I think a system of building city improvements like that in Rome Total War would be a good idea.
1. Make buildings cost cash. In addition to needing raw materials (shields) to build buildings, at the end of the day, in reality, all infrastructure projects require capital in order for produciton. This has been true for thousands of years, money for buildings came from the coffers of the empire.
Other ideas:
Banking system:
Make a Central Bank a small wonder that all civilizations can build and let it give the civilization bonus income per turn as a percentage of current capital (like what wall street does now).
Scrap Adam Smith's Trading Company and replace it with a more balanced system. Right now, that wonder makes the economics of the game very unbalanced for all the other civilizations who didn't get it. Instead replace it with a series of other smaller wonders.
Create a National Stock Exchange small wonder (in place of Wall street). This would cover half of the costs of stock exchanges in each city and would improve their production (maybe to a +55% bonus?). Also, it would have a random event attached to it. The possibility of a stock market crash where all of the stock markets don't produce any bonus for a certain number of turns (20 maybe?).
Allow Ports and Airports to boost commerce and create levels of airports and ports (smaller ones that cost less and produce less and can be built in cities of size 1-4, larger ones for 5-8, larger for 9-12, etc).
Ill toss out some more ideas when i get home, I have to run now
1. Make buildings cost cash. In addition to needing raw materials (shields) to build buildings, at the end of the day, in reality, all infrastructure projects require capital in order for produciton. This has been true for thousands of years, money for buildings came from the coffers of the empire.
Other ideas:
Banking system:
Make a Central Bank a small wonder that all civilizations can build and let it give the civilization bonus income per turn as a percentage of current capital (like what wall street does now).
Scrap Adam Smith's Trading Company and replace it with a more balanced system. Right now, that wonder makes the economics of the game very unbalanced for all the other civilizations who didn't get it. Instead replace it with a series of other smaller wonders.
Create a National Stock Exchange small wonder (in place of Wall street). This would cover half of the costs of stock exchanges in each city and would improve their production (maybe to a +55% bonus?). Also, it would have a random event attached to it. The possibility of a stock market crash where all of the stock markets don't produce any bonus for a certain number of turns (20 maybe?).
Allow Ports and Airports to boost commerce and create levels of airports and ports (smaller ones that cost less and produce less and can be built in cities of size 1-4, larger ones for 5-8, larger for 9-12, etc).
Ill toss out some more ideas when i get home, I have to run now
