Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Dominant economic Structure
To get a better grip on a complex and elusive economy like the one in Caesar III,
we'll zoom out a little and look at the economy on a more abstract level. Figure 9.5
reveals the dominant economic structure of the game. To build an effective economy,
the player needs to be aware of the feedback loop that exists between residences,
production, and distribution. He must try to invest in such a way that the city pro-
duces enough money to keep expanding and paying for its upkeep.
FIGURe 9.5
The dominant eco-
nomic structure of
Caesar III
You can find no less than four design patterns implemented in this diagram. The
feedback between residences and economic infrastructure acts as a converter engine
with labor and trade goods forming the production loop. In addition, building
investments follows the engine building pattern because it improves the main con-
verter engine that drives the economy. Investments also activate dynamic friction by
raising salaries and upkeep costs . Therefore, building causes multiple feedback .
The dominant economic structure in Caesar III sets up a template for the ideal econ-
omy in the game. The economy a player builds will gravitate toward this structure.
However, planning and building this structure is no trivial task. The game is set up
in a way that simply drawing a map for a perfect city is impossible. There are four
main impediments to building the economy in Caesar III :
n The landscape restricts the player. It dictates how much space is available and
dictates the location where certain production buildings can be constructed (a
timber yard must be built close to woods; a marble quarry must be built close to
mountains). Bodies of water restrict movement and the construction of infrastruc-
ture. Certain resources simply are not available on a particular map (for example,
olive farms are not available in the British Isles). Each map provides its own unique
 
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