Would a less abstract and more detailed resource and luxury system be good or bad from the "game enjoyment" point of view? I think I would enjoy having this fleshed up a bit more, but what's your opinion?
Here's my idea how an enhanced resource system could work:
(Unless otherwise stated the game rules as per current standard civ. Also, for simplicity I will use the word "resource" to mean luxuries as well as the strategic resources.)
New concept: resource points (RP)
Resource points describe the amount of a resource, i.e. resources are no more on/off objects but more like commodities. You are no longer connected to a resource. Instead a place can store/contain an amount of a resource measured in RPs.
Resource sources: A terrain square having a resource produces X amounts of that resource provided it is connected with a road to one of your cities. The amount could vary or for simplicity it could be a fixed amount, say 5 RP / turn.
Resource accumulation: The city nearest to the resource square connected to your trade network accumulates the RPs generated by the resource square. This simply means that your people harvest or dig up the resource and store it in the nearest city. If there are multiple squares producing the same resource they are all added up. Thus having more of the same resource actually means something: you get more of it.
Resource consumption: If a city has a pile of resources, it will consume then. For luxuries this consumption is automatic. A city consumes 1 RP per turn of _every_ single luxury it has available. For example, if the city has 10 RPs gems and 5 RPs ivory and it doesn't get more it will consume in the first 5 turns 1 gem and 1 ivory per turn (2x happiness) and in the 5 turns after that 1 gem per turn (1x happiness), i.e each luxury RP consumed has the same happiness effect as in the current game when you are connected to them. With strategical resources the consumption is tied to production. If a unit (or improvement, etc.) needs a certain resource, then each shield produced towards completion consumes the same amount of RPs of that resource. If the city does not have enough then production stops (and excess shields go to waste) until you can provide the city with the needed RPs.
Using up a resource: Each square having a resource is randomly fixed to an amount of RPs at the start (or when a new resource appears). It is also possible to have an amount of "infinite" meaning that such resource will never be used up. Each turn a resource square produces RPs to a city the amount (e.g. 5 RP as in the example above) is subtracted from the total RP amount in the square. Once this reaches zero the resource is used up and it disappears. E.g. iron doesn't magically disappear. You dig out the amount there is and only when it's gone you have, well, used all of it.
Transporting resources: Obviously if RPs go to the nearest city you need to be able to transport resources to other cities.
Transport alternative 1 (abstract): Each city can be assigned an automatic transport destination (= other city connected by road, harbor or airport) per resource. You are also able to set the amount transported. If the source city has after its own consumption the resource RPs left, the transport amount is deducted from the source city and added to the destination city. Once this is set up it happens automatically every turn as long as the source city has RPs to give.
Transport alternative 2 (detailed): If you want to distribute your RPs around your empire then that's up to you. A ship capable of loading units can load RPs instead. For example at a rate of 10 RPs taking up the space of 1 unit. There are also two new units for land RP transportation: caravan (pre-modern) and truck (modern). An airlift can also be used to transport 10 RP to some other city with an airport. To automate things you have an "auto transport" command similar to the "auto bombard". This command sets a land or sea transport unit to a continuous route to another city and back hauling a set amount of RPs. This continues until you wake up the unit. If the source city does not have the RPs the unit will sleep until woken up or until the next load is ready for hauling.
Resource piracy: If transport alternative 2 is chosen then this offers an obvious new mode of war: piracy. Capture the caravan and the silk is yours. Provided you can move the captured unit to one of your cities, of course. Raiding a transport unit is, of course, an act of war. Unless the capturing unit has a hidden nationality! Yes, now you have a real job for your privateer units...
Resource trading with transport alt 1: Quite obvious, really. RPs are available for trading just like gold.
Resource trading with transport alt 2: Like with alt 1, RPs are available in the trade negotiation window. However, if the deal includes RPs then the supplying party has 20 turns to haul the agreed upon RPs to the buyer. If you can't deliver you break the contract.
