The 'sphere of influence' (or SOI for short) is the region of the Avalon continent under the flag of a particular city and therefore considered its extended territory. Attacks against a village within one city's SOI is perhaps the most common flashpoint for battles fought between the land's major powers; in defence of or attempting acquisition of a village or town. Villages and towns are prized as a source of valuable resources, treasury gold and daily influx of men for enlistment, particularly when tribute is exacted (see HELP TRIBUTES).
Syntax: INFLUENCE.
Tells you how much benefit is gained from sphere of influence based on the location type flying your
homeland flag.
Syntax: INFLUENCE HOME.
Provides a summary of your homeland sphere of influence, including total locations (broken down by village and non-village), as well as what one can expect this sphere to generate in terms of revenue and potential enlistables.
Syntax: AFFAIRS
Reviews, at a glance, the state of affairs of every village or town within Avalon, including any occupation or conquest and by whom (if apposite).
The specifics of how to raise and lower flags, how to expand a sphere and how to use the flag and legions to claim locations or tear down foreign flags to liberate (or take over) enemy spheres, see HELP FLAGGING and HELP CLAIM.
A location in Avalon can be under one of four states of affairs vis a vis any military presence or position within a city's sphere of influence. These are detailed below:
The location is free of any flag and is therefore not suitable for occupation or conquest and may be claimed by any whose influence is felt in any adjacent locations.
The location has a flag raised (shown on LOOK with a standard reflecting the city associated with that flag) and will thus generate coin and potential enlistables but is not yet facing occupation or conquest.
The background sphere of influence is often a precursor to an occupation attempt - this is the next stage of dominance and is required for levying any tributes from a town or village. Occupying a town or village requires all 'key locations' to be within your sphere of influence. Key locations are the central milestone, the council chamber, public halls of taverns, trading centres, any shops, constructed buildings and particuarly noteworthy spots.
Syntax: OCCUPATION
Issue this command while standing within a town or village and you will be able to perceive all key locations and whether there is any occupation attempt underway or already in place.
Syntax: DECLARE OCCUPATION
While marshalled at a commandpost of at least twenty legionnaires (company size), issue this command to begin the occupation process. You will need to be within a key location and your legions will need to be undefeated for a designated period (shown by the OCCUPATION command) after which the occupation will be in place. Hostile legions CAN disrupt the occupation process and will need to be removed for the occupation to proceed unhindered. Once occupation is complete, it will be possible to exact tribute from the occupied town or village (see HELP TRIBUTES for specifics).
Once an occupation is in place, it is safe to remove any troops from a town or village and the occupation will remain unless hostile forces set about its undoing. This is known as a passive occupation and - while still able to levy tributes - will garner significantly less than an active occupying presence.
Active occupation requires the presence of troops (at least company size, increased effectiveness with greater numbers) in all key locations of the particular town or village. The OCCUPATION command will reflect any active occupation in place and needless to say any tribute gains will be noticeably higher as the troops squeeze considerably more gold, commodities and enlistable men from the intimidated village folk.
There is a level of dominance above and beyond occupation: conquest. Conquest is an absolute command, gathering locations outside of your city's walls unto the homeland to be treated almost as if part of your own soil. To establish conquest will require you to hold active occupation of ALL significant locations in a village or town. It will require you to have beaten off ALL opposing legions/forces from the soil of the proposed conquest. It will require you to have legions in all
those significant locations. It will require your marshall'd legion to be of at least regiment size -one hundred individuals.
Syntax: DECLARE CONQUEST.
You will then be able to type DECLARE CONQUEST and the declaration will ring across Avalon. An Avalon year must pass, of unchallenged occupation, at which point the conquest will be concluded. The glorious standards of your homeland will fly over the whole town or village. All of its resources will be directed, as tribute, to your city's coffers and storehouses. All active
occupations will be enhanced in value.
Related content in HELP FLAGGING, HELP BORDERS, HELP CLAIM, HELP OCCUPATION, HELP TRIBUTES and HELP ENLISTING for
sphere of influence and town and village territory; then HELP INVASION, HELP CONQUEST, HELP SURRENDER and HELP VICEROY and HELP DESTRUCTION covering the city-invasion possibilites.
