Hello and welcome once again to one of Imperator’s Developer Diaries!
Last week I talked about North West Africa and National Ideas. Today I will be going over the economy and, fittingly, Egypt.
The main way you have to control your finances in Imperator will be through your
Economic Policies.
As described in an earlier developer diary the main source of income over time in
Imperator will be
Taxes (which are generated by Slaves) and
Commerce (which is generated by Trade, and enhanced by Citizens). To modify these you have
Economic Policies. Three of these are for your main sources of income and four of them are for your main running expenses. Each category in turn has three different settings and they can all be changed at any time. Generally all settings apart from the default ones come with a drawback as well as a bonus.
The expenses of a country will be mostly familiar from our other games. You pay for the
maintenance of your
armies,
navies and your
fortifications. In addition Imperator has another type of expense,
Wages.
Wages:
Every office or job in your country has a defined
wage. A wage is always a certain percentage of your income, how high dependent on the office it is for (a ruler gets to lift an amazing 5%!). Character Corruption further modifies the wage of office holders.
Policies:
Economic Policies for Income
Taxes:
Modifies income from taxes.
- Lax Taxation: -25% National Tax Modifier & -1 National Unrest.
- Default Taxation: No Modifiers.
- Harsh Taxation: +25 National Slave Output & -20% Research Production.
Commerce:
Modifies income from Commerce.
- Transaction Taxation: +30% Commerce Income Modifier & +4 Slaves Needed for Surplus Trade Good Production
- Trading Permits: No Modifiers.
- Free Trade: -20% Commerce Income & +1 Trade Route Per Province
Tributes:
Modifies how much you expect your subject states to pay to you.
- Lax Tribute: -33% Tribute Income from Subjects. Subject Opinion +50.
- Default: No Modifiers.
- Extortive Tributes: +25% Tribute Income from Subjects. Subject Opinion -100
Economic Policies for Expenses:
Army Maintenance
The Monthly cost for all troops in your country.
- Decreased Pay: -50% Morale & -50% Army Maintenance Cost
- Normal Pay: No Modifiers.
- Increased Pay: +10% Morale & +50% Army Maintenance Cost
Fleet Maintenance
The Monthly cost for all the ships of your country.
- Decreased Pay: -50% Naval Maintenance & -50% Naval Morale
- Normal Pay: No Modifiers.
- Increased Pay: +50% Naval Maintenance & +10% Naval Morale
Fort Maintenance
The cost to maintain all forts of your country.
- Ignored Garrisons: -50% Fort Maintenance & -95% Garrison Size, -90% Fort Defense
- Paid Garrisons: No Modifiers.
- Improved Fortifications: +50% Fort Maintenance & +25% Garrison Size and Fort Defense
Wages
How much the wage of offices and jobs is increased or decreased.
- Reduced Wages: -25% Monthly Wages for all Characters & -0.5 Monthly Loyalty
- Normal Wages: No Modifiers.
- Increased Wages: +50% Monthly Wages for all Characters & +0.1 Monthly Loyalty
Deficit:
Should your country at any time find itself running a deficit this will result in a number of bad things. These can be seen at the bottom of the screen under the balance itself. Some of these events may well help you turn your economy around, but none of them come without a high price to be paid in some form.
Power Conversion:
Money is not the only currency you make use of to play Imperator. Many things instead come with a cost of
Military,
Civic,
Oratory or
Religious Power. At times you may find yourself lacking the type of money you want, or with enough power but no gold. For that matter sometimes you are in an emergency situation and need gold at all cost.
In
Imperator you can always, for a harsh exchange rate, spend money to buy a type of power that you lack, or turn surplus power into money.
Egypt is a very large region, and one integral to the the period we cover. Due to the peculiarities of Egyptian Geography, where population is mostly concentrated to a thin strip along the Nile, I will today be using two terrain map mode screenshots for each section.
Few countries have an as extreme social geography as Egypt. The Delta is one of the most fertile places on the planet, and has often been referred to as the “Granary of the Mediterranean”, but this lush agricultural landscape transforms into desert in an instant as soon as the nile is no longer near. While Egypt is among the most populous regions in game it is also one where almost all wealth and people is concentrated to a rather small area. Easy to control, but also potentially easy to invade. Something that has been tried more than once during the many wars of the successors already.
Egypt is also home to a cultural and religious world that is far older than those currently fighting over its soil. In 304 BCE this is a culture that still lives and thrives. While the country has been under Greek rule ever since its conquest by Alexander the Great it is by no means simply a Greek country. Increasing number of Greek settlers are worshipping not only their old gods but also the old (and in some cases new) gods of the Egyptian people.
- Egypt: The partition of Babylon awarded Egypt to Ptolemy, one of Alexander’s most trusted men and oldest friends. As this was one of the wealthiest regions in the mediterranean, perhaps the entire world, this made Ptolemy the richest of the successors by far. But compared to many of the other successors, the Ptolemaic strategy has been cool and calculated rather than bold, or even rash. With some few exceptions (like his seizure of the Cataphalc that held Alexander’s body, on its way home to Macedonia), Ptolemy has played a more conservative game. The great wealth of the Nile has been spent building new armies, forging alliances in Greece and the Aegean world, as well as inviting prominent scholars, philosophers, colonists and warriors from the wider Greek world to settle in the young kingdom. From a very early time the Ptolemies also started adapting to the local Egyptian forms of kingship. Using the title Pharao, and actively funding and encouraging the growing syncretism of Greek and Egyptian religion such as the Cult of Isis and Serapis.
- In many ways this strategy has been a fruitful one. Given that most of their subjects are non-greeks the Ptolemaic kingdom is reasonably stable. Foreign invasions have also been repelled more than once. However, when Ptolemy himself finally embarked on his great powerplay to invade Greece, with an enormous fleet and great army, he found the Greek cities disinclined to welcome him. A short time after the Ptolemaic fleet was destroyed at the battle of Salamis by Phrygian forces under Demetrius. Despite this shattering defeat, a strong friendship with the Seleucid empire, and an unthreatened homeland, means that it is likely only a matter of time before Egypt can act again.
- As the game starts Egypt is allied to the Seleucid Empire and it still has no navy. As Egypt you will be able to spend your wealth financing great projects such as the construction of its famous Lighthouse, as well as the fabled Museion of Alexandria (how ambitious you aim to make it is of course up to you).
- Cyrenaica: Small state on the coastline west of Egypt. Cyrenaica is home to a number of reasonably afluent Greek cities and in its time it was a also a center of learning and culture. On the other hand it has historically also often been subservient to Egypt. Cyrenaica was one of the first places attacked by Ptolemy to consolidate his rule over Egypt and placed under the rule of the Macedonian commander Ophellas. Four years before our start date however, Cyrenaica entangled in the designs of Agathocles of Syracuse, who implored them for help in his African campaign against Carthage. Ophellas was swayed and sent an army to aid Agathocles, only to be killed by him when he arrived. The cities of Cyrenaica have used this opportunity to seize their freedom once more. The Ptolemies in Egypt, entangled in their own conflict in Greece and Syria have not yet sent an expedition to reclaim the region. In 304 BCE Cyrenaica is independent and unaligned.
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As we progress up the Nile the river itself remains the main center for cultivation, habitation and transportation. A number of oases, mining colonies and caravan routes exist, and are vital for anyone wishing to benefit from this region, which is rich in Gold, Gems, and Marble. But politically the way to control it is the river.
Upper Egypt is also a region where we increasingly run into the Nubian people that in centuries past have adopted many aspects of Egyptian culture and for a period even ruled the entire region.
- Kush: Large Nubian kingdom south of Egypt, ruled from the ancient city of Meroe. Kush is far from the Nile delta and the core of the Ptolemaic Egyptian state, but it is still the most credible threat to control of Upper Egypt. Kushite invasions have been a constant factor in Egyptian politics ever since they were ousted from control of the Lower Nile centuries ago.
- Blemmya: Tribal Nubian kingdom east of Kush. Blemmya starts independent and unaligned.
- Dodekaschoinos: Traditionally the region on the border of Kush has been given as donations to the temples of Syene, Philae and Elephantine. The Dodekaschoinos acted as a military border zone with great autonomy under the leadership of the priestly egyptian families for centuries, both under Ptolemaic rule and before, and when Ptolemy II expanded Egyptian control further south it was also entrusted to this state. At the start in 304 Dodekaschoinos is an Egyptian Client State.
Crete is not the primary concern for any of the great powers in conflict around the mediterranean. Too large to conquer easily and yet too unimportant for a major campaign they instead focus their naval attention on Cyprus, Rhodes and the many small islands of the Aegean.
The island is divided between a number of smaller states, each with their own allies and ambitions. The ancient power center at Knossos remain the most influential power of the island, but is being increasingly challenged by other states such as Gortyna. In many ways it is its own microcosm, locked in its own frequent minor conflicts and rivalries. With outside powers frequently stepping in for a short time to aid one side or another. The island also grew to be a bit of a pirate haven during this general time of conflict in the mediterranean.
Unlike in other parts of the Greek world the island would remain divided for a long time, without forming any of the otherwise so characteristic city leagues that other Greek states used for protection.
It would remain this way until the entire island exploded in conflict late in the 2nd Century BCE, in the Lyttian war, which drew in outside powers like Macedon, Rhodes and many of the Greek City states of the mainland.
- Knossos: Autocratic Monarchy in central Crete. The oldest and traditionally the strongest state on the island. In the past Crete has often been under Egyptian influence and it is to the Ptolemids in Egypt that the rulers of Knossos look for help. At our start Knossos is independent and allied to Praesos.
- Gortyna: Democratic Republic on the southern Central part of the island. Rival of Knossos (but also in the past an ally) with its own ambitions.
- Eleutherna: Small city states just west of Knossos. Historically the Lyttian war would erupt due to this city accusing Knossos of murdering their ruler. Eleutherna starts as a feudatory of Knossos.
- Kydonia: Small Plutocratic Republic in western Crete. At start Kydonia is independent and unaligned.
- Polyrrenia: Small Aristocratic republic on the far western tip of the island. Starts unaligned and independent.
- Tarrha: Republic between Polyrrenia and Gortyna and an ancient religious center of the island. Starts as a feudatory of Gortyna.
- Ierapetra: Small Cretan city states in south eastern Crete. Frequently accused of harboring pirates. Ierapetra starts independent and allied to Lyttus.
- Praesos: Plutocratic Republic on the eastern tip of the island. At start Praesos is allied to Knossos.
- Lyttos: Very old and influential Oligarchic Republic on the north eastern side of the island, neighboring Knossos. Lyttos has often been a rival of Knossos. At start Lyttos is allied to Ierapetra.
That was all for this week, I will be back next Monday with another developer diary in which I will, among other things, be speaking about the Levant and of Pops.
