7: SPECIALIZATION
I think it's time for a regular update after all the posts in the map log. The theme for today's update is specialization. This is a feature I would like to implement in EUR, since I believe it's one of the most important factors in economic development. The idea is that a more complex division of labour usually leads to higher productivity. I think Adam Smith would agree with me in this.
I've changed the trade system in EUR a couple of times now, but this time I think I've got it. My idea is to divide the economic development of a province into three phases. A province reaches the next phase once its wealth reaches a certain level. For those of you who didn't read the post I made in the Buildings thread, wealth is just a new name for the civilisation parameter.
The phases have two functions. Firstly, they enable specialization (the theme for today's update, remember?) and secondly, they unlock new units. In the first phase, the province has hardly specialized its production at all. The only thing that might differ from other provinces is the food production. Since the inhabitants aren't wealthy enough to afford decent equipment, the player can only recruit light infantry, missile infantry and light cavalry in the province. As the province develops, however, it will eventually reach the second phase. It will now begin to produce one specific product to a larger extent, exporting it to other provinces. During this phase, the player can no longer recruit missile infantry, but heavy infantry instead. Finally, when the province reaches the third phase, light cavalry is replaced by heavy cavalry. The third phase offers the greatest level of specialization.
A major difference to the original system is that there are no trade routes. Every phase increases local tax income instead. This might sound like a huge change, but it doesn't affect the national economy that much. Currently, trade income depends (at least partially) on the size of the population, and so does the local tax income. If you like, it's a bit like EU III with no merchants.
I have several reasons for removing trade routes. To begin with, I've always found them rather unrealistic. Historically, a province in the Roman empire didn't trade with one other province, but all other provinces. Even if you had an insane amount of local trade routes (to reflect this), the engine would still only accept one of each trade good. Also, as soon as you play a major power, the trade routes tend to become a royal pain in the ass. Not only do you have to create them all when the game starts, you also have to create them again if your province is taken by barbarians or rebels.
Provinces below 50 civilisation didn't have any trade routes in the last version of Imperium, and that worked quite nicely in my opinion. Back then, I had events increasing civilisation values once certain buildings where built. This time, the parameter is called wealth and will not depend on what buildings you construct. The concept is the same though: Events take care of the spread of wealth. Peace and high stability will obviously make these events appear more often. We also have the built-in feature formerly known as civilisation spread, which will take care of the spread of wealth between neighbouring provinces.
The concept of specialization implies that one product lead to another. As a province develops, it specializes more and more within a specific area. The chart below shows how products develop in the different phases.
It might seem confusing, but it's not that complicated. In the first phase, a province can either be specialized in agriculture, animal keeping, hunting and gathering or fishing. In the second phase, each of these groups leads to different products. There is also a chance that metals or other raw materials are found in the province, in which case the development will take another turn. Border provinces may also specialize in foreign goods, which yield the same trade income regardless of the number of people living in the province.
I would like to hear lots of comments on this before I implement it. Feel free to post suggestions on new products, new paths of specialization or anything you come up with.
Cheers,
Descartes
I think it's time for a regular update after all the posts in the map log. The theme for today's update is specialization. This is a feature I would like to implement in EUR, since I believe it's one of the most important factors in economic development. The idea is that a more complex division of labour usually leads to higher productivity. I think Adam Smith would agree with me in this.
I've changed the trade system in EUR a couple of times now, but this time I think I've got it. My idea is to divide the economic development of a province into three phases. A province reaches the next phase once its wealth reaches a certain level. For those of you who didn't read the post I made in the Buildings thread, wealth is just a new name for the civilisation parameter.
The phases have two functions. Firstly, they enable specialization (the theme for today's update, remember?) and secondly, they unlock new units. In the first phase, the province has hardly specialized its production at all. The only thing that might differ from other provinces is the food production. Since the inhabitants aren't wealthy enough to afford decent equipment, the player can only recruit light infantry, missile infantry and light cavalry in the province. As the province develops, however, it will eventually reach the second phase. It will now begin to produce one specific product to a larger extent, exporting it to other provinces. During this phase, the player can no longer recruit missile infantry, but heavy infantry instead. Finally, when the province reaches the third phase, light cavalry is replaced by heavy cavalry. The third phase offers the greatest level of specialization.
A major difference to the original system is that there are no trade routes. Every phase increases local tax income instead. This might sound like a huge change, but it doesn't affect the national economy that much. Currently, trade income depends (at least partially) on the size of the population, and so does the local tax income. If you like, it's a bit like EU III with no merchants.
I have several reasons for removing trade routes. To begin with, I've always found them rather unrealistic. Historically, a province in the Roman empire didn't trade with one other province, but all other provinces. Even if you had an insane amount of local trade routes (to reflect this), the engine would still only accept one of each trade good. Also, as soon as you play a major power, the trade routes tend to become a royal pain in the ass. Not only do you have to create them all when the game starts, you also have to create them again if your province is taken by barbarians or rebels.
Provinces below 50 civilisation didn't have any trade routes in the last version of Imperium, and that worked quite nicely in my opinion. Back then, I had events increasing civilisation values once certain buildings where built. This time, the parameter is called wealth and will not depend on what buildings you construct. The concept is the same though: Events take care of the spread of wealth. Peace and high stability will obviously make these events appear more often. We also have the built-in feature formerly known as civilisation spread, which will take care of the spread of wealth between neighbouring provinces.
The concept of specialization implies that one product lead to another. As a province develops, it specializes more and more within a specific area. The chart below shows how products develop in the different phases.
It might seem confusing, but it's not that complicated. In the first phase, a province can either be specialized in agriculture, animal keeping, hunting and gathering or fishing. In the second phase, each of these groups leads to different products. There is also a chance that metals or other raw materials are found in the province, in which case the development will take another turn. Border provinces may also specialize in foreign goods, which yield the same trade income regardless of the number of people living in the province.
I would like to hear lots of comments on this before I implement it. Feel free to post suggestions on new products, new paths of specialization or anything you come up with.
Cheers,
Descartes
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