As promised in another thread here are my initial thoughts/questions about a more detailed trade/economic system for BR.

Assumption One: Most economic activity is done at the local level, i.e. within the province. This would be historically accurate in that most goods and services were consumed locally. Transportation was slow and difficult. There was no means of production for quick manufacture. Perishable goods could not be preserved.

There would be lots of trade. Producers take their products to local markets and sell them there, grain, furniture, wine, shoes, etc. The list is endless. This kind of trade is also not captured in the rules in the game. But more importantly, should it be captured by the game?

A casual read of the forums reveals an interest in making rule options that are more complex than those presented in the BCRS. Ultimately any rule options live or die by the interest they generate.

I see 2 kinds of trade--intra and interprovincial trade. The rules capture intraprovincial trade at the taxation level. Whatever trade or economic activity occur are only important in that they generate taxes. Interprovincial trade is represented by the game mechanic of Trade Routes. Interprovincial trade may generate taxes, if a regent taxes them.


Question One: Do the rules for intraprovincial trade need to be more detailed to make the rules for interprovincial trade more detailed?

Question Two: What is a trade route? The current rules make it only a representation of profit. Does it have to detail the means of travel, the usual inbound/outbound cargo? Anything else? How frequent are they? Should they have levels like other domain holdings, Trade Route 3, for example. I personally am interested in capturing some of the complexity of the trade that would occur at the Imperial City docks, but thats just me.

Question Three: Do maps to far off lands need to be detailed to make long-distance trade work?

Question Four: How do we detail the products available in a province? Geography would limit this. Deserts dont grow surplus food. Does the province level limit the kinds of products available?

Make your critiques; addition your own questions; offer your work that you have already done; have at her.