Global Resource Market

[ferenginar]

Replace the pathetic swapping of rice for fish, with global markets. The ability to buy from or sell to an open market for resources, with cost or income dependent on the overall supply and demand of that resource in the market. Trading of a resource of which you had only one source would remove its benefit from you.

 

[Lachlan]

Nice idea, you have had

 

[Camikaze]

Question: How is this really any different from what is currently implemented?

 

[ferenginar]

Question: How is this really any different from what is currently implemented?

Just how different would depend on the game mechanics of the the new trading system, for example.

You do not trade directly with any AI, you buy and sell directly to the market.

You do not know who is supplying the market with specific resources, or who is purchasing them.

If resources are limited, eg you discover iron, and it represents 100 "tonnes" of iron for 20 turns (total 2000), you could decide to sell to the market 20 tonnes for 10 turns. You are guaranteed a base price from City State trading, but you may get a higher rate if AI Civs are buying. You could trade 10 tonnes for 50 turns (500), a trade which lasts 30 turns past the mines lifetime, if your stockpile from the mine is used up on your own building programme before the contract with the market runs out you could suffer a large financial penalty and reduced trading rates for subsequent deals.

There could be limited market availability of strategic resouces, so that even if you don't have your own supply of oil, you could be guaranteed to be able to buy sufficient to build 2 destoyers.

There are opportuinites for a massive expansion of corporations into the market.

The options are no more limited than the real global markets, buying and selling of arms, loans, trading debts, trading futures.......

Just imagine you are at war with Monty, he has taken out a huge loan with Hatty to fund the war effort, you buy the debt from Hatty, and pull the rug out from under Monty's feet.

 

[Silurian]

No Monty does not pay debt

 

[Camikaze]

Okay, I kinda see how it would be different. It would require a big incentive over the current system, however, due to the fact that there is a massive positive to knowing and controlling who exactly your resources are going to. If that was more out of your hands, then you'd be more reluctant to put your resources into the market. So you'd want a rather large bonus for doing it, as opposed to current trading.

 

[ShadowWarrior]

The devil is in the detail always.

We can have a global resource market based on something like an auction, where the highest bidder gets that resource. The price for obtaining that resource can come in many forms. It may come in the form of number of beakers to be paid each turn in return for access to that resource. It can also come in the form of gold payments. Or it can be a pure exchange of resource.

We would have a global market screen showing all the resources being offered and another screen showing all resources that are in demand. We know who is supply that particular resource and who is demanding the particular resource. We submit our bid and can adjust our offer until that resource is offered to us or offered to someone else. We can also use high bid to get a supplier to renege on an existing trade contract.

For example, I am China and demand fish resource. I see England supplies fish resource. I submit my offer to England. My offer is 5 beakers per turn, 2 gold per turn and one grain resource. This will be good for 20 turns (the number of turns that the trade contract is in effect is also something we can to choose).

Lets say England likes the term of the offer and accepts it. But within five turns, Russia convinces England to break this contract before it expires by offering England more beakers and more gold per turn.

Diplomacy and espionage can also be involved. Maybe Russia isn't interested in that fish resource. Russia just wants to make sure I have no access to it. So Russia, through diplomacy, convinces England not to supply me the fish resource regardless of the attractiveness of my offer.

Espionage can also play apart. My bid for English fish resource was 5 beakers, 2 gold, and 1 grain per turn. English counter offers with 6 beakers, 3 gold, and 1 grain per turn. I can expend espionage points to get English to lower her price.

Some points to note:
First, if I am China and I have not encountered the Japanese civ yet, then I will not have access to any resources Japanese civ offer. This shouldn't need explaining.

Second, certain tech may increase my bargaining power. Currency, guilds, and corporation technologies will allow me to get resources at lower price.

Third, contracts that are in effect can be modified. The probability of the civ agreeing to modification increases when espionage points is expended. Lets say I am China and currently supply iron to Russia for a price of 10 gold per turn for 30 turns. On the 12th turn, I want to increase my price to 12 gold and 3 beakers per turn. Russia may accept, or counter offer or outright refuses. If Russian accepts, GREAT. If Russian counter offers, she may offer 11 gold, and 1 beaker per turn or 12 gold and no beaker, but a grain resource. If she outright refuses, then the current trade contract is cancelled if I insist on my price (or I can just cave in and keep the contract as it is). Expending espionage points will either get Russia to submit a counter offer that may not be to my liking exactly, but still has some kind of price increase in my favor. Or the expending of espionage points will have Russsia caving into my demand to the letter.

Fourth, the global resource market screen should be divided into 3 sections. The first two are supply and demand of resources as previously explained. The third screen is the resources that I currently have. I can pick from that list of resources those that I want to sell. As soon as I submit that resource for auction, that resource will show up on the supply screen. Then I'll get bids (or I mite note get bids at all if I have bad relationship with everyone or if my resource is simply not in heavy demand).