Stacmon
Explorer
I don't really think we should put in a work around for boycotts. I feel the current game mechanic, in which you have a choice of whether to remain obedient to the King or risk a European boycott on a particular good is great.
If you think about it, this is supposed to be a tough choice. If for example the good that would be boycotted is a staple export of your economy, you would be better off accepting the King's demand. Otherwise, if it is something for which you have limited sales to Europe or you can reconfigure production to an alternative, you can accept the boycott.
Getting rid of this or allowing the Customs House to "magically" bypass this is not a good idea in my opinion. Instead, one alternative I think could be used to great effect is more complex diplomacy with the King. This way, you can improve relations with the him by:
1) Offering unsolicited gifts (for example of gold or treasure - which you wouldn't need a Galleon to transport) - "+1 Our colony provides us with great wealth"
2) Consistently accepting gold demands (not a relations boost for every single one, but maybe for accepting several in a row, whereas rejecting even one would lower relations) - "+1 We can rely on our colonists in times of need."
3) Granting the King units or ships as gifts (which would increase the forces he has available in Europe and elsewhere in the world) - "+1 Our colony strengthens the Kingdom's military."
4) Completing royal requests or "missions" (if there's some way to incorporate the random events component, the King could make requests such as "Capture that native settlement" or "Produce X guns/tools/horses/any resource.") - "+1 We trust the loyalty of our colony."
Basically maintaining good relations with the King could have the effect of greatly increasing the time between tax increases and the requests for gold, rather than having to find some way to "bypass" boycotts, which I think lacks a little in realism. It may also make it possible for you to decline a few requests/demands or fail in a few missions, without irreparably damaging relations.
Another option to more realistically bypass boycotts might be a special building that automatically sells boycotted items to Europe for a lower price - basically going through unofficial channels/the black market
Just a few ideas in case anyone is interested.
If you think about it, this is supposed to be a tough choice. If for example the good that would be boycotted is a staple export of your economy, you would be better off accepting the King's demand. Otherwise, if it is something for which you have limited sales to Europe or you can reconfigure production to an alternative, you can accept the boycott.
Getting rid of this or allowing the Customs House to "magically" bypass this is not a good idea in my opinion. Instead, one alternative I think could be used to great effect is more complex diplomacy with the King. This way, you can improve relations with the him by:
1) Offering unsolicited gifts (for example of gold or treasure - which you wouldn't need a Galleon to transport) - "+1 Our colony provides us with great wealth"
2) Consistently accepting gold demands (not a relations boost for every single one, but maybe for accepting several in a row, whereas rejecting even one would lower relations) - "+1 We can rely on our colonists in times of need."
3) Granting the King units or ships as gifts (which would increase the forces he has available in Europe and elsewhere in the world) - "+1 Our colony strengthens the Kingdom's military."
4) Completing royal requests or "missions" (if there's some way to incorporate the random events component, the King could make requests such as "Capture that native settlement" or "Produce X guns/tools/horses/any resource.") - "+1 We trust the loyalty of our colony."
Basically maintaining good relations with the King could have the effect of greatly increasing the time between tax increases and the requests for gold, rather than having to find some way to "bypass" boycotts, which I think lacks a little in realism. It may also make it possible for you to decline a few requests/demands or fail in a few missions, without irreparably damaging relations.
Another option to more realistically bypass boycotts might be a special building that automatically sells boycotted items to Europe for a lower price - basically going through unofficial channels/the black market
Just a few ideas in case anyone is interested.
