show you know the trading business inside out! If you earn more drachma than anyone else in one of the 8 trading categories during a single shipment, you are recognized as the top trader for that good for that month. You can select the Harbor to view a list of the previous month's top traders for each category: it lists the top trader and the runner-up for each category. Additionally, you may visit an Essence of Harmony and submit a prediction on who you think will be the top trader in a certain category for that month: you may designate one player for each of the 8 trades.

==Passing the Test==
You must possess at least 40000 drachma, have been recognized at some point as the top trader in at least 4 different categories, and have correctly predicted at least once the top trader for 4 different categories at an Essence of Harmony. Anyone who fulfills all three of these requirements will pass the test during the next set of weekly passes! Multiple people or none at all could pass each week. For example, a player would had 52000 drachma, was the top trader in cut gems, dried herbs, beer, and wine, and predicted the top trader in paint, wine, beer, and powdered dye would pass the test.

==Some other details==
Drachma for the previous month's shipment are distributed to players when the ship returns to Egypt at 6:00 AM on the 1st day of the month. The top trader list at the Harbor is also updated at this time and players who were the top trader in a category or predicted the top trader of a category also receive credit for it at this time. You can view your current amount of drachma from your test menu, which also lists how much drachma you earned for the previous month's shipment and your current trader rank (volunteer, captain, etc). The 'show status' submenu also indicates if you have ever been the top trader in a category or predicted successfully the top trader of a category.

Test of the Trade Route

2018-01-20T19:28:46Z

Blueshift:

= Test of the Trade Route proposal =

=== Abstract ===
In the test of the Trade Route, you will participate in newly opened trade route with Greece. Those who profit and know the conditions of the trade route the best shall pass the test!
In this test, a ship will depart for Greece each Egyptian month carrying crates of luxury goods. Before the ship departs, each player will be able to load crates of goods on it. When the ship returns the following month, each player who participated will receive an amount of Drachma based on the amount of crates they shipped and the uniqueness of each crate.
[[File:Harbor.png|200px|thumb|right]]

== Types of trade goods ==
There are eight types of trade goods.
*Perfume
*Raeli Tile
*Paint
*Powdered Dye
*Beer
*Wine
*Dried herbs
*Cut Gems
Perfume is made in a kitchen from citrus fruit and is already used in tests such as Festivals. Powdered Dye is new type of complex item - it is made in a chemistry lab from fish scales. 10 db of a color of fish scales produces 1 db of powdered dye of the same color. Beer shipped in crates must be 'Very potent' in order to survive the trip. Dried herbs are a new type of complex item made from herbs in a drying hammock. 10 db of one herb type makes 1 db of Dried Herb:(herb type).

==To open the test==
A new tech at the University of Harmony will be available to research: Harbor Construction.
Completion of this tech will allow the populace of Egypt to build a harbor along the Mediterranean Sea to facilitate trade with Greece. The harbor must be built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and must be built near sea level, with a fair amount of flat land around it. The harbor is built in a Harbor Construction Site. This is an Egypt-wide project, so you will need to recruit others to help provide construction materials. Once completed, a harbor may never be torn down, salvaged, guilded, or have ownership transferred. Any paid player has access to use the functions of the harbor. The test may then be demonstrated (opened) by any owner of a completed harbor at the University of Harmony.

==The ship from Greece==
At 6:00 AM on Day 1 of each month, a ship from Greece will dock at the harbor. It will stay there until 6:00 AM of Day 15 of the same month, at which time it will depart for Greece. It will return the following month.

While the ship is docked, any player may submit a crate of trade goods onto the ship. The amount of crates you are able to ship depends on your nautical influence level. All players who begin the test are “Volunteers”. Volunteers are given the use of 1 crate on the ship, therefore they may ship one good type each month. You may advance in rank by paying drachma at a University of Harmony.

Volunteer → Quartermaster → Midshipman → Master's Mate → Lieutenant → Captain

Each increase in rank doubles the number of crates you are allowed ship per voyage.
The Volunteer can ship 1 crate, and the Captain may ship up to 32 crates. To advance your rank, visit a University of Harmony. The 1st advancement costs 625 drachma and doubles each time, costing 10000 drachma to move from Lieutenant to Captain. If you can ship more than 1 crate, you can either ship various crates of different types or multiple crates of one type of good (or any combination). For example, a Midshipman could ship 2 crates of perfume, 1 crate of wine, and another crate of cut gem.

==What goes in a crate?==
Crate types:
*Perfume: this crate must contain exactly 1 db each of 2 different types of perfume.
*Raeli Tiles: 10 tiles each of 2 different colors
*Paint: 1 db each of 2 different colored paints
*Powdered Dye: 1 db each of 2 different colored Dyes
*Beer: 2 different barrels of beer
*Dried Herbs: 1 db each of 2 different dried herbs
*Wine: 2 different bottles of wine
*Cut Gems: 2 different cuts, each must be from a different type of cuttable gem

Players earn drachma based on the demand for that good in Greece. Demand is based on the uniqueness of your shipment. Uniqueness is calculated a by looking at what you shipped versus what other players shipped in the same voyage, as well as the previous 4 voyages to Greece.
A crate receives a 'major' penalty if it has a good type that is in another crate on the same ship, and a 'minor' penalty if it has a good type that was shipped in one of the previous 4 voyages. Each major penalty reduces the value of the crate by 30% (value*0.7). Then, minor penalties are calculated by reducing the value by 10% each (value*0.9).

====Perfume trade====
A crate of perfume is worth 1000 drachma. Perfumes are identified by the base fruit and adjective used to describe it. For example, Long Corian and Sweet Corian make different perfumes. Each crate contains two different perfumes.

====Raeli Trade====
A crate of Raeli tiles (2 colors of 10 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Paint Trade====
A crate of paint (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Powdered dye Trade====
A crate of powdered dye (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Beer====
A crate of beer (2 different barrels) is worth 1000 drachma. Only “Very Potent” beer may be shipped, so it may survive the trip. For the purpose of this test, a beer's 'uniqueness' is determined by the color and flavor combination. So, a Brown Nutmeg Cinnamon beer is different from a Brown Nutmeg Clove beer. But, a Spicy Cinnamon beer and a Sweet Cinnamon beer would be considered the 'same' for the purposes of the trade route. Only the color and flavors count.

====Dried Herbs====
A crate of dried herbs (1 db each of 2 different dried herbs) is worth 400 drachma.

====Wine====
A crate of wine (2 different bottles of wine) is worth 800 drachma. For the purposes of this test, a wine's uniqueness is determined by ''dominant'' flavor in the bottle, assuming it was drank with a quality 9999 glass. This would correspond to the strongest individual flavor in the bottle.

====Cut Gems====
A crate of cut gems (2 different cuts from a different cuttable type each) is worth 400 drachma. A cut lapis: Queen's tomb would be considered different from a cut sunstone: Queen's tomb. You cannot use cut zircon gems for this test.

The demand for your crate depends on the uniqueness of its contents amongst that shipment AND the previous 4 shipments to Greece. To maximize your drachma, you should ship as many crates as possible, ship different things each time, and don't ship what other players are likely to ship!
When you start the test, you can only ship 1 crate, so you should spend drachma you earn at a University of Harmony to upgrade your rank so you may ship more. It's an investment that will pay off!

==An example of a trade==
Player 'Bob' is a midshipman. He decides to ship 2 crates of perfume and a crate of wine this month. He goes over to the harbor while the trading ship is in port and selects 'Load a crate onto the ship'. He then selects 'Crate of perfume' and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Corian) from his inventory. He gets a message that he successfully loaded a crate onto the ship. He repeats this, loading another crate of perfume and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Lemon) from his inventory. Then, he repeats this but loads a crate of wine (Nutmeg and Dust). He can load up to 4 crates this month because he is a midshipman, however he has decided to only ship 3.
He waits until the 1st of the next month, and then receives his drachma. Since his 2 wine flavors (Nutmeg and Dust) was not sent by anyone else, and was not sent by anyone in the previous 4 shipments, he gets 800 drachma from that crate (the maximum value). However, his perfume crates (Long Lime/Sweet Corian and Long Lime/Sweet Lemon) were not totally unique. 5 crates shipped on the boat contained a Long Lime, and in the previous 3 months Long Lime and Sweet Corian were both shipped once each time. This means he gets 4 'major' penalties and 6 'minor' penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Corain crate and 4 'major' penalties and 3 'minor penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Lemon. The base value of his perfume crates were 1000 drachma. They would be modified as follows: ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^6) and ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^3) which would yield 127 drachma and 175 drachma respectively. His total for the month would be 1102 drachma (his perfume and wine crate totals added together). The math is a little complex, but really, you only need to worry about trying to ship interesting things each time and the drachma will flow in. Note that Bob made a bit of a mistake by using Long Lime in 2 different crates - he would have earned more drachma if both of his perfume crates were totally unique.
One requirement of passing the test is possessing at least 40000 drachma – this basically makes you ''eligible'' to pass during weekly passes, but you'll need to do a bit more to actually pass.

==Top Traders==
To be recognized as a master of trade is part of this test; you must show you know the trading business inside out! If you earn more drachma than anyone else in one of the 8 trading categories during a single shipment, you are recognized as the top trader for that good for that month. You can select the Harbor to view a list of the previous month's top traders for each category: it lists the top trader and the runner-up for each category. Additionally, you may visit an Essence of Harmony and submit a prediction on who you think will be the top trader in a certain category for that month: you may designate one player for each of the 8 trades.

==Passing the Test==
You must possess at least 40000 drachma, have been recognized at some point as the top trader in at least 4 different categories, and have correctly predicted at least once the top trader for 4 different categories at an Essence of Harmony. Anyone who fulfills all three of these requirements will pass the test during the next set of weekly passes! Multiple people or none at all could pass each week. For example, a player would had 52000 drachma, was the top trader in cut gems, dried herbs, beer, and wine, and predicted the top trader in paint, wine, beer, and powdered dye would pass the test.

==Some other details==
Drachma for the previous month's shipment are distributed to players when the ship returns to Egypt at 6:00 AM on the 1st day of the month. The top trader list at the Harbor is also updated at this time and players who were the top trader in a category or predicted the top trader of a category also receive credit for it at this time. You can view your current amount of drachma from your test menu, which also lists how much drachma you earned for the previous month's shipment and your current trader rank (volunteer, captain, etc). The 'show status' submenu also indicates if you have ever been the top trader in a category or predicted successfully the top trader of a category.

Test of the Trade Route

2018-01-20T19:28:23Z

Blueshift:

= Test of the Trade Route proposal =

=== Abstract ===
In the test of the Trade Route, you will participate in newly opened trade route with Greece. Those who profit and know the conditions of the trade route the best shall pass the test!
In this test, a ship will depart for Greece each Egyptian month carrying crates of luxury goods. Before the ship departs, each player will be able to load crates of goods on it. When the ship returns the following month, each player who participated will receive an amount of Drachma based on the amount of crates they shipped and the uniqueness of each crate.
[[File:Harbor.png|200px|thumb|left|alt text]]

== Types of trade goods ==
There are eight types of trade goods.
*Perfume
*Raeli Tile
*Paint
*Powdered Dye
*Beer
*Wine
*Dried herbs
*Cut Gems
Perfume is made in a kitchen from citrus fruit and is already used in tests such as Festivals. Powdered Dye is new type of complex item - it is made in a chemistry lab from fish scales. 10 db of a color of fish scales produces 1 db of powdered dye of the same color. Beer shipped in crates must be 'Very potent' in order to survive the trip. Dried herbs are a new type of complex item made from herbs in a drying hammock. 10 db of one herb type makes 1 db of Dried Herb:(herb type).

==To open the test==
A new tech at the University of Harmony will be available to research: Harbor Construction.
Completion of this tech will allow the populace of Egypt to build a harbor along the Mediterranean Sea to facilitate trade with Greece. The harbor must be built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and must be built near sea level, with a fair amount of flat land around it. The harbor is built in a Harbor Construction Site. This is an Egypt-wide project, so you will need to recruit others to help provide construction materials. Once completed, a harbor may never be torn down, salvaged, guilded, or have ownership transferred. Any paid player has access to use the functions of the harbor. The test may then be demonstrated (opened) by any owner of a completed harbor at the University of Harmony.

==The ship from Greece==
At 6:00 AM on Day 1 of each month, a ship from Greece will dock at the harbor. It will stay there until 6:00 AM of Day 15 of the same month, at which time it will depart for Greece. It will return the following month.

While the ship is docked, any player may submit a crate of trade goods onto the ship. The amount of crates you are able to ship depends on your nautical influence level. All players who begin the test are “Volunteers”. Volunteers are given the use of 1 crate on the ship, therefore they may ship one good type each month. You may advance in rank by paying drachma at a University of Harmony.

Volunteer → Quartermaster → Midshipman → Master's Mate → Lieutenant → Captain

Each increase in rank doubles the number of crates you are allowed ship per voyage.
The Volunteer can ship 1 crate, and the Captain may ship up to 32 crates. To advance your rank, visit a University of Harmony. The 1st advancement costs 625 drachma and doubles each time, costing 10000 drachma to move from Lieutenant to Captain. If you can ship more than 1 crate, you can either ship various crates of different types or multiple crates of one type of good (or any combination). For example, a Midshipman could ship 2 crates of perfume, 1 crate of wine, and another crate of cut gem.

==What goes in a crate?==
Crate types:
*Perfume: this crate must contain exactly 1 db each of 2 different types of perfume.
*Raeli Tiles: 10 tiles each of 2 different colors
*Paint: 1 db each of 2 different colored paints
*Powdered Dye: 1 db each of 2 different colored Dyes
*Beer: 2 different barrels of beer
*Dried Herbs: 1 db each of 2 different dried herbs
*Wine: 2 different bottles of wine
*Cut Gems: 2 different cuts, each must be from a different type of cuttable gem

Players earn drachma based on the demand for that good in Greece. Demand is based on the uniqueness of your shipment. Uniqueness is calculated a by looking at what you shipped versus what other players shipped in the same voyage, as well as the previous 4 voyages to Greece.
A crate receives a 'major' penalty if it has a good type that is in another crate on the same ship, and a 'minor' penalty if it has a good type that was shipped in one of the previous 4 voyages. Each major penalty reduces the value of the crate by 30% (value*0.7). Then, minor penalties are calculated by reducing the value by 10% each (value*0.9).

====Perfume trade====
A crate of perfume is worth 1000 drachma. Perfumes are identified by the base fruit and adjective used to describe it. For example, Long Corian and Sweet Corian make different perfumes. Each crate contains two different perfumes.

====Raeli Trade====
A crate of Raeli tiles (2 colors of 10 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Paint Trade====
A crate of paint (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Powdered dye Trade====
A crate of powdered dye (2 colors of 1 db each) is worth 500 drachma.

====Beer====
A crate of beer (2 different barrels) is worth 1000 drachma. Only “Very Potent” beer may be shipped, so it may survive the trip. For the purpose of this test, a beer's 'uniqueness' is determined by the color and flavor combination. So, a Brown Nutmeg Cinnamon beer is different from a Brown Nutmeg Clove beer. But, a Spicy Cinnamon beer and a Sweet Cinnamon beer would be considered the 'same' for the purposes of the trade route. Only the color and flavors count.

====Dried Herbs====
A crate of dried herbs (1 db each of 2 different dried herbs) is worth 400 drachma.

====Wine====
A crate of wine (2 different bottles of wine) is worth 800 drachma. For the purposes of this test, a wine's uniqueness is determined by ''dominant'' flavor in the bottle, assuming it was drank with a quality 9999 glass. This would correspond to the strongest individual flavor in the bottle.

====Cut Gems====
A crate of cut gems (2 different cuts from a different cuttable type each) is worth 400 drachma. A cut lapis: Queen's tomb would be considered different from a cut sunstone: Queen's tomb. You cannot use cut zircon gems for this test.

The demand for your crate depends on the uniqueness of its contents amongst that shipment AND the previous 4 shipments to Greece. To maximize your drachma, you should ship as many crates as possible, ship different things each time, and don't ship what other players are likely to ship!
When you start the test, you can only ship 1 crate, so you should spend drachma you earn at a University of Harmony to upgrade your rank so you may ship more. It's an investment that will pay off!

==An example of a trade==
Player 'Bob' is a midshipman. He decides to ship 2 crates of perfume and a crate of wine this month. He goes over to the harbor while the trading ship is in port and selects 'Load a crate onto the ship'. He then selects 'Crate of perfume' and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Corian) from his inventory. He gets a message that he successfully loaded a crate onto the ship. He repeats this, loading another crate of perfume and picks 2 different perfumes (Long Lime, Sweet Lemon) from his inventory. Then, he repeats this but loads a crate of wine (Nutmeg and Dust). He can load up to 4 crates this month because he is a midshipman, however he has decided to only ship 3.
He waits until the 1st of the next month, and then receives his drachma. Since his 2 wine flavors (Nutmeg and Dust) was not sent by anyone else, and was not sent by anyone in the previous 4 shipments, he gets 800 drachma from that crate (the maximum value). However, his perfume crates (Long Lime/Sweet Corian and Long Lime/Sweet Lemon) were not totally unique. 5 crates shipped on the boat contained a Long Lime, and in the previous 3 months Long Lime and Sweet Corian were both shipped once each time. This means he gets 4 'major' penalties and 6 'minor' penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Corain crate and 4 'major' penalties and 3 'minor penalties for the Long Lime/Sweet Lemon. The base value of his perfume crates were 1000 drachma. They would be modified as follows: ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^6) and ((1000*0.7^4)*0.9^3) which would yield 127 drachma and 175 drachma respectively. His total for the month would be 1102 drachma (his perfume and wine crate totals added together). The math is a little complex, but really, you only need to worry about trying to ship interesting things each time and the drachma will flow in. Note that Bob made a bit of a mistake by using Long Lime in 2 different crates - he would have earned more drachma if both of his perfume crates were totally unique.
One requirement of passing the test is possessing at least 40000 drachma – this basically makes you ''eligible'' to pass during weekly passes, but you'll need to do a bit more to actually pass.

==Top Traders==
To be recognized as a master of trade is part of this test; you must show you know the trading business inside out! If you earn more drachma than anyone else in one of the 8 trading categories during a single shipment, you are recognized as the top trader for that good for that month. You can select the Harbor to view a list of the previous month's top traders for each category: it lists the top trader and the runner-up for each category. Additionally, you may visit an Essence of Harmony and submit a prediction on who you think will be the top trader in a certain category for that month: you may designate one player for each of the 8 trades.

==Passing the Test==
You must possess at least 40000 drachma, have been recognized at some point as the top trader in at least 4 different categories, and have correctly predicted at least once the top trader for 4 different categories at an Essence of Harmony. Anyone who fulfills all three of these requirements will pass the test during the next set of weekly passes! Multiple people or none at all could pass each week. For example, a player would had 52000 drachma, was the top trader in cut gems, dried herbs, beer, and wine, and predicted the top trader in paint, wine, beer, and powdered dye would pass the test.

==Some other details==
Drachma for the previous month's shipment are distributed to players when the ship returns to Egypt at 6:00 AM on the 1st day of the month. The top trader list at the Harbor is also updated at this time and players who were the top trader in a category or predicted the top trader of a category also receive credit for it at this time. You can view your current amount of drachma from your test menu, which also lists how much drachma you earned for the previous month's shipment and your current trader rank (volunteer, captain, etc). The 'show status' submenu also indicates if you have ever been the top trader in a category or predicted successfully the top trader of a category.

2018-01-15T16:19:19Z

Blueshift: /* Test Mechanics */

== Sanctuary of Ra Test Proposal ==

===Abstract===

Ten individuals band together to construct a altar to glorify Ra, the sun god. Every three Egypt days, the altar is blessed by Ra and accumulates a number of sun points. After 72 days have passed, the altar becomes inactive and all of the points accumulated by it are divided evenly among the 10 protectors of the altar. But wait! The altar can also be a gateway to the evil god of chaos, Apophis. Players with sinister motives can perform an unholy sacrifice to Apophis at the altar once every 3 Egypt days to steal for themselves. It is up to the 10 protectors of the altar to defend the altar from these attacks, including constructing improvements to it.

===Test Mechanics===
Any player signed up for the test may construct an altar to Ra within a medium construction site. The base cost is:
*3 [[Green Sun Marble]]
*500 [[Clay Bricks]]
*250 Blond, Fireproof, Hard, Pliable Boards
*1 Sunstone cut Amunet
*25 Wheat, any variety

This constructs a central structure, the most basic part of the altar.
A note to the developer: Art assets are understandably a difficult part of programming and releasing new tests. Therefore, an existing structure that is already in use can be used for the sanctuary. This could be a funerary temple, ka tomb, library, throne (without the seat), etc, perhaps 'minimized' or modified in some simple way.

====Blessing and Joining the Altar====

After the altar is built, 9 more players must travel to and bless the altar. To bless the altar (the initial builder is not required to do this, only the other 9 people) select the option to "Glorify Ra from this altar". You will then be prompted to donate a gift to Ra from your inventory. You must donate 1 db of any non-complex item (like sand, flax, thorns, etc) that has not been donated to Ra before. If you try to donate an item that has already been donated to Ra in the past, he will be bored by it and you will have to try again, selecting a different resource from your inventory. Fortunately, the list of already donated gifts is reset at the beginning of each Egyptian year (Akhet I-1). Upon success, you will get a message saying that Ra is pleased with your donation and you are now considered one of the 10 protectors of the altar.

If 9 unique players do not bless the altar within 1 real-life week, the altar crumbles. After 9 unique players travel to and bless the altar, the altar becomes active and a message is posted to System that notes the active status and location of the altar. Thus, the location and intent of the altar is not a secret, everyone in Egypt will be aware it is active and where it is located. The original builder and the 9 nine players will now be referred to as the 10 protectors of the altar.

Every 3rd Egyptian day after the altar becomes active, the altar gains a certain number of Sun points. Initially, this number is 24 points, and each time thereafter the number decreases by 1 (next time, the altar would gain 23 points and so on). After 72 egyptian days, the altar would contain 300 Sun points under ideal conditions.

After these 72 Egyptian days have passed, the altar becomes inactive and the accumulated sun points in the altar become permanent personal Sun points which are divided evenly among the 10 protectors of the altar (fractions are rounded down. Each protector MUST receive the exact same number of sun points when the remaining points in the altar are divvied up this way.)

Of course, it is not quite so simple as to just build an altar and wait for the points to flow in. The god of chaos Apophis encourages the populace of Egypt to desecrate these altars to Ra and submit unholy sacrifices to him.

====Mechanics of Stealing Sun Points====
Any player may steal sun points from an active altar. The amount of points that they steal is dependent on how many upgrades have been made to the altar, whether or not the stealer is also a protector of the altar, or whether the stealer is the protector of another active altar.

When a player who is NOT a protector of the altar or any other active altar performs an unholy sacrifice at a basic non-upgraded altar, he or she steals 7 points from it. Each upgrade to the altar reduces that number by 1, to a minimum of 1 point (the altar can be upgraded a total of 6 times.)

If a protector steals points from his or her own altar, they only steal only 1 point for themselves no matter how many upgrades have been made to it – however, a total of 7 points are lost from the altar when this happens (again, upgrades do not protect against this, so it is especially painful when a protector betrays their own altar.)

If a player is a protector of an active altar and performs an unholy sacrifice at a different active altar, they will steal an extra point in addition to however many points they would normally steal from that altar.

If there are not enough points in the altar to be taken, the sacrificer takes as many as possible (the altar cannot go into negative points.)

Now onto the actual business of stealing points.

To perform an unholy sacrifice at an altar, a player must desecrate the altar first.
To desecrate the altar, select the altar while having a sheep (male or female) and a Knife:Iron in your inventory. The option to desecrate will be selectable – doing so will consume the sheep from your inventory (but not the knife). The player will then receive an unholy vision with instructions for the sacrifice. The player will be asked to sacrifice 1 randomly selected resource from among the following:
*Dead ant
*Salt
*Acid
*Sulfur
*Gunpowder
*Dung
*Petroleum
*Coal
*Dirt
*Mud
*Thorns
*Tar
*Clinker
*Volatile Explosives
*Charcoal
*Sharpened Stick
*Arsenic
*Quicksilver
*Eye of Osiris
*Dung Rot
*Ra's Awakening
*Spiderling
*Speed of the Serpent
*Thoth's Compound Extract
*Ra's Compound Extract

To perform the sacrifice, he/she must select the altar and sacrifice the required item. After the sacrifce, the player must say into main, "Oh Apophis, Serpent of the Nile, receive my sacrifice." He must say this within 60 seconds of the sacrifice, or Apophis will not heed the sacrifice and no points will be stolen. If the player is successful, he receives a popup stating the number of points he has stolen.
A player can perform a desecration and receive a vision once every 3 Egyptian days. He has 3 Egyptian days to complete the sacrifice, otherwise he must ask for a new sacrifice. He can only perform one sacrifice every 3 Egyptian days.

====Mechanics of Upgrading and Defending the Altar====

Naturally, the protectors of the altar do not wish to have their sun points stolen. They may construct upgrades to the altar which reduce the number of points stolen by outsiders with each unholy sacrifice. Upgrades can only be made to a currently active altar by the altar's own protectors. The upgrades expand the interior of the altar and culminate with an elaborate sanctuary. The initial upgrades are not expensive, but the final ones can be quite costly. After an altar has become active, there are initially no points in it until after 3 Egyptian days have passed. It is advised that the protectors make upgrades to it during this period when there are not sun points available to steal. It is not necessary to upgrade the altar at all, if you have enough trust in your fellow Egyptians! Upgrade costs:

'''Upgrade 1 (Entryway)'''
*3 [[Cherry Travertine]]
*6 Lily of the sea bulbs, any type
*1 Ribbon: Black
*1 Ribbon: White
*1 Ribbon: Gold

'''Upgrade 2 (Atrium)'''
*10 Moss: Random 2 attribute moss
*100 Black Fish Scales
*20 Reddish Fish Scales
*25 Blueish Fish Scales
*10 Greenish Fish Scales
*10 Yellowish Fish Scales
*1 Whiteish Fish Scales
*50 [[Wool Cloth]]
*500 [[Dirt]]

'''Upgrade 3 (Common Room)'''
*8 bottles of wine, with any fruit flavor
*5 barrels of beer, any wheat flavors
*1 Rock Spirits of Air
*1 Wood Spirits of Fire
*1 Grain Spirits of Water
*1 Fruit Spirits of Earth
*5 Citrus fruit of a random type
*5 Citrus fruit of another random type

'''Upgrade 4 (Study)'''
*500 Volatile, Termite-prone boards
*500 Black, soft boards
*500 White, soft boards
*1 [[Quill]]
*100 [[Ink]]
*100 [[Papyrus Paper]]

'''Upgrade 5 (Library)'''
*6000 Firebricks
*3 Random 3-output gearboxes
*1 [[Quill]]
*100 [[Ink]]
*100 [[Wood Paper]]
*3 [[Mountain Marble]]
*3 [[Fire Rock]]

'''Upgrade 6 (Sanctuary)'''
*3 [[Blood Granite]]
*3 [[Ghost Granite]]
*3 [[Onyx]]
*3 [[Angels Stone]]
*1 Sunstone cut Ra's Lantern
*1 Citrine cut Solarkin
*20 Sun Steel Sheeting: Shiny, Insulative, Non-toxic Platinum-plated purity 5+

Any player may select the altar to see what upgrades have been added, a list of the 10 protectors, the total number of sun points the altar has accumulated, how many days longer the altar will remain active, and finally a list of all players who have performed unholy sacrifices at the altar.

===Passing the Test===
Passing begins weekly after the first altar has been built, become active, and finally become inactive. Passing continues weekly after that point. The player with the highest number of sun points passes the test each week. In the event of a tie, no players pass that week. No passes are retained - there must be exactly 1 player who has more points than anyone else for a pass to occur.

===Principles of the Test===
*Become a protector to an altar to Ra
*Obtain 1 sun point
*Perform a desecration (requires a sheep and an iron knife)

Note that you do not have to actually perform an unholy sacrifice to pass the principles, only perform the ritual that informs you what you NEED to do the sacrifice proper and steal points.

===The Altar of Ra===
A player may not be a protector of more than one altar at any given time. They must wait until their current altar becomes inactive or crumbles before building or joining another.
After an altar has become inactive and points have been distributed, it crumbles. However, a fully upgraded altar (to the Sanctuary stage) does not crumble after becoming inactive. The altar remains in Egypt and can provide a number of benefits based on how successful the altar was during its run.

If the altar contained 0 sun points after 72 days (meaning all points were stolen or lost), it will be renamed '''"A Cursed Temple to Apophis"'''. A player can meditate at this altar and receive a boost of +7 to one random stat, and a penalty of -7 to another random stat, which lasts 12 hours (rl). They can only do this once a day. The cursed temple should have another hidden effect that should be decided by the developer, and up to Egypt to discover.

If the altar contained 300 sun points after 72 days (meaning, no points were lost or stolen during the entire duration) it will be renamed '''"A Blessed Altar to Ra"'''. A player can meditate at this altar and receive a boost of +1 to all stats, which lasts 12 hours (rl). They can only do this once a day. The blessed temple should have another hidden effect that should be decided by the developer, and up to Egypt to discover.

If the altar contained any other number of sun points after 72 days (between 1 and 299), it will simply be known as a '''"An Altar to Ra"'''. A player can meditate at this altar and receive a hidden effect which is unique to each altar. The effect is randomly chosen when the altar becomes inactive from a pool of possible effects. These effects should be minor boosts decided by the developer and left up to Egypt to discover. Some possibilities:
*Guaranteed rabbit pelts for 24 hours upon slaughter
*No bees lost in apiaries for 24 hours
*Etc....

===New Achievement for Fun===
This test will add one new achievement to the game. This will be "Ra's Betrayer". This is awarded to the player who has completed the greatest number of unholy sacrifices. It is first awarded to player who completes 10 such sacrifices, and passes between players similarly to Pharaoh's acrobat/angler.

Sanctuary of Ra

2018-01-15T16:16:10Z

Blueshift: Created page with "== Sanctuary of Ra Test Proposal == ===Abstract=== Ten individuals band together to construct a altar to glorify Ra, the sun god. Every three Egypt days, the altar is blessed b..."

== Sanctuary of Ra Test Proposal ==

===Abstract===

Ten individuals band together to construct a altar to glorify Ra, the sun god. Every three Egypt days, the altar is blessed by Ra and accumulates a number of sun points. After 72 days have passed, the altar becomes inactive and all of the points accumulated by it are divided evenly among the 10 protectors of the altar. But wait! The altar can also be a gateway to the evil god of chaos, Apophis. Players with sinister motives can perform an unholy sacrifice to Apophis at the altar once every 3 Egypt days to steal for themselves. It is up to the 10 protectors of the altar to defend the altar from these attacks, including constructing improvements to it.

===Test Mechanics===
Any player signed up for the test may construct an altar to Ra within a medium construction site. The base cost is:
*3 [[Green Sun Marble]]
*500 [[Clay Bricks]]
*250 Blond, Fireproof, Hard, Pliable Boards
*1 Sunstone cut Amunet
*25 Wheat, any variety

This constructs a foundation, the most basic part of the altar.

====Blessing and Joining the Altar====

After the altar is built, 9 more players must travel to and bless the altar. To bless the altar (the initial builder is not required to do this, only the other 9 people) select the option to "Glorify Ra from this altar". You will then be prompted to donate a gift to Ra from your inventory. You must donate 1 db of any non-complex item (like sand, flax, thorns, etc) that has not been donated to Ra before. If you try to donate an item that has already been donated to Ra in the past, he will be bored by it and you will have to try again, selecting a different resource from your inventory. Fortunately, the list of already donated gifts is reset at the beginning of each Egyptian year (Akhet I-1). Upon success, you will get a message saying that Ra is pleased with your donation and you are now considered one of the 10 protectors of the altar.

If 9 unique players do not bless the altar within 1 real-life week, the altar crumbles. After 9 unique players travel to and bless the altar, the altar becomes active and a message is posted to System that notes the active status and location of the altar. Thus, the location and intent of the altar is not a secret, everyone in Egypt will be aware it is active and where it is located. The original builder and the 9 nine players will now be referred to as the 10 protectors of the altar.

Every 3rd Egyptian day after the altar becomes active, the altar gains a certain number of Sun points. Initially, this number is 24 points, and each time thereafter the number decreases by 1 (next time, the altar would gain 23 points and so on). After 72 egyptian days, the altar would contain 300 Sun points under ideal conditions.

After these 72 Egyptian days have passed, the altar becomes inactive and the accumulated sun points in the altar become permanent personal Sun points which are divided evenly among the 10 protectors of the altar (fractions are rounded down. Each protector MUST receive the exact same number of sun points when the remaining points in the altar are divvied up this way.)

Of course, it is not quite so simple as to just build an altar and wait for the points to flow in. The god of chaos Apophis encourages the populace of Egypt to desecrate these altars to Ra and submit unholy sacrifices to him.

====Mechanics of Stealing Sun Points====
Any player may steal sun points from an active altar. The amount of points that they steal is dependent on how many upgrades have been made to the altar, whether or not the stealer is also a protector of the altar, or whether the stealer is the protector of another active altar.

When a player who is NOT a protector of the altar or any other active altar performs an unholy sacrifice at a basic non-upgraded altar, he or she steals 7 points from it. Each upgrade to the altar reduces that number by 1, to a minimum of 1 point (the altar can be upgraded a total of 6 times.)

If a protector steals points from his or her own altar, they only steal only 1 point for themselves no matter how many upgrades have been made to it – however, a total of 7 points are lost from the altar when this happens (again, upgrades do not protect against this, so it is especially painful when a protector betrays their own altar.)

If a player is a protector of an active altar and performs an unholy sacrifice at a different active altar, they will steal an extra point in addition to however many points they would normally steal from that altar.

If there are not enough points in the altar to be taken, the sacrificer takes as many as possible (the altar cannot go into negative points.)

Now onto the actual business of stealing points.

To perform an unholy sacrifice at an altar, a player must desecrate the altar first.
To desecrate the altar, select the altar while having a sheep (male or female) and a Knife:Iron in your inventory. The option to desecrate will be selectable – doing so will consume the sheep from your inventory (but not the knife). The player will then receive an unholy vision with instructions for the sacrifice. The player will be asked to sacrifice 1 randomly selected resource from among the following:
*Dead ant
*Salt
*Acid
*Sulfur
*Gunpowder
*Dung
*Petroleum
*Coal
*Dirt
*Mud
*Thorns
*Tar
*Clinker
*Volatile Explosives
*Charcoal
*Sharpened Stick
*Arsenic
*Quicksilver
*Eye of Osiris
*Dung Rot
*Ra's Awakening
*Spiderling
*Speed of the Serpent
*Thoth's Compound Extract
*Ra's Compound Extract

To perform the sacrifice, he/she must select the altar and sacrifice the required item. After the sacrifce, the player must say into main, "Oh Apophis, Serpent of the Nile, receive my sacrifice." He must say this within 60 seconds of the sacrifice, or Apophis will not heed the sacrifice and no points will be stolen. If the player is successful, he receives a popup stating the number of points he has stolen.
A player can perform a desecration and receive a vision once every 3 Egyptian days. He has 3 Egyptian days to complete the sacrifice, otherwise he must ask for a new sacrifice. He can only perform one sacrifice every 3 Egyptian days.

====Mechanics of Upgrading and Defending the Altar====

Naturally, the protectors of the altar do not wish to have their sun points stolen. They may construct upgrades to the altar which reduce the number of points stolen by outsiders with each unholy sacrifice. Upgrades can only be made to a currently active altar by the altar's own protectors. The upgrades expand the interior of the altar and culminate with an elaborate sanctuary. The initial upgrades are not expensive, but the final ones can be quite costly. After an altar has become active, there are initially no points in it until after 3 Egyptian days have passed. It is advised that the protectors make upgrades to it during this period when there are not sun points available to steal. It is not necessary to upgrade the altar at all, if you have enough trust in your fellow Egyptians! Upgrade costs:

'''Upgrade 1 (Entryway)'''
*3 [[Cherry Travertine]]
*6 Lily of the sea bulbs, any type
*1 Ribbon: Black
*1 Ribbon: White
*1 Ribbon: Gold

'''Upgrade 2 (Atrium)'''
*10 Moss: Random 2 attribute moss
*100 Black Fish Scales
*20 Reddish Fish Scales
*25 Blueish Fish Scales
*10 Greenish Fish Scales
*10 Yellowish Fish Scales
*1 Whiteish Fish Scales
*50 [[Wool Cloth]]
*500 [[Dirt]]

'''Upgrade 3 (Common Room)'''
*8 bottles of wine, with any fruit flavor
*5 barrels of beer, any wheat flavors
*1 Rock Spirits of Air
*1 Wood Spirits of Fire
*1 Grain Spirits of Water
*1 Fruit Spirits of Earth
*5 Citrus fruit of a random type
*5 Citrus fruit of another random type

'''Upgrade 4 (Study)'''
*500 Volatile, Termite-prone boards
*500 Black, soft boards
*500 White, soft boards
*1 [[Quill]]
*100 [[Ink]]
*100 [[Papyrus Paper]]

'''Upgrade 5 (Library)'''
*6000 Firebricks
*3 Random 3-output gearboxes
*1 [[Quill]]
*100 [[Ink]]
*100 [[Wood Paper]]
*3 [[Mountain Marble]]
*3 [[Fire Rock]]

'''Upgrade 6 (Sanctuary)'''
*3 [[Blood Granite]]
*3 [[Ghost Granite]]
*3 [[Onyx]]
*3 [[Angels Stone]]
*1 Sunstone cut Ra's Lantern
*1 Citrine cut Solarkin
*20 Sun Steel Sheeting: Shiny, Insulative, Non-toxic Platinum-plated purity 5+

Any player may select the altar to see what upgrades have been added, a list of the 10 protectors, the total number of sun points the altar has accumulated, how many days longer the altar will remain active, and finally a list of all players who have performed unholy sacrifices at the altar.

===Passing the Test===
Passing begins weekly after the first altar has been built, become active, and finally become inactive. Passing continues weekly after that point. The player with the highest number of sun points passes the test each week. In the event of a tie, no players pass that week. No passes are retained - there must be exactly 1 player who has more points than anyone else for a pass to occur.

===Principles of the Test===
*Become a protector to an altar to Ra
*Obtain 1 sun point
*Perform a desecration (requires a sheep and an iron knife)

Note that you do not have to actually perform an unholy sacrifice to pass the principles, only perform the ritual that informs you what you NEED to do the sacrifice proper and steal points.

===The Altar of Ra===
A player may not be a protector of more than one altar at any given time. They must wait until their current altar becomes inactive or crumbles before building or joining another.
After an altar has become inactive and points have been distributed, it crumbles. However, a fully upgraded altar (to the Sanctuary stage) does not crumble after becoming inactive. The altar remains in Egypt and can provide a number of benefits based on how successful the altar was during its run.

If the altar contained 0 sun points after 72 days (meaning all points were stolen or lost), it will be renamed '''"A Cursed Temple to Apophis"'''. A player can meditate at this altar and receive a boost of +7 to one random stat, and a penalty of -7 to another random stat, which lasts 12 hours (rl). They can only do this once a day. The cursed temple should have another hidden effect that should be decided by the developer, and up to Egypt to discover.

If the altar contained 300 sun points after 72 days (meaning, no points were lost or stolen during the entire duration) it will be renamed '''"A Blessed Altar to Ra"'''. A player can meditate at this altar and receive a boost of +1 to all stats, which lasts 12 hours (rl). They can only do this once a day. The blessed temple should have another hidden effect that should be decided by the developer, and up to Egypt to discover.

If the altar contained any other number of sun points after 72 days (between 1 and 299), it will simply be known as a '''"An Altar to Ra"'''. A player can meditate at this altar and receive a hidden effect which is unique to each altar. The effect is randomly chosen when the altar becomes inactive from a pool of possible effects. These effects should be minor boosts decided by the developer and left up to Egypt to discover. Some possibilities:
*Guaranteed rabbit pelts for 24 hours upon slaughter
*No bees lost in apiaries for 24 hours
*Etc....

===New Achievement for Fun===
This test will add one new achievement to the game. This will be "Ra's Betrayer". This is awarded to the player who has completed the greatest number of unholy sacrifices. It is first awarded to player who completes 10 such sacrifices, and passes between players similarly to Pharaoh's acrobat/angler.