If you choose not to run for office, you can attempt to run one or more businesses in an attempt to bolster your income. You can choose to be a blacksmith, an alchemist, or a farmer, among others. You can try and run your business honestly, but if you prefer things a bit quicker, you can choose to extort other businesses for protection money. You can hire thieves to steal from competitors. With enough money, you can upgrade your business, allowing greater storage or more employees, for example.

In each map, there is more than one town, and if you so desire, you can attack people traveling from town to town to steal their money or their goods. As another example of how much detail there is in this game, if someone sees you committing a crime, and you are eventually caught by the town guards, you go to court. The witnesses are used against you in court. You can try bribing them or threatening them so they change their story. Again, what's cool about this is your character is there in court watching the proceedings.



As you run your business or marry into another family, you are bound to make enemies. Other families in the game will declare a feud, and will attempt to rob your businesses or even burn them to the ground. In addition, they may attack your character on sight, or try and get him or her removed from office. They might even accuse your character of crimes they didn't commit in an attempt to ruin your reputation.

As you progress in the game, your character will gain levels, and this is where the RPG elements come in. Your character has hit points and stats in areas like Charisma and Stealth that can be upgraded when gaining a level. In addition, every couple of levels gives you the opportunity to learn new abilities which further enhance your character.