I would like to ask and propose if slight or somewhat large economic change in game would be welcomed. My hope is that this could help balance warfare in game. Maybe then we could keep some new players in game.
New resource:
Valuables like jade, cocoa, pottery, jewelry, artwork,sea shells and tools were traded often as currency in Maya world. Nobles had their own exchange trade system that was working side by side with regular markets. Thats why new resource could be simply called valuables. As far as I know there were no concept of money.
On the other hand Nobles in Maya world are known to their desire to please gods. So another suggestion would be prestige. Which could hold various factors inside it or just a few.
Valuables
Inside the game player would collect valuables and and keep his armies happy. If valuables deplete to 0 then armies start to slowly drop their weapons and go to civil life. Later you can lure them back, but it would cost you. Units that fight for city that has no food and empire that has no valuables will still fight if attacked. As long you still have non recruited veterans you cant recruit new unit in Jaguars temple in any village.
To recruiting disbanded soldiers takes 1/5 of original time and 1/5 of the original cost of the unit. Awhile in civil life they take 1/2 valuables that they did when active. Units in civil life can be deleted and they can be found under Jaguars temple.
How to get valuables?
Every market level gives 10 valuable per hour. First level gives 500. Every stone, obsidian and coco farm level gives 10 valuables per hour. First level gives you 100. This means that if all these buildings were at level 5 you would get 960 valuables per hour. Also every Quetzal Palace level gives 800 per hour and with commerce technology you can build roads. With levels 2,4,6,8,10,15,20,25, 28 and 30. You can build road between your villages or with alliance members village. Roads give bonuses to both villages that are trading together. From one village you can build only 2 roads.
Road
If you make trade agreement between your village to another. You and your trading partner has to have room for it. Trade between players own villages cost only one tech slot and bonus is divided between towns. Bonus that you get from trading dependent on total population on both towns. This means that 1 million town makes trade agreement with 14 million town they both get 25% bonus in valuables production.
- less than 1 million total population gives +5% bonus in valuables to both towns
- More than 1 million total population gives 10% bonus in valuables to both towns
- More than 4 million total population gives 15% bonus in valuables to both towns
- More than 6 million total population gives 20% bonus in valuables to both towns
- More than 15 million total population gives 25% bonus in valuables to both towns
- More than 20 million total population gives 35% bonus in valuables to both towns
What costs valuables?
Units cost valuables however spys, poloms, shamans, nahuals, amazons, quipucamayocs and pochtecas are free. Jaquars cost 3 per hour. Atlants cost 10 valuables per hour and Ek Chuah units cost 120 per hour. Rest cost 1 per hour.
Valuables cannot be traded off nor raided from other players, but some buildings may cost some valuables in one time deal. Also every time you lose a battle in town that has road with other towns. That trade route goes inactive in both towns for 6h. Giving less trade to both trading towns and empires if trade is shared.
Prestige
This idea is more straight forward. Prestige is earned by building Quetzal Palaces and making war. Every time you win a battle you get more points. More heroic the battle more points. This means more enemies killed from larger or roughly same sized army.. more points you get. In addition there could be high score of top 25 battles. If you get in there you get bonus points. Fights against barbarians dont count.
Prestige is lost hourly by warrior units you have. Better the unit more prestige you lose. On other hand every time you build a Quetzal Palace more hourly production you get. There is also fixed cap that can be broken by winning battles. If your prestige goes to 0 then your troops will start to leave from your service until you get +100 production again from Quetzal Palace.
Prestige cannot be sold, bought or lost to other players.
Map objects
River: If game would have trade like in valuables. River could play some role in game. giving reason for neighbor to ally together rather than fight. "River that are in touch in towns that are doing trade could give extra bonus." Rivers could also divide land and add 5h to traveltime + corn cost when moving troops to otherside.
Mountain: Better defense if town is next to mountain
Jungle: better food production. Most of the mayan food came from jungle.