Dev Diary #3
A teaser of the trade rework: the spice actually flows
, first posted on r/EU5
After the success of the Exchequer mod released over the weekend, GH comes with its first substantial challenge: modeling the trade of spices from SEA into Europe. The spice must flow!! (if you know you know).
This situation alongside other changes help to model the spice trade (for the spice must flow!)
European demand: noble and burgher households use pepper and cloves.
Knowledge of India: during the late XIV century, a couple atlas were released, the Medici-Laurentian and Catalan atlases, documenting for the first time the Indian subcontinent in medieval Europe. These events will trigger an increased wave of consumption across the continent, will your merchants be ready?
Demand from exports in Venexia: Venice and the towns of the Adriatic sell on to the markets of Nürnberg and Lübeck.
New situation, The Levant Spice Trade: papal licences, standing at the Sultan’s court, proper fondaco, politics, diplomacy and a dangerous game to be played, but one with huge rewards.
After 1344 the Curia sells licences for trade with Egypt. A seat in the fondaco beside the Venetians costs 500 gold.
The Fondaco: Venice and Genoa’s share of the market of Al-Iskandariyya against the Sultan’s own merchants, and the seats each republic holds.
The Court: the Sultan’s opinion of a republic decides what it may do, from appointing a consul to founding a fondaco of its own.
Markets that react: to allow all of that to happen a more dynamic modelling of prices that now respond faster to supply and demand with a wider range of price fluctuation.
Venice’s income in Exchequer: with the spice flowing, trade brings in 43 of its 48 gold a month.
UI updates: to help you track your merchant empire, a refreshed UI that will be the envy of Wall Street trade bros.
The Ledger: who holds the trade advantage, the spices passing through Al-Iskandariyya over two years, and our share against the Sultan’s merchants.
When? Dunno, right now it’s still in conceptual stage. I’m trying different things and trying to avoid CTDs, so I’m hoping this week. But I would not expect a polished version until Rio Salado releases in full as I’d like to integrate this with the Portuguese and Castilian discoveries.