Neither gifted nor dedicated, Demetoria begins the game with little potential and even less skill in the various arts. Both potential and skill are expressed as integers, with zero (0) indicating no current ability or potential, and five (5) meaning proficient skill or solid potential.

Each potential is generated randomly from game to game, but the numbers are always distributed 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 0. One game, Demetoria will have "high" potential in the Tea Ceremony; another, she will have none. Potential indicates the highest level of proficiency that can ever be naturally attained.

Apart from potential is skill--how proficient Demetoria currently is. She begins the game with one skill at 2 and another skill at 1 (on rare occasion, just one skill at 3). All other skills start at zero.

The following "gee, thanks, I could have never done that myself" table is one suggestion for tracking Demetoria's progress. (Consult the rest of this sheet to know specifically when you've progressed.) Mark +1's under the headings as you gain proficiency in them, and note near the bottom of the columns as you realize you've reached your potential in that art. Note any judge changes.

Harp	Dance	Theatre	Math	Flowers	Tea
Potential
Judges

Demetoria may learn skills by practicing or through tutoring. Such is not a given with our dear apprentice. First, she might not "get it" no matter how hard she tries during that session. Second, she may have already reached her potential and no natural learning is ever going to help.

It's important to figure out as quickly as possible which potentials are 0, 2 and 3. Then decide how to work around the problem. There are devices that help you exceed potential, there are test bans, there are judge manipulations. Of course, nothing is a guarantee when it comes to people. You can adapt like a chameleon, and there will still be those times where there is nothing you can do. The author wins about 80% of the time (maybe it would be 90%, if he paid closer attention.) You can stave off some bad luck, but a few games heap it on. Undo'ing probably won't help you in those hard luck cases.


Demetoria's Clients

The following table lists the minimum level of pressure you need to apply to gain a favor, the benefit you obtain from that favor, and the people they know:

	Favor 1	Favor 2	Favor 3	Contact 1	Contact 2
Gaho	Ask (+1)* math	Ask (+1) math	Demand (+2) math (+2) harp	Eiji	Katsu
Zyun	Hint Ochi/Fumiko	Insist Ri-ba/Miku	Ultimatum Sakamas/Ochi	Haseo	Uji-Fuji
Soh	Hint nothing	Ask nothing	Demand nothing	Gregory
Chizumi	Hint (+1) dance	Hint (+1) dance	Ultimatum (+3) dance	Katsu	Haseo
Vidoru	Ask +1 random skill (except flowers)	Ask +1 random skill (except flowers)	Demand +2 random skill (except flowers)	Uji-Fuji	Eiji

*Gains in parentheses indicate the skill is only improved if Demetoria has the potential for further learning in that art. If the number is not in parentheses, there's an external/spiritual factor involved, and potentials may be exceeded.

Each of Demetoria's starting five clients starts each game with a different degree of love, reflected in Love Points. The assignment of these points is random, but it is always distributed 8, 19, 23, 47 and 60. One game Gaho may have 60 points (i.e., he's deeply, madly in love with her), another game he may have only 19. Akko's clients have a specific range and are designated in their own column, in the table below.


Akko's Clients

Akko's clients do not know you well enough to refer you to their associates. One doesn't want to make a bad recommendation, after all. Also, each has a unique number of love points that are consistent, or at least a consistent range, from game to game.

	Love Points	Favor 1	Favor 2
Uji-Fuji	7	Ask +3 random skill	Ask +3 random skill
Eiji	random(35)	Insist Mimi/Akko dawn	Ultimatum Mimi/Akko morn
Katsu	61	Hint +1 to all potentials +1 to all skills
Haseo*	random(14)	Ask practice enhancements
Gregory	10	Insist ban 1 test (harp/dance/theatre)

*Book Haseo late in the game only if you have a high potential (a practice room judge can give you an estimate) in a given art, but low or no current skill in that art. Practice won't help you if you have no potential.

Each favor strains a relationship, the more pressure, the more strain, exponentially.

Level of Pressure	Love Point Cost
Hint	0
Ask	2
Insist	6
Demand	12
Ultimatum	20

Favor granted or not, the cost is subtracted from the client's total Love Points. If that total hits 0 or below, the client will no longer be available.

Getting the aura gift from counsel lets you know the general level of love a client has for Demetoria (intense glow--40+; mild glow--20+). There are also subtle clues from the text when the client meets you for the first time that day that indicate excitement.

Contacts (available from the initial five clients) do not cost Love Points. But if a client is in love with you (40+ Love Points), that client will not share you. If a client is fond of you (20+ Love Points), you will not get a second contact. There are times when you might put more pressure than necessary on a client just to lower that client's love (and obtain the needed contact the next time.)


Test-Day Judges

Judge	Bias
Akko*	-2
Fumiko*	-1
Miku*	-1
Ochi	0
Ri-ba	+1
Sakamas	+1
Mimi	+1

* - A Geisha who is scheduled to officiate your Saturday test, at the start of the game.

You need 3 "flag points" to pass a given test. A green flag is worth 0, a yellow is 1, and red is 2. There are three judges, and--doing the math--you'll need recognition from at least two to pass.

A judge's individual score will be your achieved rank plus her bias. 2 or less is a green flag, 3 is a yellow, 4 or more is a red flag. Example: If you have a 4 in flowers, you will get a yellow flag from Fumiko (4 + (-1) = 3 = yellow) If you have the starting three judges, a 4 in flowers will still not be enough to pass the test (2 yellow flags and 1 green.)

Thus, you can see that Akko puts a damper on Demetoria's chances of success--you'll need a rank of 5 just to get a yellow flag from her. But she alone cannot bring you down.


Practice-Room Judges

You get a random judge each time. Each judge gives her best assessment, but judging is subjective. She'll most likely be within 1 point of your actual ability.

A skill cannot deteriorate, but a judge might give you a worse rating than the judge before. You did not un-improve, the second judge just rated you lower than the first on a similar performance.

Remember, you cannot improve a skill by practicing if Demetoria has maxed out her potential in that skill.

If you see the message "you learned a key element", you have gained 1 skill level in that art. "And another", means another +1, and "yet another" for a final +1 (for a total of 3 skill levels in that art.)

The message "You felt you were possibly on the verge of learning a key element. Maybe." indicates you're at your potential. You would have learned something, but your brain can't handle any more.

The Geisha simulator, as it is becoming known, is the "Bleach of Etiquette" section of "When Help Collides", (c)2002, J. D. Berry
jdberry@cox.net