Possible framework for a resource based production system

[fail-deadly-]

The gist of my idea is that it may be possible to do a bit of resource alchemy based on the Coal, Oil, and Nuclear power plants that Civ VI: Gathering Storm will add. Currently we know that a coal power plant can take coal and transform it into power. From my current understanding the coal (if available) will disappear and the player will receive power instead. Now hopefully this will be something controllable from the XML files, and not just hard coded for power. I say this because if you could have a building that transforms a resource/resources into different resources it would allow a complex resource based economy to supplement the hammer based economy that currently exists in Civ.

Here is what I am suggesting: Have resources divided into different tiers. Each tier would support increasingly sophisticated Units, components, trade goods, and luxury goods. Units are self explanatory. Components would be refined/processed/manufactured resources. They would count as resources, with no other use except as production inputs. Trade goods would be finished items that would have other uses than production inputs. Luxury good would be finished items that would have other uses than production inputs, which would be primarily amenity related.

Tier 0: Units that do not require resources. It should be basic units. Warriors, spearmen, settlers, etc.

Tier 1: Resources and units:
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• Resource: Aluminum
• Resource: Coal
• Resource: Copper
  
• Unit: Swordsman (Copper - Alternate Iron +5/Steel +10)
• Resource: Cotton
• Resource: Horses
• Unit: Horseman (Horses)
• Resource: Iron
• Unit: Pikeman (Iron - Alternate Steel +5/Nothing -5)
• Unit: Swordsman (Iron - Alternate Copper -5/Steel +5)
• Resource: Oil
• Resource: Saltpeter/Niter
• Resource: Silk
• Resource: Uranium

Tier 2: Components, Finished goods and Units:
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• Component: Aluminum bars (Aluminum)
• Component: Carbon Fiber (Coal - Alternate method)
• Trade Good: Fuel (Coal - Alternate method)
• Trade Good: Fertilizer (Coal - Alternative method)
• Component: Copper bars (Copper)
• Component: Fabric (Cotton)
• Component: War Horses (Horses)
• Component: Steel bars (Iron + Coal)
• Component: Steel bars (Iron + Power$$ - Alternative method)
• Component: Fuel/Lubricants (Oil)
• Component: Plastic (Oil)
• Component: Fertilizer (Oil - Tech needed)
• Component: Rubber (Oil - Alternate method)
• Component: Carbon Fiber (Oil)
• Component: Synthetic Fabric (Oil - Tech needed)
• Component: Parts (Rubber)
• Component: Coatings (Rubber)
• Component: Gunpowder (Saltpeter/Niter)
• Component: Fertilizer (Saltpeter/Niter)
• Component: Fabric (Silk)
• Component: DU-38 (Uranium)
• Component: U-235 (Uranium)
• Component: Pu-239 (Uranium)

Tier 3: Components, Finished goods and Units:
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• Component: Aluminum parts (Aluminum bars)
• Component: Copper Wire (Copper bars)
• Trade Good: Clothes (Fabric)
• Component: Upholstery (Fabric)
• Luxury Good: Thoroughbred (War Horses)
• Trade Good: Draft Horses (War Horses)
• Unit: Knight (Steel Bars + Warhorses)
• Unit: Swordsman (Steel bars - Alternate Copper -10/Iron -5)
• Unit: Pikeman (Steel bars - Alternate Iron -5/Nothing -10)
• Component: Steel Parts (Steel Bars)
• Trade Good: Clothes (Synthetic Fabric)
  
• Trade Good: Toys (Plastics)
• Component: Composite materials (Coatings + Carbon Fiber)
• Component: Explosives (Fertilizer + Fabrics)
• Unit: Musketman (Gunpowder)
• Luxury Good: Luxury clothes (Silk Fabric)
• Component: Parachutes (Silk Fabric)
• Component: Parachutes (Synthetic Fabric - Alternate method)

Tier 4: Components, Finished goods and Units:
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• Component: Aviation parts (Aluminum bars + Aluminum parts + Copper Wire)
• Component: Jet engines (Aluminum bars + Steel Parts + Copper Rods)
• Component: Rocket (Aluminum Bars + Explosives - Alternate Steel Bars + Explosives -5)
• Component: Rifles (Steel Parts + Gunpowder)
• Component: Machine Guns (Steel Parts + Gunpowder)
• Component: Cannons (Steel bars + Steel Parts + Explosives)
• Component: Trade Good: Durable Consumer Goods (Steel bars + copper wire + rubber parts)
• Unit: Bombard (Steel Bar + Steel Parts + Gunpowder - Alternate Copper Rods + Gunpowder -10)
• Component: Uniforms (Clothes + Coatings)
• Trade Good: Consumer Goods (Plastics + Copper Wire)
• Component: Tires (Rubber Parts + Steel Parts)
• Component: Bomb: (Steel bars + Explosives)

Tier 5: Components, Finished goods and Units:
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• Electronics (Copper wire + Aluminum parts)
• Unit: Cavalry (Rifles + War Horses)
• Component: Engines (Steel bars + Steel Parts + Rubber Parts + Lubricants)
  
• Unit: Artillery (Cannon + Tires + Steel Bar + Steel Parts)
• Unit: Infantry (Uniforms + Rifles)
• Unit: AT Crew (Uniforms + Rocket)
• Unit: Paratrooper (Parachute + Uniforms + Rifles)

Tier 6: Components, Finished goods and Units:
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• Unit: Fighter (Aviation Parts + Copper Wire + Engine + Machine Guns + Tires)
• Component: Missile (Rocket + Electronics)
• Component: Computer Components (Electronics + Plastics)
• Trade Good: Automobile (Steel bars + Engine + Tires + Copper Wire + Upholstery)
• Unit: Tank (Steel bars + Engine + Steel Parts + Copper Wire + Cannon)
• Unit: Atomic Bomb (U-235 + Steel bars + Explosives + Electronic Components)

Tier 7: Components, Finished goods and Units:
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• Unit: Jet fighter (Aviation Parts + Copper Wire + Jet Engine + Computer Components + Tires + Missile [Optional - DU-38 +10 ground attack])
• Trade Good: Computers (Computer Components + Plastics)
• Unit: Modern AT Crew (Uniforms + Missile)
• Component: Smart Bomb (Bomb + Computer Components)
• Unit: ICBM (Pu-239 + Steel bars + Explosives + Electronic Components + Missile)

Tier 8: Hypothetical future era units:
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• Unit: Stealth Bomber (Composite Materials + Copper Wire + Jet Engine + Tires + Computer + Smart Bomb)
• Unit: MRIV (Pu-239 + Steel bars + Explosives + Composite materials + Computer Component + Missile)

This list is not certainly not comprehensive. However, it shows that Civ VI could have a very intricate production system. Each component could be produced in a workshop or factory. Workshops could have one production slot and factories could have three. Stables could have one production slot for horses. Universities could (slowly) refine U-235. Nuclear power plants would make Pu-239 and DU-38. It should take so many hammers to complete each action. Units should have vastly decreased hammer costs, because part of their cost would move directly from the unit to the components, and secondly, because the components would serve as bottlenecks to production.

I cross posted this with the Test of Time (Community Expansion), but thought it may get more comments here. ​