Post/Author/DateTime	Post
keyunp 07-04-07, 05:17 PM	Does anyone know what a normal human birth / death rate would be? I know there are all kinds of variables, but if I can get an average and a high, then I can guestimate for other conditions & races.
CryoSilver 07-04-07, 05:19 PM	The UN said growth rate was 1.14% in 2000. Also said it peaked at 2.19% in 1963. Developing nations tend to have higher birth and death rates, developed nations tend to have lower birth and death rates.
keyunp 07-04-07, 10:51 PM	The UN said growth rate was 1.14% in 2000. Also said it peaked at 2.19% in 1963. Developing nations tend to have higher birth and death rates, developed nations tend to have lower birth and death rates. Thanks! I figured someone would know. Any idea what a reasonable birth rate would be? 3% sound ok? With a high of 5% Death rate of about 1.5% ? I'm going to be giving the PC control (if they want it) of a county, and it'll be intersting what they do with it long term.
CryoSilver 07-05-07, 07:10 AM	I think it depends on a lot of factors, including the level of technology or magic, which would both serve to decrease the death rate and increase the birth rate (lower infant mortality).
Naderion 07-05-07, 08:40 AM	Death rates in mediveal europe would have been drastically lower, if people would have just wash their hands. If you got good with herbs, you might end at the stake, if you're unlucky and studying internal organs was prohibited as a severe sin. Since all these things usually won't apply in a fantasy setting, death rates should be drastically lower. Also with fewer children dying and sick, fewer children are needed to keep a farm running, and with more knowledge of (demi-)human anatomy birth rates should be significantly lower too. It's purely speculative, but I would say a farmer and his wife having three to five children with only one or none of them dying young would likely make sense. There's still accidents, pleagues and war, so population levels shouldn't be skyrocketing.
Mic 07-05-07, 11:06 AM	It really depends upon culture. Western Europe has really been standing out for a long time in history. The Western European Marriage Pattern (Hajnal came up with this Hajnal line to show where it starts Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajnal_line)) constituted a form of birth control (not found in other parts of the world) with a permanent celibacy and late marriage (delaying marriage until you can support a family and have consent of whoever has power in the area), this results in a 'low pressure demographic system' with relatively few births, but also relatively few deaths (less demographic pressure), on the other hand there are 'high pressure demographic systems' with higher birth and death rates. Just some historical population growth figures: the Netherlands, England, Germany and France never reached a higher population growth than 0,4 % annually between 1300 and 1750. Population (millions) of 1500 1750 France 15 24 Germany (1914 borders) 9 17,5 England (&Wales) 2,8 5,8 The Netherlands 0,95 1,9 now let's just hope this table comes out right...
Alexeduardo 07-05-07, 02:40 PM	Well, lets see: Bards tell everyone how coll is to be a :fight!: Everyone wants to be a :fight!: if this :bounce: is the number of :elf:, this is the number of :fight!: ::invasion: The many:fight!: set out on an adventure to kill the evil :emp: When the :fight!: gets all like :duel: with the evil :emp: most of them end up :gel: and die. so in thet case we are assuming the death rate is really, really high (actually that's kind of an example of how i usually talk in real life)
Araes 07-06-07, 03:47 AM	Despite how silly his post is, Alexeduardo does bring up a good point. In counterbalance to the increase of magical benefits that would increase lifespans, typical D&D worlds also often have a host of otherworldly dangers that would increase death rates. Multiple races that hate each other for not just the color of their skin. Dangerous magical effects / items, natural magic, and insane magic users. Extremely dangerous beasts that no average person can hope to defeat and that require the equivalent of huge numbers of people in food. Intelligent beings from other planes that sometimes manifest in or invade the material plane and gods that sometimes take an active interest in making your life short.
Alexeduardo 07-06-07, 12:55 PM	In counterbalance to the increase of magical benefits that would increase lifespans, typical D&D worlds also often have a host of otherworldly dangers that would increase death rates. Multiple races that hate each other for not just the color of their skin. Dangerous magical effects / items, natural magic, and insane magic users. Extremely dangerous beasts that no average person can hope to defeat and that require the equivalent of huge numbers of people in food. Intelligent beings from other planes that sometimes manifest in or invade the material plane and gods that sometimes take an active interest in making your life short. Thats exactly what I said!!!! withouth simileys:P