RE: Trade in G2

Colin (C.I.Cavanagh@qmw.ac.uk)
27 Jan 1998 09:38:31 +0000

In <CDCF514238FDCF11B9F5000083A25FF6010BCDAD@exchange.unex.ucla.edu>, Rodgers, Robert wrote:
>It always a bit scary to discuss "reality" and Olympia in the same
>sentence, but I think the disconnect between Trade and city control is
>too great. Historically, there was always a very close and symbiotic
>relationship between merchants and landholders. Think Hanseatic League,
>Renaissance Holland, toll roads and bridges, tariffs, etc. In Oly, it's
>now possible for someone to sail into my city, create a trade good, sail
>out, and make tons of money off the sweat and toil of my peasants. I
>don't think it would put to great a strain on the system to add some
>sort of tax system to all transactions in a city. The concept of
>raising it and lowering it for individual factions is also appealing--
>The Tax in Azrain is 100% for all New Empire nobles, 50% for the general
>riff raff, and 0% for those fine PLATO folks. ;)
>
>In any case, this would probably be a major change, affecting many
>people's strategies, so I'm not advocating for G2 unless there was near
>unanimity (and of course the lord Atnerks approved as well.)
>
>Otherwise, I think Trade has somewhat imbalanced the games in terms of
>how much money you can make for a noble day. Maybe someone with more
>time than me can do a real study of how much gold comes from a nobles
>effort in various activities. Some of them would be easy, like PCTFG,
>and others would complex to figure out, like mining, owning a castle,
>and trading. But my sense is that Trade would be the most profitable
>activity by a fair margin, perhaps too great a margin. Oly may end up
>awash in money, and we should know in advance if that is a bad thing.
>
>Rich, in G1 you occasionally published game statistics--can you do that
>for G2? I seem to remember you were able to show how much money had
>been made through various activities, and how many times people were
>doing certain things. That might shed some light on this discussion.
>
>Ramblingly yours, Rob
>

I'm sorry but simple facts and history tells us the only way to make
pots and pots of money is with trade past , present and future.

but the city Has to be able to take a cut in the trade after all who
pays for the up keep of the market and associated stuff.

Colin

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