Local markets

[Rambo]

I have read about country-specific armed forces and I thought about the economy.

http://ufoai.ninex.info/forum/index.php?topic=2665.0

I think that some relation between the countries and PHALANX in the ways of trading would be nice.
I am not talking about the general sponsorship but something more like a marketplace.

The most audacious idea is that any purchase is made on one of the dominating world markets. You would be taken there by clicking the town in the Geoscape where the big exchange takes place or also from the base by selecting the market menu.
Therefore:
- Asia and Oceania would have their Asia-Oceania Stockmarket situated in Tokyo,
- North and South America would have their Inca Market in South America.
- Europe and Africa would have their own markets in Berlin and Cairo.

By clicking the towns you would enter the market and there, the prices would be dependent on the current local trends in firearms, alien specimens and technology, phalanx productions etc.

You could buy the product for a particular base and pay the transportation costs depending on the distance, taxes, etc.

For example: Asia would disallow trading alien specimens and Cairo would set up a large tax on conventional weapons.

The prices would also change depending on the amount of the stuff sold and bought on the market, and also on the current demand, and for example on the attitude of the particular countries/blocks. Some things could be even illegal. Trading them would give you a nice profit, but cost reputation (and overall funding), or even temporary embargo.

If any of the countries belonging to the economy block was dissatisfied with PHALANX, then the market would be even closed totally for PHALANX. And , as a result, other countries from the same block would like you less because you wouldn't be able to trade with them.

Moreover, if for example the aliens infiltrate the countries because you do not help them in the missions on their territory, or if you trade with two countries which are at war with each other, then your deeds on the market could even decide on the political attitude towards you.

For example countries which receive advanced tech like you more and give you better prices and more sponsorship, and countries which are at war with the countries you trade, like you less and want you to pay more:)

Going a step further, the countries with which you trade equip their militia with the weapons you sell them You could participate in embargos or by breaking the embargo gain some super tech, like biological or chemical weapons, but it would cost you exclusion from the other markets

The news on the current political situation and embargos would be sent to you by e-mail and additionally broadcasted in some news TV.

From time to time there could be some mission to defend the market HQ from aliens, which would be very prestigeous.

[Duke]

What you nicely described above sounds to me like some 6-12 months of fulltime work for one developer (very rough guess).

Furthermore, the concepts you described would be more suitable for some economy-centered game IHMO.

However, UFO already has that 'sell-ufo-to nation-to-make-them-happier'-feature. But in my 2.2.1-campaign I never got enough ufos to make use of that feature. Yet no clue about 2.3.

If I was the dev who had to implement at least a little bit of your concept, I'd start with a sell-to-nation-selector in the sell items menu, calculating the amount of happiness as total amount of alien itmes sold (in global market prices) in relation to ufo prices.

The next step could be to have different prices (percent of global prices) for different nations. Thus, there would be a trade-off between making money and creating happiness. Makes sense to me.

One thing I completely dislike in your concept is the political stuff
If nations were still at war with each other while facing a deadly alien threat, it wouldn't be worth it to save mankind....imho.

[Rambo]

One thing I completely dislike in your concept is the political stuff
If nations were still at war with each other while facing a deadly alien threat, it wouldn't be worth it to save mankind....imho.

It seems that the political stuff is controversial for more people on this board So let's hope that by 2084 all the humanity will live in peace 

[BTAxis]

Probably not. We need that assumption though, or it'll all get messy.

[Warhamster]

How about  black market option? Pricier. Normally less reliable weapons, but on occassion, a gem will pop up that might be worth your time.

[ghosta]

Hm no, just uhm no!

 

[Sophisanmus]

An easier rig-up might be tying the price/availability to the happiness of the manufacturing country; there are already plenty of regional references in the UFOpaedia text.  If there is need for something more detailed, there could be an option for offloading your new tech to specific countries (similar in concept to UFO sales).  The resulting country would appreciate your business, but after a certain duration they may crack/reverse engineer the tech: they would pay much less for that item/tech from then on, and may begin even offering to sell any surplus to you in the future.  Consequentially, if you adequately piss them off, and they are sufficiently corrupted by the aliens, you could quickly have a major homeland threat on your hands.

[shevegen]

I think a black market option could be interesting. Here is a rough concept for it:

- Using black market will displease nations a bit (reason: the black market is normally not the best area to buy something, because it will be considered illegal market, and newspaper could write about this... it simply leaves a bad taste of PHALANX. they should be good guys, law abiding folks. Still, the player should be able to take that risk of displeasing the nations a bit but at the same time gain access to some more weapons/armours etc..)
- The black market could offer alien equipment which was salvaged by other NPCs (randomly). Of course the price would have to be a lot higher.
- Selling on the black market could also be made possible BUT see above, it should make nations unhappy, even to the point of no return (where they entirely stop funding PHALANX if they sell too much alien material

I think this could be some kind of balance. Lateron the black market could allow special offers too, like buy combat implants and let your own surgery specialists implant them, or buy some needed alien stuff to continue research etc....
I think it would open some more options

Note, in the above scenario I propose that the black market is not available from the very beginning, instead it will be available ie. 2-3 months or so after start.

I know this sounds a bit complex but in essence it is easy on two points:
-> Use black market and you displease nations.
-> Gain access to more equipment and maybe money.

[bayo]

PHALANX is an official international organization? I will never understand the need of a black market; anyway they use a transparent bureaucracy.

[BTAxis]

The black market isn't necessary because 1) it makes no sense and 2) PHALANX has access to ALL of the initial human tech from the normal market anyway.

[Sarin]

Actually...initial human LEGAL tech. Many things like chemical/biological weapons has been banned. I assume the list would be much longer at 2084. So how do you get these? I'm sure some countries like North Korea, Myanmar etc...are gonna have them and will be willing to sell them...

[BTAxis]

The current list of human weaponry is all there's ever going to be in the game (PHALANX developed weaponry excepted).