Corporations

[sourboy]

Okay, so I founded a corporation (not sure how, maybe someone can explain?), and I can build a unit for it. Is this the same as building a religious unit to spread religion -- where this corporate unit spreads the company to another region?

Also, is this best to go far, so as to maximize profit (much like trade routes were in Civ2), and does it only work to other Civs, not other cities?

thanks

 

[LiberiGlacialis]

Corporations work...differently then Civ2's Merchants. They are akin to Civ4's religion...but instead of just spreading religion (and maybe helping you out in things like AP Vics), they spread the corp. What the corp does is convert resources into another (Coal -> Aluminum, for example), or a tangible bonus (Gems/Silver/Gold -> Commerce). Watch out, this costs money, though.

If you founded the corp., you recoup some of the costs for them (if in your own cities), or just churn pure profit out of the spread (if in enemy cities).

 

[sourboy]

so if I have coal in one city, but need aluminum, I can send a "corporate trader" or whatever to that city, and it changes the resource for (that city or the nation?) -- which is useful, should I have 2 of a resource and none of another? I assume each corporation changes different resources?

Also, how are they founded? I got one, and I never built anything?

 

[GenocideBringer]

1) you found them with a Great Person.

2) Corps don't consume resources...if it uses copper, for example, you can still use copper in any other cities. Keep in mind that the amount matters. If a corp uses, say, rice, wheat, and pigs, then 3 rice is the basically the same.

3) apply Solver's patch, it fixes a bug in the corps. Personally I changed an .xml file to better balance corps (at the recommendation of Solver). Regardless, most corps aren't great money makers. Even if you found the corp in a Wall Street city with banks and such, you wont make a huge amount (even without the change that I did). To make great money with corps, you spread them to foreign nations.

However, keep in mind that applies whatever bonus the corp gives to their cities. Mali hastened my Space Race victory in my last game by spreading Mining Inc to me

4) Build COURTHOUSES. This is important. Corps cost a crapload in maintenance.

the nation?) -- which is useful, should I have 2 of a resource and none of another? I assume each corporation changes different resources?

No. ONE corporation will consume some resources and give you aluminum, and another will do the same for oil (and give you some extra beakers too). However, each corp has different effects. Creative Constructions, for example, gives the target city extra hammers and culture. Also, as stated above, you wouldn't lose access to coal if you used it for a corporation.

 

[sourboy]

1) you found them with a Great Person.

Any, or a Great (Merchant?)

2) Corps don't consume resources...if it uses copper, for example, you can still use copper in any other cities. Keep in mind that the amount matters. If a corp uses, say, rice, wheat, and pigs, then 3 rice is the basically the same.

So only that city is effected? In other words, a coal resource is available to all connected cities, but in that city its aluminum?

I don't follow the 3 resource example. If it cost 3 resources, why get 3 in return of the same type, when only 1 is required for production? Or is that in food only, where they are modifiers?

 

[Jabarto]

Any, or a Great (Merchant?)

It depends on the corporation in question. Some of them use Great Engineers, other use Great Merchants or Scientists, and one of them uses a Great Artist.

So only that city is effected? In other words, a coal resource is available to all connected cities, but in that city its aluminum?

Only that city will have aluminum, yes, but it will still retain access to the coal.

I don't follow the 3 resource example. If it cost 3 resources, why get 3 in return of the same type, when only 1 is required for production? Or is that in food only, where they are modifiers?

The more resources you have, the more powerful the corporation's effects. So a corporation with access to 3 instances of the same resource will produce more than it would with access to 1 of them, even though it only needs 1 of them to function.