Bill 4-(to be numbered): A Guildhall for NBurg

It is proposed that the Guild be given license to build, for the purposes listed below, a Guildhall, to occupy the space below the MarketPlatz. Further, it is proposed that the Guild be the designated government body responsible for the allocation of prims in all public areas of the Neualtenburg sim.

The purposes of a Neualtenburg Guildhall.

From the Constitution: “The Artisanal Collective (AC) is group of productive citizens who provide revenue through sales and infrastructure support. Its governmental role is to act as treasury and its service role is to provide goods and infrastructure.”

We propose that the intepretation of this paragraph be broadened to include the advocacy and support of all productive endeavors carried on by citizens of Nburg. Therefore we propose that a facility be created, both practical and symbolic in nature, central to the life flow of Neualtenburg activities.

This hall will, on a practical side, provide a wide range of goods and services, at low or no cost, to the citizens of the city, for the purpose of aiding and encouraging their productive and creative endeavors, and improving whatever benefits they might receive for it. It will composed of at least three components:

1) A greatly expanded “Warenhaus”, where citizens can buy, at very low cost, a wide range of items relating to their presence in the sim. Everything from doorknobs to entire buildings, signs, storefronts, vendors, display systems, fireplaces, windows, flower boxes… all modifiable, at least (perhaps many will be copyable and/or transferable as well). All contributors to the Warenhaus inventory will have the option of contributing proceeds back into the advertising budget for the Guild. (see Item Number Three).

2) A sandbox area where citizens have the space and permission to experiment with builds. While the space under the platz is not a huge sandbox area, it can represent a significant investment by the City, using land already designated as public, in the output of quality goods by the citizens.

3) A “Chamber of Commerce” program… thru which proceeds from the sale of Nburg supplies will be re-invested in the commercial success of the citizens of the City thru advertising and promotion of the City, its goods and services, its events, and its attractions. This “outreach” program, thru the fact of initiating advertising, can function as the information center for the City, fielding media requests, as well as being the contact point for those interested in membership. A very small satellite office of the Guildhall, in a sense a “visitor center”, should be located in some convenient proximity to the Platz.

Some members of the Guild steering committee, meeting informally, have drawn up an extremely preliminary program for promoting the City, and bringing visitors in on an on-going basis. We plan on investing on a steady basis in classified ads, and also establishing a weekly Sunday flea market on the Platz itself.

On the symbolic side, this program illustrates the fundamental nature of the concept of Neualtenburg as rooted in the activities and projects of the individual citizens themselves. The Guildhall will be *under* the public center of the City itself, the underpinning of the entire enterprise. In a sense, the foundation of the City. The entrance will be a modified version of the existing entrance, perhaps somewhat obscure, very much the property of the citizens. The décor with be “medieval Guildhall” (we suggested, perhaps, in the style of the “Hall of the Mountain Queen”). A truly grand place, but also profoundly functional, a place where citizens might gather to consider their infrastructure options or to develop products.

Direct responsibility for the allocation of prims is perhaps already vested in the Guild. It is repeated here because this proposal points out the absolutely critical nature of prim management in the realizing of a proposal such as this. The Marketplatz is the primary public area of the sim, and it must have the resources needed to implement both the very critical uses to which the public surface is put, as well as uses such as proposed here with the Guildhall proposal. Since all City land is in the single bucket of the Neualtenburg Raumnutzung Group, very clear responsibility for this resource must be established.


Sudane

I believe this would be 4-3.

Your notion of underpinning is interesting. However, I can't help wondering if the guild needs a more visible presence to everyone than an under the platz location would give it.. Also, since it seems likely that the Schloss will be city supported anyway, could one then put it to a civic use?

Hehe what a cool concept... Guild members disguised as Dwarfs, living under the Marktplatz...

Well, I of course agree with the whole concept (great proposal, Sudane!), but I have some doubts on the location. I understand that putting all "public" and "governmental" buildings in the Marktplatz is tempting; but we have also to deal with the huge lag there. I understand that by changing the textures, as well as reducing the prim count of the church, things should dramatically improve, but still...

Like Claude suggested... why not use the abandoned Schloss as the Guildhall? With some imagination, there might be a way to get it more "accessible" from the Marktplatz, and at least, Kendra's building efforts wouldn't be wasted. Also, Ulrika always mentioned she wanted to use that space for setting up her own shop anyway...

Hehe... well, Satch has already suggested that the Schloss might be an appropriate Guildhall.

On the matter of prims and lag. The prim count is very much my concern, thus the mention of it in the proposal. The proposal surfaced in a discussion between me and Kendra, who, you know, is extremely concerned about these issues. She feels ( and I will let her speak for herself) that the plan can be implemented with a relatively low prim count. After all, we know she is the "texture meister"! Really, she'll have to comment about that. For me, my gut feel suggests that we are *not* going to glut the area with prims and texs, but rather implement a careful system for managing them.

As to functional use/location. This is to be a "warehouse" and a sandbox. It would be proletarian focal point for the energy of people working, producing, creating. The Schloss doesn't feel right for that.

In fact, Ulrika had two locations on the hill. One, the Schloss, is prominent. But in addition, on the curved street leading up to the Schloss, next to Jonty's house, is her "workshop". This workshop, really just a large fachwerk on a very high foundation, could be sold normally. The Schloss, I can think of two functions. One, as a ceremonial and tourist center for the City, a sort of Windsor Castle. Indeed, we really should consider periodic formal balls for the formal celebration of Neualtenburg. Awards, etc.

If this simply does not seem fit, we could think of the Schloss as a sort of lofty Pontevecchio, with small, joined tower plots rising up against the sky, with small, high fee residencies... condominiums. Like the organic architecture of a Greek island... Santorini.


Sudane

Am I right in unterstanding "below" as literally vertically below -- at a lower altitude?

How would it be accessible?


I confess I haven't stumbled across this one, either.

Other than that, this sounds very interesting.

To me --under the Platz is ideal for the proposed Guild Hall

1) Hardly any prim use.
By nature of the needs of the Guild, I want to keep the area as free of prims in order to maintain a huge open space for building.

2) I would prefer the "underpinnings" of Neualtenburg merchant supplies to be warehoused away from tourists as seeing bits of Neualtenburg flotsam scattered about would ruin the sense of "immersion"

3) We all get to dress up like Zwergs (Dwarves), drink bier and make fun of the SC.

I'm hearing the tapping of hammers on anvils and I see a glitter of gold ...