Exploration and Surveying

Exploration and surveying of land is the way civilizations in this system gain a more complete understanding of what natural resources and dangers exist around them. Many surveys include a need for specialized understandings of topics and extended periods of time for observations and taking samples. Surveys do not require your vassals to have specific tools. Generally it's a simple process or wandering around, counting, examining and searching.

Types of Surveys

Survey Type	Purpose	Time	Who	Success Chance
Preliminary Exploration	A preliminary exploration is basically a good walking examination of the land. It gives only basic information like pointing out very obvious resources such as "a herd of Buffalo" or "fish in the river". The most important thing a preliminary explorationis does is to find dangerous things. It's a scouting effort of sorts to discover if any threats can be found. When you send out a preliminary explorationis you should give them some directions about how to handle dangers they may discover. How they react will also take into account who you have sent. Hunters may well be able to stealthfully discover enemies without being noticed themselves. Mounted knights might be seen a mile away and be evaded by a local monster population. On the other hand, a lone hunter may get ambushed and killed by a strong monster, yet a squad of heavy troops my successfully defeat the same beast. The preliminary exploration can be one of the most dangerous endeavors of this game.	2 Hexs per month	Anybody	100%
Water	A water study investigates how safe the water is for drinking and washing needs. It also gives information about other water hazards like undertow and parasiteswhich may threaten people and livestock using streams, rivers and lakes. Water studies are vital if you intend to use a local water resource for drinking, bathing or irrigation.	1 Hex per Month	Naturalist	30% per Vassal's Rank
Water Resource	Water resource studies give detailed information about plants and animal resources that live in rivers, streams, lakes and cost lines. It's a great way to determine if you will be able to have access to fish, shellfish, kelp, coral, sponges, etc.	1 Hex per Month	Naturalist, Fisherman, Sea-Trapper or Sea-Diver	30% per Vassal's Rank
Arable Land	The basic thing an arable land survey will tell you is how many acres in a given hex can be used for farming. Plowing and planning fields without such a survey may find you planting fields of crops that the local soil can't support; producing very few crops for all your efforts. Arable land surveys can also discover "Rich Soil" area resources that can increase the yield of particular crops produced there.	1 Hex per Month	Farmer or Naturalist	30% per Vassal Rank
Timber	A successful timber resource study will tell you how much lumber you can expect to harvest from a hex. You also may learn about environmental hazards to lumberjack that await in this area.	1 Hex per Month	Naturalist or Lumberjack	30% per Vassal's Rank
Flora	Many times a Preliminary survey will reveal plants that grow in a hex in great quantity. A successful Flora survey will reveal more complete information about what useful plant resources exist in a hex. It will also reveal dependable information about their quantity and replacement rates. A Flora survey will often reveal less obvious plants growing in a hex that that can easily go unnoticed by a simple Preliminary survey A Flora survey will NOT reveal what plants exist in "Incidental Quantity".	1 Hex per Month	Naturalist, Herbalist, Forager or Farmer	30% per Vassal's Rank
Fauna	Many times a Preliminary survey will reveal animals that inhabit a hex in great quantity. A successful Fauna Survey will reveal more complete information about what useful animal resources exist in a hex. It will also reveal dependable information about their quantity and replacement rates. A Fauna survey will often reveal less obvious wildlife that lives in a hex that that can easily go unnoticed by a simple Preliminary survey A Fauna survey will NOT reveal what animals exist in "Incidental Quantity".	1 Hex per Month	Naturalist, Hunter or Rancher	30% per Vassal's Rank
Mineral	Mineral surveys are the most difficult surveys to conduct. Successful mineral surveys will reveal information about what kind of bedrock exists, how far below the surface it is and what other types of minerals are present. The mot important types of minerals this survey can reveal are metal ores. A good mineral survey can find loads of metal ore, as well as good information about their depth, grade and quantity.	2 Months per Hex	Dowser or Naturalist	20% per Vassal's Rank

Guards

Most surveys are labor and observation intensive. People engaged in them are often very preoccupied studying the things they have been sent to report on. It's never safe to have one or two preoccupied people wandering around alone in the wilderness. Even if only a few people are needed to study an area as you desire, it's good to consider sending additional support personnel. Generally speaking, the more guards you send with a survey, the more safe they all will be from unexpected dangers. There are some rare cases where a large show of force can scare away the very things you are looking for… or provoke it.

Redundant Surveys

It is possible to send multiple people to conduct the same redundant survey of an area. Each resource has only a chance of being discovered, and multiple people looking can greatly improve your odds. Also, even after surveys have been completed, it's possible for you to survey it again just to be sure you didn't miss something the first time.

Parallel Surveys

It is possible to send several individuals to the same hex to conduct different but parallel surveys at the same time. There is no reason at all that people could not be conducting several different types of surveys at the same time. Specific individuals however must devote themselves to a single type of survey. A single Naturalist could perform a Flora survey in one month, but not a Flora survey and Fauna survey in the same month. Sending guards along for surveys is always a good security precaution. When multiple surveys are conducted at the same time (even if in the same hex), those conducting them can not be expected to be near each other all the time. Surveyors will be spread out throughout the hex investigating things relevant to their survey project. Assume then that any guard you send will be dividing themselves up to best cover as many surveyors as possible. Even a 10 man guard can get spread very thin when there looking after a dozen people doing surveys spread throughout a square mile area of wilderness.