Trading resources that are not available on the map

[Grautvornix]

Hi everyone, I have (another) strange idea for discussion:

Currently, there are three cases of trading:

1. Manually at the market place with "the world".
2. Automatically using traders or merchant ships with yourself.
3. Automatically using traders or merchant ships with your allies.

In any case, the goods you are "buying" have a price but these resources seem to be available in unlimited quantities. As an example, when I run out of metal and have no more mines, I barter for metal which seem available basically without limits (whatever the price) until the end of game.

Rhetorical question: Where do these goods come from?

Idea 1: What if I could trade with my ally only until my ally's stock runs out ?

Idea 2: What if we introduced a "world resource cap" similar to the world population cap? (that can be configured) This would mean that at some point there is no more wood or no more metal on the map and the only renewable resource is food --> you can train more workers/women but possibly no more soldiers. In such case, it can be part of the strategy to

1. plan your resources wisely before they run out 
2. deny resources to your enemies. 

Resources would be limited to what is available on the map plus possibly a bit more on top whatever the cap, i.e. if metal reserve is depleted that's it.
In this case one needs to be inventive and do e.g. a women rush (like the famous chicken rush/sheep rush that was discussed previously, but more as a joke). I successfully did women rushes on rams already, so it is not totally out of this world

Introducing constraints to the game can be quite fun sometimes - like currently in several maps that just don't provide a CC and the only way forward is building a harbour, collect stuff until there is enough stock to actually build a CC.

So, I'd be interested to hear your opinions...

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 hour ago, Grautvornix said:

I barter for metal which seem available basically without limits

It has limits, which is the resource for which it is exchanged.

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 hour ago, Grautvornix said:

Idea 2: What if we introduced a "world resource cap" similar to the world population cap? (that can be configured) This would mean that at some point there is no more wood or no more metal on the map and the only renewable resource is food --> you can train more workers/women but possibly no more soldiers. In such case, it can be part of the strategy to

1. plan your resources wisely before they run out 
2. deny resources to your enemies

Or maybe with a commercial stock, nobody in real life starves from trade or runs out of resources from trade, a percentage is always produced for the local market and another for the export market.

[Lion.Kanzen]

19 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

Or maybe with a commercial stock, nobody in real life starves from trade or runs out of resources from trade, a percentage is always produced for the local market and another for the export market.

In city builders, for example, you allocate some stock for warehouses and warehouses for markets.

1 hour ago, Grautvornix said:

Resources would be limited to what is available on the map plus possibly a bit more on top whatever the cap, i.e. if metal reserve is depleted that's it.
In this case one needs to be inventive and do e.g. a women rush (like the famous chicken rush/sheep rush that was discussed previously, but more as a joke). I successfully did women rushes on rams already, so it is not totally out of this world

Then from the warehouses and commercial market allocating resources.

In Caesar III you use the warehouses and leave them open to trade, that's where the caravans arrive.

The one above trades timber.

Then this building fills up and the merchants empty it.

Edited Thursday at 20:21 by Lion.Kanzen

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 hour ago, Grautvornix said:

Hi everyone, I have (another) strange idea for discussion:

Currently, there are three cases of trading:

1. Manually at the market place with "the world".
2. Automatically using traders or merchant ships with yourself.
3. Automatically using traders or merchant ships with your allies.

In any case, the goods you are "buying" have a price but these resources seem to be available in unlimited quantities. As an example, when I run out of metal and have no more mines, I barter for metal which seem available basically without limits (whatever the price) until the end of game.

Rhetorical question: Where do these goods come from?

Idea 1: What if I could trade with my ally only until my ally's stock runs out ?

Idea 2: What if we introduced a "world resource cap" similar to the world population cap? (that can be configured) This would mean that at some point there is no more wood or no more metal on the map and the only renewable resource is food --> you can train more workers/women but possibly no more soldiers. In such case, it can be part of the strategy to

1. plan your resources wisely before they run out 
2. deny resources to your enemies. 

Resources would be limited to what is available on the map plus possibly a bit more on top whatever the cap, i.e. if metal reserve is depleted that's it.
In this case one needs to be inventive and do e.g. a women rush (like the famous chicken rush/sheep rush that was discussed previously, but more as a joke). I successfully did women rushes on rams already, so it is not totally out of this world

Introducing constraints to the game can be quite fun sometimes - like currently in several maps that just don't provide a CC and the only way forward is building a harbour, collect stuff until there is enough stock to actually build a CC.

So, I'd be interested to hear your opinions...

Sounds good for campaigns, or some scenarios.