What about trade?

[hjarg]

Or by other words, what about your city being a transit city? Buy goods x-5 from one city and sell them to another city that desperately needs it for x+5?

One thing i have always missed in city building games was a chance to trade things. Like in Pharaoh, where it could have been profitable to export things from Phunt and sell them to Byblos... or even other Egyptian cities. It happened in real life and well... it would make some easy money for the player ;)

[Jaguar]

Hey hjarg. Emperor allows you to set your own prices for the sale of goods, so you can feasibly make a profit on buying items at one price and selling them for a higher price. And you can set these prices for each trading station (so for each city you trade with).

I did like this aspect, although I certainly did not use it much and would like to see something similar in Children of the Nile.

[EmperorJay]

I agree that prices should depend on the city instead of being set around the whole of Egypt, it was a very nice thing to have in Emperor.

[vovan]

I agree that prices should depend on the city instead of being set around the whole of Egypt, it was a very nice thing to have in Emperor.

As well as having other cities become angry and attack you, if you cranked the prices up too high. :D

[Tony Leier]

Trade's a bit different in CotN- we've modeled the economic and political reality better I think. Most government trade isn't really the 'trade' you're thinking of- Pharaoh rules all of Egypt, so he already owns everything being traded. So what you get is you sending supplies to a mining outpost, and getting gold and gems in return- trade of a sort. You can also trade with a few foreign states, and again that's more or less bartering, where you trade Egypt's riches (food, papyrus, gold) for things you don't have (cedar wood from Lebanon for example.) Also, Egypt isn't at a trade crossroads, or really known for mercantilism- they were customers or exploiters for the most part (or exploited in some eras.)

Apart from that, you can have external merchants arrive, who sell directly to nobles looking for exotic luxury wares. This is private trade though.

[Ammurit]

Trade's a bit different in CotN- we've modeled the economic and political reality better I think. Most government trade isn't really the 'trade' you're thinking of- Pharaoh rules all of Egypt, so he already owns everything being traded. So what you get is you sending supplies to a mining outpost, and getting gold and gems in return- trade of a sort.

So, as Pharaoh, perhaps we'll just direct goods from one city to another within our realm.

[Jayhawk]

Hmmm, I wonder if that implies that you can get into the following kind of game play.

Send out prospectors from city X (assuming you have some) looking for gold in part Y of the Sinai
When they find one, move from the world map to the detailed map and start building a mining village there
Go back to the world map, zoom to town Z and start sending food surplus to the mining village
Switch to the mining village, see the food arrive and send gold back to city X (where most of your goldsmiths live)


I also wonder if you need to set a town to supply the mining village during the game, or have the place end up deserted because of lack of food.

[vovan]

That would be great. :)

[Keith]

Hmmm, I wonder if that implies that you can get into the following kind of game play.

Send out prospectors from city X (assuming you have some) looking for gold in part Y of the Sinai
When they find one, move from the world map to the detailed map and start building a mining village there
Go back to the world map, zoom to town Z and start sending food surplus to the mining village
Switch to the mining village, see the food arrive and send gold back to city X (where most of your goldsmiths live)

I also wonder if you need to set a town to supply the mining village during the game, or have the place end up deserted because of lack of food.
Well, according to the info we have we know we will send out military expiditions to acquire new raw materials and goods. I'm not so sure that we'll leave our "city map" though and that any establishment of a mining community or trade center might be handled "off screen" like the distant battles were handled in Caesar III, Pharaoh, Zeus, and Emperor. All we may see is the influx of new materials and goods.
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[EmperorJay]

Well, according to the info we have we know we will send out military expiditions to acquire new raw materials and goods. I'm not so sure that we'll leave our "city map" though and that any establishment of a mining community or trade center might be handled "off screen" like the distant battles were handled in Caesar III, Pharaoh, Zeus, and Emperor. All we may see is the influx of new materials and goods.
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In reference to your last sentence. But that would most likely be at the cost of food and other materials I think?

[vovan]

But that would most likely be at the cost of food and other materials I think?

Well, like Tony (I think) said somewhere before, the trade will take shape of barter for the most part, so I imagine to get something from another city, chances are you'd need to give something back.

Though, on the other hand, you are the Pharaoh supposedly, so it may not be that you are required to give something back, but would like to any way, to sustain the development of the other city, so that hopefully you would get more / better quality goods with time.

[Tony Leier]

Well, according to the info we have we know we will send out military expiditions to acquire new raw materials and goods. I'm not so sure that we'll leave our "city map" though and that any establishment of a mining community or trade center might be handled "off screen" like the distant battles were handled in Caesar III, Pharaoh, Zeus, and Emperor. All we may see is the influx of new materials and goods.

That's basically it. It'll cost you food and goods sometimes- depends on what's going on. If it's a vassal or other self-supporting location, they may just send tribute. However, if it's a mining colony you set up, you better send them regular supplies of food if you want them to be able to send back metals or gems.

You don't found colonies in person, like in Zeus.

[Azeem]

So basically the city that the player builds is the "capital" of the kingdom and that one city serves as the administrative seat of power for the region. Now that brings another question - will we primarily be confined to this "capital" throughout campaigns or will we be "assigned" to other cities in the kingdom?

[vovan]

So basically the city that the player builds is the "capital" of the kingdom and that one city serves as the administrative seat of power for the region. Now that brings another question - will we primarily be confined to this "capital" throughout campaigns or will we be "assigned" to other cities in the kingdom?

From what I understand from the previews, we will be confined to the capital city throughout a period (of which there are four?). However, we will have a nice choice of different cities at the beginning of a period, so despite actually only playing four cities per campaign, we will have lot's of replayability in the campaign.

[Tony Leier]

From what I understand from the previews, we will be confined to the capital city throughout a period (of which there are four?). However, we will have a nice choice of different cities at the beginning of a period, so despite actually only playing four cities per campaign, we will have lot's of replayability in the campaign.

Yes, that's it. The number of periods isn't set yet though. Basically, at the start of a period (Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, Archaic, would be examples) you pick a capital location from a set of choices.

[Keith]

Yes, that's it. The number of periods isn't set yet though. Basically, at the start of a period (Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, Archaic, would be examples) you pick a capital location from a set of choices.
That the number is not set, that is good to hear. However, you just know people will complain if the other periods are not included in some way. You didn't mention the New Kingdom, but I'm just assuming that you forgot. It would be hard to imagine that period being left out.
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[vovan]

You didn't mention the New Kingdom, but I'm just assuming that you forgot.

Looking at the quote carefully:

(Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, Archaic, would be examples)

I'd say, he wasn't trying to be exhaustive. :p

[hjarg]

Glad to hear :)

Funding expeditions to Sinai and Phunt seems to be a nice feature :)
(grrr, still 6 month to wait...)