How complex should the economy be in R2?

[Aeneas Veneratio]

After reading a lot of threads about the R2, I have seen some different opinions on the complexity of the economy system. Some stating it should be harder, others that it should be kept simple to allow the focus of the game to be on warfare and politics.

In order to give CA the best impression of the general opinion on this, I have added a poll about it.

After you have voted, please share specifically, what you would like to be changed about the system.

[Kaap]

Yes, another poll, that should pursuide CA!

Also the option "like previous games" mentions N:TW, E:TW and S2:TW. And S2:TW had a whole diffirent economical system.

See my post in this other Economics topic as well: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=548545

[Aeneas Veneratio]

Yes, another poll, that should pursuide CA!

Not saying that it will, but it is a helluva lot better than having opinions regarding economy spread out in a gazillion threads.

Sure, the systems were different in those games, but I didn't really feel that one system was more complex or simpler than the others.

[Tonno]

Well if I am not misstaken, to have power back then is to have money (pretty much as today), so to say that economy is not so much needed cuz the essence must be on politics and warfare is wrong, in my judgement. If CA makes a great economy-run game, for both you and your enemys, the game could become much more harder providing you much more fun. And yes, that needs the better AI that we all are talking about.

Primarily looking at economy sistem as a HS player, I need to be as complex as it can be . It makes multyplayer much more fun for everyone. But now I am am talking about much more stuff then pure economy.
I don't have any clear propositions or even some kind of thoughts how to do it, but I can hope they will come up with something.

[windsupernova]

I think Shogun 2 really hit a sweet spot for me, it was not too complicated to turn the game into a spreadsheet simulator but it had more depth than build moar buildings.

Although I do think that resources should matter more. If you don't have heavy horses(either because raids, blockades or whatever reason) you shouldn't be able to recruit and maybe even replenish cavalry. No iron? Well your blacksmiths are not working anymore!

[karamazovmm]

Sincerely I hope for a more complex system, economy in the TW series has always been extremely poor. With the introduction of trade nodes it has begun to take a more interesting path, though it can be said that the merchants in m2tw had a similar function.

Economy in TW series:

Build markets, ports, roads and some temples. Farms gave so little money, which is a contradiction to reality, see egypt.

Thats it.

ETW introduced smaller villages that you could convert to manufacturies, which was extremely an interesting concept, I hope that they put more towards this path in r2.

The economy has become complex, but it reminds the lack of complexity that empire at war had, even with mods.

What I want is more than controlling taxes, but to put you in the decision making that will affect substantially your empire accounts.

However I do have to agree, that economical historians have always been poor, and quality works are not available to be found. They mostly havent even started to introduce some concepts brought by the anal school. And that school of thought aint new either. No more Fustel de Coulange!

[Kinjo]

The more complex the better imo, I think the economy should be volatile in times of war making prolonged war vary taxing. I hope there is a sort of market so if you spam production of certain commodities the market value will be reduced.

[Petroniu]

The economy in the recent TW games focus too much on trade. There should be other possibilities to sustain yourself from that point of view, like internal trade, industry and agriculture. And I want to see variations of goods prices from region to region. They never had the same price for goods everywhere in the ancient world. In the old TW games they had a list with the goods prices and that would apply to every region that type of good would be found. That isn't true - it's one thing to sell grain to the Romans and another thing to sell grain to the Egyptians. Now I know that this things are a part of the economy, but I want them to be considered in a bit more complex way, like in a goods produced and stored way, to be able to have fluctuations over it and to give you something to work with in times of war. In the end, it should be more than trade to it.

[King Gambrinus]

A bit simpler, similar to Rome, M2TW and Shogun 2. I can't be bothered upgrading tiny, pointless towns and trusting the AI with auto-manage.


I think CA are looking to solve this problem though by reducing micro-management in the late game.

[Barbarian Nobility]

I like the tax/trade system as it stands, and will be entirely against nerfing it for the noobs. Noobs should just select the AI controlled 'manage all settlements' option if they are too noob to do it themselves.

[Tim_Ward]

It should be complex, but more no so complex that you can depict what's going on through the UI. Still too many hidden mechanics in TW, though they made things more explicit in Shogun 2.

[Lansa]

More complex. I want to be able to strangle economies by flooding Rome with cheap Egyptian corn, for example, or bankrupting the Spanish with supplies of Balkan gold and silver.

[Madigan]

I voted Very complex, which is a relative term of course.

I would like an economy system far more complex like in previous TW games, which consisted buildings for troops, and buildings for money generation.
Every average 10 years old child could do that, i think the TW community deserves more.
More complex economy means more challenge, challenge means more fun.

As alwasy, sorry for my bad english...

[Rorarii]

Realistically, mines should be head and shoulders above anything else for value, in the age of metals -it ruled!

R

[Ichon]

Mines, mints, trade, slaves, and agriculture were the basis of wealth in Roman era. More interaction between those factors and wars/conflicts in the game would be nice. IE- win a battle and capture alot of prisoners, agricultural production and mine production get a temporary spike as slaves flood the market. On the other hand if you control several mines and establish a mint you have the choice to make 0 money directly off the mint and lower money off the mines initially but over time as the quality of the coinage is accepted your Empire gets trade bonuses since other merchants give preference to the coinage. On the other hand if you need immediate money you can debase your coinage for an immediate profit but over time your trade returns decline. Slavery on a large scale might offer temporary boosts to economy but relying on it too much lowers base production values and if the flow of slaves slows your economy will decline more than an economy that did not rely on slavery to the same extent.

[familyguy1]

So what all do you think about the food option that they had in S2? I think it should be improved upon. I kind of liked it.

Would prisoners be a good idea?

[beckyolt]

As complex as possible.

[The Unknown General]

This is just me, but having a successful economy is way to easy. I mean all you have to do is build economic buildings and thats it. You literally have to do nothing after they are done building.

[The Useless Member]

VERY COMPLEX UP IN THIS

Yeah, you get my point.

[eighthgear]

It should be more complex, perhaps, but not to the level of say, Victoria II or similar games.