TAM Implementation of Corporations + Space Race Discussion Thread

[Shqype]

The TAM development team has decided to use the Corporation and Space Race mechanics to represent the historic Silk Road trade route. The basic are in place, but the specifics need development, so we request thoughts and opinions from the community that enjoys this great mod.

Here's what we've got so far:

Corporations - the corporation mechanic will be used to simulate historic trade centers. Trading with merchants of Xian will ensure you access to Silk; those from Badakhshan will grant you the coveted Lapislazuli, etc. How corporations are formed needs to be discussed [they could occur as an event if certain conditions are met instead of requiring a GP], and what they require (what they will trade for) also needs work.

Planned Corporations, subject to change:
Badakhshan (modern Afghanistan region) -> Lapislazuli, in exchange for ???
Busiris (ancient Egyptian city) -> Papyrus ???
Xian (Chinese region) -> Silk, in exchange for Gold

Mesopotamia -> Commerce, in exchange for Dye, Opium
Crete (Crete island) -> [fish, crab, clam]
Pergamon (ancient Greek-Anatolian city) -> Wine
Scandza (ancient Scandinavian region) -> Amber

The first 3 corporations should give useful resources. The remaining 4 corporations should better reflect WhiteFire's "trade zone" idea.

Space Race - the Space Race game victory will be used to represent the importance of the Silk Road trade route. Each "stop" along the Silk Road could be a "component" to a "completed voyage" along the ancient trade route. The specifics need work.

All those interested in TAM, including those that are members of the development team, should use this thread for brainstorming and discussion. Let's hear what everyone has to say!

 

[Whitefire]

Sorry to be a downer, but I hate the idea of just getting luxuries from the corporations. In vanilla civ, you are supplied with Oil, which is a strategic resource for building units. On that list, only one resource is unavailable on the Huge map, and Papyrus' uses are so limited to make that corp not worth the effort. Besides that, you can settle on the island of Crete for yourself. Kind of odd to make it apart of the distant silk road.

If you are adamant about keeping the silk road idea, make it more like the current Vanilla civs where you trade a common Mediterranean item (Olives, Fish, Salt, etc.) for commerce, science, culture and a resource. To make it interesting, you could require a handful of resources from a specific region to get one from a specific corporation. So you could have Xian consume Salt, Wine, Wheat and Crabs/Clams, making it a Western Europe trade zone. Or another could consume Fruit, Dye and Opium, making it a Mesopotamian trade region. This way, you can spread the corporation without worrying about your competitors gaining the full benefits. Also, it creates more of a challenge for the player, since they have to hunt for the right resources to make a complete set for their corporation.

 

[Marmoteo]

Yeah, I agree that the main benefits should be something like commerce, science, culture, and production. The lapislazuli one sounds alright, since it is not available otherwise in the game, same for the amber, cause it is not easily obtainable. But things like wine, fish, crab, clams, papyrus (and even spices) are very easy to get, so there wouldn't be any real bonus for it. Unless you get some sort of decent bonus for each resource consumed.

Maybe being able to build special kind of markets which provides bonus for having a corporation would be suitable for the 'space race'. Build a certain number of particular markets or trading posts, and some of them might require certain resources only available through corps.

I think i'm just babbling, haha...

 

[graywarden]

Marmoteo,

I think those were excellent suggestions. Having "Specialty Markets" specializing in exotic foods, luxuries, or resources would be pretty cool. This method might allow ALL civ's to participate in a mediteranean wide trade route, and benefit from it.

I will be sure to pass this along to the TAMDEV group.

Thanks again for participating

 

[Breunor]

For a contrary position, I DO like the idea of getting those luxuries, I think it is pretty realsitic. I ALSO think getting raw money is good too -- trade with the far east was really important. But for historical reasons, maybe it should be riskier than what happens in normal Civ.

It seems like the Silk road gained prominence around the second century so if we can time it well I think it would be a nice feature.

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[wayeward]

I must be out of the loop--does this mean that TAM may expand to include China as a civilization? With specials units, etc?? That would indeed be cool. But then where do we draw the line? Bring Indian, Tokharian, Mongolian and many other civilizations into it as well?

 

[graywarden]

I must be out of the loop--does this mean that TAM may expand to include China as a civilization? With specials units, etc?? That would indeed be cool. But then where do we draw the line? Bring Indian, Tokharian, Mongolian and many other civilizations into it as well?

No TAM will not include China as a civilization, the idea is simply to emmulate the Silk Road which of course went to China. Right now the Team is hashing out the various ideas of how to use the Silk Road as a part of the TAM BTS version...... as a way to replace the Spaceship Race or as something else.

Stay tuned as this process gets refined we will be wanting everybodys input

 

[Shqype]

Thanks for your ideas guys. I think we should make the corps a "mix."

The first 3 will trade for resources, while the remaining 4 will represent the "trade zone" idea suggested by WhiteFire.

I replaced Sheba with Mesopotamia; civs with access to Opium and Dye will yield more commerce.

Help me with the others ... what do you guys think, a Western European trade center, an Eastern European trade center, and maybe a North African / Egyptian trade center?

 

[Shqype]

The Xian "Corporation" will give Silk in exchange for Gold:

Intense trade with the Roman Empire followed soon, confirmed by the Roman craze for Chinese silk (supplied through the Parthians), even though the Romans thought silk was obtained from trees. This belief was affirmed by Seneca the Younger in his Phaedra and by Virgil in his Georgics. Notably, Pliny the Elder knew better. Speaking of the bombyx or silk moth, he wrote in his Natural Histories "They weave webs, like spiders, that become a luxurious clothing material for women, called silk."[20]

The Senate issued, in vain, several edicts to prohibit the wearing of silk, on economic and moral grounds: the importation of Chinese silk caused a huge outflow of gold, and silk clothes were considered to be decadent and immoral:

“I can see clothes of silk, if materials that do not hide the body, nor even one's decency, can be called clothes… Wretched flocks of maids labour so that the adulteress may be visible through her thin dress, so that her husband has no more acquaintance than any outsider or foreigner with his wife's body” (Seneca the Younger (c.3 BC–65, Declamations Vol. I).

The Hou Hanshu records that the first Roman envoy arrived in China by this maritime route in 166, initiating a series of Roman embassies to China.

From here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_road

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

Help me with the others ... what do you guys think, a Western European trade center, an Eastern European trade center, and maybe a North African / Egyptian trade center?

For north Africa, Egypt or Nubia could have an ethiopian trade route.