Using this "top-down", "overall realism" approach, this is what I suggest for a baby-UET:
1. Income is generated sort of like Civ 3 but toned down so it that it is insufficient for all spending needs. Road and railroads toned down so is mainly for transport link use not commerce increasing effect.
2. Most income comes from trade/distribution of raw materials and finished goods within nation and between nations so there is some kind of international market.
3. Some combination of raw materials and finished goods are needed to construct/maintain various improvements and/or units.
(Some model of quantifying raw materials and resource may be needed.)
4. The distribution of raw materials and goods increases culture, income and happiness.
5. Distribution occurs along physical trade routes.
For anyone familiar with the game "Railroad Tycoon", this "baby-UET" sort of resembles the system of RRT. Of course it can be simplified and abstracted but you get the idea.
Thus with the kind of "RRT"-like economics, much of the game is devoted to building up, expanding and securing this trade network. Note that with this system, wealth of nation is not necessarily coincident with size of nation. As a small nation, you could still create via infrastructure and trade deals, etc a big trade network and be quite wealthy.
And with finished goods, markets, need for trade for income, culture and happiness, cities and nations are even more interconnected than in Civ3. And economics is not means of building up for war but war is more likely means of expanding economics which is more real model of history anyway.
1. Income is generated sort of like Civ 3 but toned down so it that it is insufficient for all spending needs. Road and railroads toned down so is mainly for transport link use not commerce increasing effect.
2. Most income comes from trade/distribution of raw materials and finished goods within nation and between nations so there is some kind of international market.
3. Some combination of raw materials and finished goods are needed to construct/maintain various improvements and/or units.
(Some model of quantifying raw materials and resource may be needed.)
4. The distribution of raw materials and goods increases culture, income and happiness.
5. Distribution occurs along physical trade routes.
For anyone familiar with the game "Railroad Tycoon", this "baby-UET" sort of resembles the system of RRT. Of course it can be simplified and abstracted but you get the idea.
Thus with the kind of "RRT"-like economics, much of the game is devoted to building up, expanding and securing this trade network. Note that with this system, wealth of nation is not necessarily coincident with size of nation. As a small nation, you could still create via infrastructure and trade deals, etc a big trade network and be quite wealthy.
And with finished goods, markets, need for trade for income, culture and happiness, cities and nations are even more interconnected than in Civ3. And economics is not means of building up for war but war is more likely means of expanding economics which is more real model of history anyway.