Dev Blog 4 -- Upcoming Economic Overhaul

In the previous dev blog, we provided a listing of the structures that are to be retired in the upcoming economic live server overhaul. In this blog we will go through the different types of structures and what changes are occurring with them, as well as cover some other changes and NPC auction agent updates.

The retirement of structures results in the loss of the only sources producing certain items. In some cases, we are creating new versions of the recipes used by retired structures and adding them to already existing structures (mentioned in the previous dev blog). In other cases, we are going to retire the item that was being created from the game and make adjustments to recipes that featured those items. The adjustments in some cases are to click costs, in others replacement with already existing recipe ingredients may be used.

The number of items being retired also necessitates a reevaluation of labor values, click costs, recipe consumption values and output as well as ingredient requirements for recipes. Every economic recipe has been evaluated and is being adjusted as necessary to fit into the overall update changes. Before diving into more specifics by structure and recipe type there are a few changes that affect just about all recipe changes.

General Labor Changes:

One change we are making to labor in general is more use of single labor values for tasks. In the current live economy, a task like harvesting oak logs has several different recipes for this task with different values for labor for each version. In the update the base labor value for the task of harvesting oak logs is the same for all versions of the recipe. Where versions differ is in the volumes (input and output) used by the different structures' versions of a recipe.

Another general change is the use of labor reduction bonuses being applied to the structures. Doubloon structures being the base do not receive labor reduction bonuses with the exception of the retired advanced structures which retain their bonuses. Supported structures and Premium structures all gain labor reduction bonuses. While the final values for these bonuses are still being evaluated the current testing values are -10% labor for all supported structures and -15% for all Premium structures.

General Click Cost Changes:

Click cost changes for structures are based on the structure type (Doubloon, Supported or Premium). Recipe click costs may be adjusted based on items removed from ingredient lists, volume changes, replacement item additions and produced item type. In general, click costs can rise where previous production steps were removed. Click costs can rise or fall depending on replacement items used for recipes affected in this manner and in some cases are not adjusted with additions or removal of ingredient items.

General Recipe Changes:

The largest change is the removal of containers from recipes unless the recipe is for a Trade Good item or a ship construction recipe. Along with ingredient change due to item retirement there are some adjustments being made to ingredient and output volumes. Several Trade Good recipes are being added as one goal of the update is for each structure to have some type of item that it produces that can be sold to NPC buyers.

To Be Retired Items List (NPC's will buy these):

  • Sand
  • Store Provisions
  • Lodge Provisions
  • Merchant Provisions
  • Command Provisions
  • Naval Provisions
  • Pirate Provisions
  • Butter
  • Lard
  • Poultry
  • Maize
  • Tobacco Leaf
  • Fine Clothing
  • Leather Clothing
  • Luxury Footwear
  • Oak Spool
  • Oak Yoke
  • Fishing Gear
  • Iron Gear
  • Iron Axle
  • Sugar Syrup
  • Brine
  • Soap
  • Porkfat
  • Potash
  • Pitch
  • Oakum
  • Linen Pulp
  • Leather Belt
  • Copperware
  • Potter
  • Chandler
  • Fisherman
  • Hunter
  • Stampman
  • Founder
  • Miller
  • Roper
  • Baker
  • Sailmaker
  • Butcher
  • Architect
  • Recruiter

Structure Changes:

The following is an overview of changes being implemented by structure:


Wood Harvesting and Processing Structures:

Logging Camps, Advanced Logging Camps, Large Logging Camps and the Logging Company only receive adjustments to click costs, recipe labor and outputs. Maintenance click costs on doubloon logging camps and Logging Company will increase as an adjustment to no longer requiring maintenance provisions for upkeep. Labor reduction bonuses will be implemented for the Logging Company. Output adjustments will be made to reflect increased outputs for supported logging structures and the Logging Company.

The Lumber Mill, Advanced Lumber Mill and Saw Mill only receive adjustments to click costs, recipe labor and input and output volumes. The Saw Mill will receive a labor reduction bonus as a supported structure.

The Carpenter's Shop will lose the recipes for the Oak Yoke and Oak Spool as these items are being retired.

The Cooper's Shop will gain the ability to make barrel hoops from iron ingots.

The Wood Works is a new premium structure that combines the Sawmill, Carpenter's Shop and Cooper's Shop into a single structure. In testing at this time this structure uses one economy slot.


Ore Harvesting and Processing Structures:

Mines, Advanced Mines, Large Mines and Saltpeter Mines only receive adjustments to click costs, recipe labor and outputs. Maintenance click cost will change as they do in the wood harvesting structures (rising to adjust to no longer needing maintenance provisions). Labor reduction bonuses will be added to Large Mines and output volumes will be adjusted to reflect different ore harvesting structure types (doubloon or supported).

The Mining Company ore harvesting recipes will be altered to produce crushed ore of the designated type rather than raw ore. This change will result in an exception to the general design of a single labor value for a task (harvesting ore) as its labor value includes additional labor usage for the included sorting/crushing ore task it bypasses. It also features the reduced values that would normally be seen through the crushing/sorting process in its output results. The Mining Company will also retain the ore crushing recipes it currently has, allowing it to function as a stamp mill with its labor or to be able to crush ore obtained from other ore sources. The Mining Company will also receive the labor reduction bonus for premium structures with this update.

The Powder Mill has no changes to recipes and will only see adjustments in click cost, labor adjustments and input/output volumes if necessary (tuning dependent).

The Stamp Mill will lose its recipe for Linen Pulp as the item is being retired from the game.

The Forge, Advanced Forge, Forge (No Trade) and Finery Forge will lose the recipes for casting cannon barrels. They retain the ability to assemble cannon but will need to acquire the cast barrels from a casting structure or another source. The Finery Forge will lose the recipe for Fishing Gear and Copperware as the items are being retired from the game.

The Blast Furnace will gain the recipes for casting all basic cannon barrels. It will also gain the recipes for Retorts, Bricks, Window Glass and Glassware.

The Foundry will gain recipes for Retorts, Bricks, Window Glass, and Glassware. The Foundry will lose recipes for the Iron Gear and Iron Axle as these items are being retired.

The Iron Works will gain recipes for Retorts, Bricks, Window Glass and Glassware. It will also lose the recipes for the Iron Gear and Iron Axle with those items being retired. The Iron Works will also lose the recipe for Linen Pulp as the item is being retired from the game.


Stone Harvesting and Processing Structures:

Quarries (Granite, Marble, Limestone), Advanced Quarries (all types) and the Large Quarry will receive adjustments to click costs, recipe labor and output volumes to match their structure type (doubloon or supported).

The Large Quarry will gain the recipe to harvest Clay.

The Clay Pit will lose the recipe to Harvest Sand as the item is being retired from the game.


Agricultural Harvesting and Processing Structures:

Plantations (General, Cacao, Coffee, Prickly Pear, Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar), Advanced Plantations (Sugar, General), Vineyards and Pastures receive click cost adjustments for maintenance with the change to doubloon structures. They also receive recipe labor adjustments with adjustments to output volumes.

The Plantation Estate will lose the recipe for Maize as the item is being retired from the game. The Plantation Estate will gain Trade Good recipes for Peas, Rice and Flax. The Plantation Estate will also receive click cost, labor and input/output adjustments as part of the update.

The Sugar Plantation Estate will no longer produce Sugar Syrup. The sugar refining process will be changed to milling sugarcane to produce unrefined sugar then boiling the unrefined sugar to produce sugar and molasses.

The Tobacco Plantation Estate will no longer produce tobacco leaf as the item is being retired from the game. Recipes producing tobacco leaf will produce tobacco. Adjustments are made to its click costs, recipe labor and input/output volumes in this update.

The Farm will lose recipes for Poultry and Butter as those items will be retired with this update.

The Farm Estate will lose recipes for Poultry and Butter as the items are being retired from the game. The Farm Estate will gain the ability to produce Saltpeter using the Animal Waste product. The Farm Estate will gain the ability to harvest Cacao, Coffee and Cochineal if located in ports where the resource is available.

The Salt Pen will lose the recipe to Harvest Brine as the Brine item is being retired from the game.

The Fishing Lodge will no longer be able to build ships. All ships will be built in shipyards with this update.

The Bakery will gain a Trade Good for Beer.

The Slaughterhouse will lose the recipe for Pork Fat as the item is being retired from the game.

The Tanner has no changes beyond adjustments to recipe click costs, labor and input/output volumes if necessary.

The Leatherworks will lose the recipes for Shoe Leather, Fine Leather, Leather Belt and Luxury Footwear as those items are being retired from the game. Adjustments will be made to labor values, click costs and input/output volumes.


Distillery Structures:

The Sugar Refinery and Advanced Sugar Refinery will lose the recipe for boiling sugar as the Sugar Syrup item is being retired from the game. The Mill Sugarcane recipe will produce Unrefined Sugar instead of Sugar Syrup. With Sugar Syrup's retirement the Boil Sugar recipe will also be removed from the Sugar Refinery. The Refine Sugar recipe will produce both Refined Sugar and Molasses.

Rum Distillery will receive click cost and labor if necessary (tuning dependent).

Tar Distillery will receive click cost and labor if necessary (tuning dependent).

Winery will receive click cost and labor if necessary (tuning dependent).

The Chandler's Shop (Retired) will lose the recipe for Soap as the item is being retired from the game.

The Boilery will lose recipes Boil Brine, Make Potash, Make Pitch, Boil Sugar Syrup and Make Lard as Brine, Potash, Pitch. Sugar Syrup and Lard are being retired from the game. The Boilery will gain recipes for Tallow, Tallow Candles and Trade Good items for Tallow, Tallow Candles and Rum.


Textile Structures:

The Textile Mill will receive updates to click costs, recipe labor and recipe changes.

The Improved Textile Mill - will lose the recipes for Leather Clothing, Linen Pulp and Luxury Footwear as the items are being retired from the game. Recipes for Rope, Large Sails, Single Linen Sails, Double Linen Sails, Cable and Bandages will be added to the structure.

The Textile Factory will lose the recipes for Leather Clothing, Linen Pulp, Luxury Footwear, Fine Clothing and Oakum as the items are being retired from the game. The Textile Factory will gain the recipe for Bandages.

The Sail Loft (Retired) will receive updates to click costs and recipe labor.

The Rope Walk (Retired) loses recipe for Oakum as the item is retired from the game.


Support Structures:

The Draughtsman's Office, Draughtsman's Office (No Trade) and Master Draughtsman's Office (Retired) will lose the recipes for creating the Chandler's Shop, Salt Pen, Clay Pit, Sail Loft, Rope Walk and Pottery.

The Recruitment Office will lose the recipes for the Potter, Chandler, Fisherman, Hunter, Stampman, Founder, Miller, Roper, Baker, Sailmaker, Butcher, Architect and Recruiter as these structure specialists are being retired from the game.

The Provisioner will lose the recipes for Store Provisions, Lodge Provisions, Command Provisions, Naval Provisions, Merchant Provisions and Pirate Provisions as these items are being retired from the game. With these retirements supported structures that currently use Store Provisions will use Shop Provisions instead and all ships will use Ship Provisions in their construction. The Ship Provision ingredient list will be revised to reflecta combination of other ship provision types.


Shipyards:

Shipyards of all types do not have any changes to them as structures beyond the premium shipyards (Company, Hidden Cove) gaining a labor reduction bonus. Where the majority of changes regarding shipyards is found in the adjustments made to the ship recipes due to items being retired from the game (e.g. provision types).


Update regarding NPC Auction Agents:

The NPC sales agents at this time have all been moved to either a nation's capitol or to Oranjestad for all products they sell except for ships. While some items remain in regional ports for sale by NPC's their stock will not be replenished. NPC sales agents will no longer sell ships that have a higher than level 25 requirement. Some ships currently offered that are higher than level 25 will remain available, but their stock will not be replenished.

NPC's will begin to stop selling raw materials everywhere except Oranjestad and in Oranjestad the sales of raw materials will be limited (and expensive). Players are intended to become the primary source of raw material production moving forward.

NPC's will be removed from some item markets completely. This is part of a transition for NPC's from being the primary providers of items to becoming consumers of items. In general items (not all) that NPC's no longer sell will become items that NPC's will begin buying. NPC's will also no longer be selling items that are being retired in the economic update and will begin buying them (to remove unusable stock). They will begin to start buying items via buy orders prior to the economic update's release. Items that NPC's will no longer be selling include:

NPC's will no longer be selling the following items at any locations following the update:

  • Refined Sugar
  • Cochineal
  • Cacao
  • Tobacco
  • Cotton (Raw)
  • Grapes
  • Wheat
  • Peas
  • Rice
  • Sulfur
  • Guano
  • Animal Waste
  • Saltpeter
  • Molasses
  • Game
  • Game Meat
  • Cured Meat
  • Cured Fish
  • Cattle
  • Cured Beef
  • Beef Fat
  • Horses
  • Pigs
  • Cured Pork
  • Fine Cheese
  • Fine Wine
  • Hides
  • Skins
  • Furs
  • Frame Timbers (all types)
  • Planks (all types)
  • Anchors (all types)
  • Oak Deadeye
  • Bell
  • Cable
  • Rudder Irons
  • Graving
  • Caulk
  • Oak Trunnels
  • Mast Hoops
  • Blocks
  • Lignum Blocks
  • Paper
  • Parchment
  • Logs (all types)
  • Ores (all types)
  • Crushed Ores (all types)

Please note what has been presented in this blog is what is currently in testing internally. If it is determined additional changes or adjustments are needed, they will be updated in a future blog before the update moves to the Test server. The final list of changes including what values will be used in the update will be published when it is ready to be placed on the Test server in the patch notes for the Test build.


Fallback Changes:

In addition to the changes in the economic update for the Live Servers, we are implementing some changes to the 2.17 build fallbacks.

In the current 2.17 fallback system, players start with an initial fallback ship at creation and are awarded higher level fallbacks at levels 9, 14, 17 and either 20 or 21 (depending on career).

In the updated system we are implementing, players will be given updated fallbacks at levels 3, 7, 9, 12, 14, 17, 20 and 25.

New fallback versions of ships added to each career's fallback advancement will be created to fill the additional replacements that currently have no fallback ships assigned to them. It is important to note that in general fallback versions of ships are not quite as strong as the player-created versions of these ships. For this reason, we are able to advance a fallback version to be available to players in many cases before they actually have the level to captain the player made version of the ship. Some adjustments may be made to the player versions of ships that get added to the fallback list in order to maintain the difference between a player made ship and the fallback version of it.

The goal of this change is to give players access to greater firepower for those having difficulty early in the game. It also allows players to be introduced to the fallback mechanic earlier than level 9 and allows players to sample a greater variety of ships in the earliest levels of the game without having to commit doubloon resources to sample them. 

In addition to the existing fallbacks, some ships currently being evaluated as new fallbacks include: Chaleur, El Dragon, Cruizer, Limburg, Atlas, Postillionen, Cerberus, Dromedary, Mystique, Mignone, Agamemnon, Athena and Raa.

Again, note that fallback versions of these ships are not the same as the player-made versions of these ships. The final list of ships added to the fallback system will be updated in the next devBlog, just prior to the update build being made available on the Test server.