Set Minimum Wage???

[Szekely]

I think it would be neat if you could set the minimum wage in the game. You would only be able to set it after you discover industrialization and people in your cities start working in factories more. The benifits of a higher minimum wage are that you gain more tax revenue and your people are happier. But if you increase it to much you would drive many "businesses" bankrupt and lower your production and commerce produced there as well as unhappy citizens for lack of jobs. A low minimum wage would cause rampant unhappiness. You would hae to strike a balance and make sure it isn't to high or low. This would add a new concept to the game.

 

[searcheagle]

I think that is WAY too much micromanagement for a game where the concern is taking over the world.

 

[zeon252]

Maybe a great wonder would do that but....no, too much work to set the wages.

 

[Albow]

perhaps instead of MM, how about having a minor wonder called living wage (I think this was in call to power) ... this wonder would reduce unhappiness by 2 per city or somesuch ...

 

[Szekely]

A wonder is a good idea. Once you build the wonder one of your advisors could automatically set it. You could change it if you want but the advisors choice would be the best overall.

 

[Tomoyo]

I think that is WAY too much micromanagement for a game where the concern is taking over the world.

Since when was Civ a conquest-only game?

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

I don't see that it has to involve any micromanagement. In CtP II you could set the rations and wages for your entire nation in a single screen, and with just a simple 'click' of a button. Certainly far less involved than moving 100's of workers around !

Personally, I think this add a really great new dimension to the game, and should kick in long before industrialisation. Basically, the 'Wage' you set for your nation will effect the wealth of your cities-according to demographic and government factors-as well as improvements and wonders. For instance, lets say that you set the 'wage' to 4 gpt. and under your current government type 'Merchants' earn 3x the 'base wage'. This means that a city with almost ALL merchants (i.e., one at the hub of a major trade network and/or lots of luxuries/strategic resources) would be around 3x more wealthy than a city consisting entirely of labourers (who earn 1x the base wage). It may well also effect the money you reap from taxation of your population!

The main benefits is that it would help to enhance the character of individual cities via demographic effects, and would also force players to make difficult choices-such as 'do I increase the national wage to make all my people happier, or save the money and simply give more of my cities a commercial focus-thus making those cities wealthier. Only problem, though, is that this will cost me shield and food production in those cities. But, if I am very wealthy, then I can buy these from other nations....' and so on and so forth!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[sir_schwick]

I would like to see a few different economic controls:

1) Minimum Wage - This would determine industrial efficiency(shield production), increasing in importance with certain techs. A low minimum wage allows industry to be very efficient, but makes many citizens unhappy. A high minimum wage makes workers very happy, but makes industry sluggish.
2) The rest I am still thinking about.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

You see, this is how I see the general relationship between economic factors:

1) You have a wage, which you set for your entire nation.

2) You then have your cities, which have a 'Wealth' based on the city's population*happiness bonus*AVERAGE wage (which is determined by demographics).

3) A city's wealth then is the basis of its per turn 'income', which is equal to Wealth+(wealth/10)/shield+(wealth/10)/2 food.

4) This income is then boosted by appropriate commercial improvements, and by the number of seperate trade routes it is connected into (and the SIZE of the trade routes).

5) Each city automatically 'tithes' a % of its gpt income to the national budget-after any of its expenses. This % increases each age, but can also be manually adjusted on a national and individual city level.

6) In addition, the national budget is boosted by taxes on incomes which, again, are set at the national level.

7) National budgets are then disributed into the various demands of your economy, and/or left to boost your cash surplus.

8) A nations budget CAN go into deficit, but this will have the effect of reducing happiness AND reducing the value of your goods in trade to other nations!

This is a major simplification, of course, but would make a good basis point from which to start!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[Szekely]

That thats a good idea Aussie_Lurker. I was thinking a slider on like the taxes screen.


"S L I D E R"
Greater
Industry
Lower Happiness;
Normal;
Higher Happiness
Lower Production;


You could set a national average or control each city induvidialy via the city governer. That way you could micromanage as much as you want or none at all.

 

[Turtleneck]

Hmm this idea leads to a slider madness.... I don't like it much... BUT --> I would like to see minimum wage as a demographic during the game. THAT would be nice.