Salt resource?

[Semmel]

I'd also liked to see salt a s a ressource. Maybe increasing the amount of food per meat and fish ressource. Because thats what it did: it prevented food from rotting. But it did not increase the overall health by variation of available food as it is the case for different meat versions, different grain, fruit and so on.

 

[dulsin]

Wouldn't any city with access to the sea have a salt resource?

 

[Kimuyama]

^Now, lets not be picky here!

I vote yes for salt!

 

[Semmel]

Wouldn't any city with access to the sea have a salt resource?

That would be true. But I would make it rather this way:
To gain access to rock-salt, some early technology is neaded. Maybe something like mining. But for sea-salt, it should be a later technology, maybe something like civil service (in civ 4) because you need to flood flat land with water, let it dry and repeat the process. Its similar to spreading irigation. But this would violate some key game concept: only get access to a ressource by improving a tile. (Ahirman made me sensible to this point in the discussion about tunnels etc.) Maybe introduce a salt ressource on a coastal water tile that can be improved with civil service? Or is that a bit silly?

 

[brianshapiro]

That would be true. But I would make it rather this way:
To gain access to rock-salt, some early technology is neaded. Maybe something like mining. But for sea-salt, it should be a later technology, maybe something like civil service (in civ 4) because you need to flood flat land with water, let it dry and repeat the process. Its similar to spreading irigation. But this would violate some key game concept: only get access to a ressource by improving a tile. (Ahirman made me sensible to this point in the discussion about tunnels etc.) Maybe introduce a salt ressource on a coastal water tile that can be improved with civil service? Or is that a bit silly?

Here's some wikipedia articles on salt evaporation ponds and salt pans:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_evaporation_pond
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_pan_salt_making

Im not sure how to correctly represent this, all I know is it seems important to represent the salt trade in the game. Mineable salt became very prized I think because its easier and cheaper to get.

 

[dulsin]

Anyone with a teakettle and some time can produce salt at the sea side. Salt is only important if you don't have it. i.e. Land locked cities.

 

[Calouste]

That would be true. But I would make it rather this way:
To gain access to rock-salt, some early technology is neaded. Maybe something like mining. But for sea-salt, it should be a later technology, maybe something like civil service (in civ 4) because you need to flood flat land with water, let it dry and repeat the process. Its similar to spreading irigation. But this would violate some key game concept: only get access to a ressource by improving a tile. (Ahirman made me sensible to this point in the discussion about tunnels etc.) Maybe introduce a salt ressource on a coastal water tile that can be improved with civil service? Or is that a bit silly?

Historically a salt resource wouldn't be silly, because some areas are better for salt winning than other with shallow waters and flat land nearby for the ponds. Problem is that a lot of people don't think past the first thing which is "all seawater has salt in it" (edit: thanks to Dulsin above for confirming this point). I'd just go with mining rock salt in the early game.

I'd go with something like:

Salt: Hill only resource, requires mine. +4 Obsoletes with Railroad

All meat and seafood resources have -1 if you don't have salt and don't contribute to health. This also expires with Railroad.

 

[Semmel]

well.. -1 for all non salted ressources is the same as +1 for all salted.. its just a matter of how much base-food there is.

BTW and completely topic-unrelated: we will have to update the forum-symbols for food, commerce and many others once Civ5 is out ;-)

 

[Calouste]

well.. -1 for all non salted ressources is the same as +1 for all salted.. its just a matter of how much base-food there is.

BTW and completely topic-unrelated: we will have to update the forum-symbols for food, commerce and many others once Civ5 is out ;-)

Yes, -1 compared to what it is now. The real implementation would be to lower the base and add 1 back with Salt or Railroad.

 

[Songkok]

How about something like this? Once gaining certain key technologies (eg. civil service), any civ with coastal cities gain 1 salt resource? This would model the large scale sea salt producing available at later ages. btw, in the olden days, sea salt are considered as a higher quality salt than rock salt, because it is harder to obtain sea salt.

 

[Disgustipated]

ROM in civ4 had the salt resource. I have no problem with it being in the game. But it probably is best served in a mod. I don't see the need for it in Vanilla civ5.

 

[LegioCorvus]

Salt before Chickens?

That's crazy talk.

I hereby form the league for Chickens in the inclusion of Civ5, and not the dirty Salt plebs.

 

[Seaman Sample]

Roman soldiers were paid in salt, its where the word 'salary' comes from -- 'sal' meaning salt in Latin.

I always thought it originated from the word, celery.

ROM in Civ IV had the salt resource. I have no problem with it being in the game. But it probably is best served in a mod. I don't see the need for it in vanilla Civ V.

Same here.

Wouldn't any city with access to the sea have a salt resource?

Not necessarily. They would have to have the technical knowledge to harvest and utilize the salt (In the Civ context, discovering a certain technology and the salt resource appears on the map). For example, many places in the third world have no access to fresh water, while water vapor is in the air all around them.

 

[Alki]

while to store meat you'd need salt.

You can use salt to cure meat but you can also use heat, smoke and many other mehods of keeping meat edible over long periods of time. Having said that salt was and still is a valuable resource and commodity.

 

[brianshapiro]

You can use salt to cure meat but you can also use heat, smoke and many other mehods of keeping meat edible over long periods of time. Having said that salt was and still is a valuable resource and commodity.

As I understand smoking, drying, and other methods of preserving meat take a longer time to do. I was just trying to think of a way it would make sense in the game.

 

[Terrance888]

Halsatt, the Celtic salt mining town, was one of the centers of pre-celtic culture and traded salt to the north into Germany at their time.

Salt is pretty important.

Salt makes food taste better (+ Happy)

Salt makes food last longer (+ Healthy)

Salt is essensial in deserts (+ Desert Commerance?)

Salt can be set as currency. (+ Trade?)