Currently, trade is mostly an internal factor. While it is possible to sign commercial pacts, it is otherwise just a slightly more difficult way to gather energy credits. In this regard, I think that Stellaris could learn something from EU4. Long before Le Guin, Red192 (see below) proposed a method to dynamically generate “trade nodes” in which countries would be able to compete for economic dominance and with large “trade routes” whose control would have been an important factor to consider during expansion. While its proposal is really interesting, it is maybe too audacious. This prompted me to think to a slimmer new mechanism to have the feeling a real, galaxy-wide economic activity and to add a level of economic competition.
The idea is simple: a fraction of the trade value collected in the capital of each empire goes into a galaxy-wide EU4-like “trade node”. This fraction is determined by a policy, with certain type of empires locked to a completely closed market. The fraction that does not go into this galactic trade node is directly converted like happens now. Instead, the trade value into the node is divided between the various empires as a function of their trade power. Many things could enter in the evaluation of this trade power: it could be generated by certain types of jobs and by certain types of starbase modules. Maybe a new type of civilian ship can be added, or alternatively a certain type of ship component can grant a small amount of trade power at the cost of missed firepower/defence. Finally, certain civics, traditions and edicts will modify by a percentage the total trade power. Obvioulsy, completely closed-market empires receive a multiplicative -100% to the trade power. After being collected, this trade value is multiplied by 1 + trade efficiency (also a value affected by civics, traditions and edicts). To be clear, only the trade value collected from the galactic “trade node” is multiplied. So, basically this mechanic play out in this way: either you close your borders, playing safe but missing an opportunity, or you risk but possibly make a great gain.
The system must be designed in a way that favours the second choice. For example, if the base trade efficiency is 50%, an empire could afford to retake back only 66.6% of the trade value injected in the trade node and still not lose anything. In this way, trying to compete is favoured over closing up. Some small and/or otherwise boxed in empires could develop a strong mercantile attitude (a sort of space Venice) and obtain large profits from this system. Other modifiers can be put in place to favor the empires that choose to open their markets.
Red192 proposal: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...2s-stellaris-improvement-suggestions.1021913/
The idea is simple: a fraction of the trade value collected in the capital of each empire goes into a galaxy-wide EU4-like “trade node”. This fraction is determined by a policy, with certain type of empires locked to a completely closed market. The fraction that does not go into this galactic trade node is directly converted like happens now. Instead, the trade value into the node is divided between the various empires as a function of their trade power. Many things could enter in the evaluation of this trade power: it could be generated by certain types of jobs and by certain types of starbase modules. Maybe a new type of civilian ship can be added, or alternatively a certain type of ship component can grant a small amount of trade power at the cost of missed firepower/defence. Finally, certain civics, traditions and edicts will modify by a percentage the total trade power. Obvioulsy, completely closed-market empires receive a multiplicative -100% to the trade power. After being collected, this trade value is multiplied by 1 + trade efficiency (also a value affected by civics, traditions and edicts). To be clear, only the trade value collected from the galactic “trade node” is multiplied. So, basically this mechanic play out in this way: either you close your borders, playing safe but missing an opportunity, or you risk but possibly make a great gain.
The system must be designed in a way that favours the second choice. For example, if the base trade efficiency is 50%, an empire could afford to retake back only 66.6% of the trade value injected in the trade node and still not lose anything. In this way, trying to compete is favoured over closing up. Some small and/or otherwise boxed in empires could develop a strong mercantile attitude (a sort of space Venice) and obtain large profits from this system. Other modifiers can be put in place to favor the empires that choose to open their markets.
Red192 proposal: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...2s-stellaris-improvement-suggestions.1021913/
Upvote
0
