I know that some people dislike the mechanic altogether and certain ones can be pretty overpowered. With HR's new resources the obvious suggestion is to add new Corporations but I'd like people's feedback first on what they like or dislike about the general mechanic and any suggestions you might have to improve it or balance it better.
Why, Xyth, I thought you'd never ask!
In the past, I have been very critical of the corporation mechanic.
Here are some of its major flaws:
- Balance. As Howard says, some corporations are too strong. In particular, Sid Sushi's can deliver upwards of +10 food to every city on any map with a significant coastline.
- Variety. Corporations are poorly balanced against each other. In most cases, Sid Sushi's and Mining Inc. are the optimal choice. On maps without water, Sid Sushi's can be replaced with Cereal Mills; and when pursuing a Cultural Victory, Creative Constructions and Civ Jewelers can substitute for Mining Inc. There is no more to corporate strategy than that.
- Scale. Corporations are also poorly balanced against other game mechanics. For instance, Civ Jewelers produces +4 culture per Gems, Gold, and Silver resource. In a hypothetical French empire with 6 native resources and 2 imported resources, a single jewelry chain will produce more culture for Paris than Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and all the city theatres and cinemas combined!
- Exclusivity. Corporations let leading civilizations get ahead and leave trailing civilizations in the dust. Once a corporation is founded, no other civilization has access to it. This is a serious problem; unlike religions, all corporations are not created equal. No empire without corporations can compete with the likes of Sid Sushi's and Mining Inc.
- Redundancy. Corporation mechanics are unnecessarily complex. Heavy corporate costs are cancelled out by the Corporation Headquarters gold bonus. Trading gold for gold in this fashion is just not very interesting.
- Flavour. Even thought Civilization BtS features real civilizations, real leaders, and real World Wonders, the designers introduced fictional corporations with terrible names. Creative Constructions, anyone?
That said, corporations have great potential to enliven the late game.
I suggest a complete overhaul of the mechanic, as follows.
1. Replace the seven fictional corporations with seven historical corporations. Balance their yields and throw the new HR resources into the mix. Here is a first draft:
General Mills Incorporated
[founded in 1886, based in America, agriculture]
requires Great Scientist
supplies Corn; produces +0.5
, +1.0
per Corn, Olives, Potato, Rice, and Wheat
the East India Company
[founded in 1600, based in India, tropical goods]
requires Great Merchant
supplies Spices; produces +0.5
, +1.0
per Banana, Elephant, Incense, Salt, and Spices
Cadbury Brothers
[founded in 1824, based in England, confectionery]
requires Great Merchant
supplies Cocoa; produces +0.5
, +1.0
per Cocoa, Coffee, Sugar, Tea, and Wine
the Rio Tinto Company
[founded in 1881, based in Spain, mining]
requires Great Engineer
supplies Copper; produces +0.5
, +1.0
per Coal, Copper, Iron, Marble, and Stone
Cartier S.A.
[founded in 1847, based in France, jewelery]
requires Great Artist
supplies Gems; produces +0.5
, +1.0
per Amber, Gems, Gold, Jade, and Silver
the Silk Road
[founded in antiquity, based in China, textiles]
requires Great Merchant
supplies Silk; produces +0.5
, +1.0
per Cotton, Dye, Flax, Sheep, and Silk
the Hudson's Bay Company
[founded in 1670, based in Canada, arctic goods]
requires Great Merchant
supplies Fur; produces +0.5
, +0.5
per Bison, Deer, Fur, Seal, and Whale
I have attempted to include corporations from many different nations. The Silk Road is not a corporation; but because I could not find an iconic textiles manufacturer, and because the Silk Road has played such an important role in world history, I decided to make an exception. (I am very much open to suggestions on this point.)
Each corporation is linked to five resources, and supplies the one resource it is most famous for. Some of the five resources are hypothetical; General Mills is not known for its Olives, but had it been founded in a Mediterranean empire, it might have. Most corporations produce one base yield, either 0.5
or 0.5
; and one processed yield, either 1.0
, 1.0
, or 1.0
. The Hudson's Bay Company produces
both food and hammers because three of its five resources eventually become obsolete.
Hit Drama, Hit Movies, and Hit Singles were omitted because they are not widely available. Crab, Fish, and Shellfish Crabs were deliberately omitted because their appearance is far too dependent on map type. Aluminum, Gas, Oil, Rubber, and Uranium were omitted because they already have strategic value in the Industrial and Modern Era; Tobacco was omitted because of its health penalties. Cattle, Horse, and Pigs were omitted for a lack of better options; there is certainly room for an eighth corporation if anyone is interested. The other thirty-five resources are all attached to corporations.
2. Limit the number of corporations in a city to one. Players must decide which corporation best suits their cities.
If this requires that all corporations have at least one resource in common, that can be arranged.
3. Recast Corporate Headquarters as National Wonders. That way, all players can found the corporation of their choice at their own pace provided they have the appropriate Great Person.
4. Eliminate corporation costs. Eliminate the Corporate Headquarters per franchise gold bonus. In its place, introduce a commerce multiplier per resource.
In the case of General Mills Incorporated, as imagined above, the Corporate Headquarters would provide +5% commerce for Corn, Olives, Potato, Rice, and Wheat.
That is all.