Hello
I've been playing Pat IV, for a few years, but due to a technical problem with my game/system (see my hello and help thread) never gone beyond "Councilman" . Also, because I'm NOT connected up to the internet and Fan-sites such as this, my tactics and strategies tend to be developed in isolation. I come to this site and see... "wonders" cities with 10K populations... Universities being considered the "end of the beginning" phase, when I've never seen a university, let alone researched Hulks. This is partly the limitation not being able to set up automated trade routes, but also, I suspect my over-all strategy. I was hoping that some more experienced players.... who have tried these tactics might be able to enlighten me as to their long term effects on my game.
The strategy involves supply side control.... literally emptying non office towns off ALL commodities and moving them to office cities, where you can then back supply these non office cities with the minimum to survive. My auto trade routes, using Wood as the example, are Sell @ 45, Buy @ 46. The same for all commodities apart for Pitch and Pelts which only Buy at 163 or 420 price.... thus collecting them at the office cities for export to the Mediterranean. Construction by AI players is limited by hoarding bricks. My starting cities are generally Bremmen, Oslo, Scarborough and Malmo.
The effect is to pretty much Lock down the North sea, thus keeping most of the AI ships in the Baltic which is where you allow the pirates, held in place by the bottleneck at Malmo. This tends to create "deserts" that you can now supply whilst not losing control of Production/Housing.
It works, short-term, but my question to you guys is; What is the long-term effect on the game by starving the general economy of at least 1/2 if not 2/3 of the map?
I'd be interested to hear your opinions and advice.
