Regarding pouch of gold example
Pouch of gold should not be used as an example imo. I would need a lot of arguments to analyze why it is a lot different. If I had to use a few words I would say that Pouch of gold could lead to limitless exploitation so we made it limited by placing the limit on the card.
Influence on the other hand, is already limited by default. 2.1 billion per port as max. It also drops 1% a day and it has two opposite cards: Propaganda (which has been given Undercover ability) and conspiracy.
BS solution with limit
BS solution sounds very good as it includes both mechanics and marketing aspects, well cared. However I am not convinced this is the best solution, mostly because it involves nerfing/limits. Thinking a way to limit something sounds like an easy and fast way to control something. It can bring more limits though. For example, we are talking for an update to three cards here. While on the other hand, creating something new, expands possibilities instead of limiting them and this makes the game better.
Let's not forget the players that have obtained/stocked/sold cards based on current stats. We want any changes we implement in the game, to be slow and gradual so that we won't crush long term planning. Occasionally, some changes will be inevitable and will need to be carried fast (when you will see victim's blood all around, then you will know it happened) but I am not convinced that this should fall into this category.
Cpt Dungeness proposals
The gold:influence ratio should not be controlled by a standard formula, like it is happening now. We should change this. We could make this relative to population. And population control needs added mechanisms. Perhaps if we turmoil population with influence and perhaps assets traded in a port per day, we could end up with a great solution to influence control without affecting the voodoo cards at all.
2)Based on my 1) response, this limit might need to get increased but in no way decreased.
Let's not forget that current rates on Charity donation were taken in mind when we designed the missions for nations. If we change them, we will need to change the missions too....
Xanadu proposals
Nation control ideas are all welcome. Your idea seems like a good starting point. You could add population and gold variables into it and rewrite it into its own topic in a structured way. It would greatly help players to give feedback and developers to understand/rate/implement it. I will enrich your ideas with possibilities (remember, we design the game as we like, no limits on possibilities!).
-Each port citizen has a nationality. (Right now, all citizens gain citizenship of the controlling nation, this could change to mixed nationality affected by time holding a port, wars, diplomacy, influence, espionage, etc)
-Number of citizens with a specific nation versus influence of this nation in the port, will determine how hard will be to expand influence. (the greater the difference, the harder to gain influence)
-Attacks/Raids/Blockades affect population of specific nation (ie, if you attack Welsh Tortuga with an English flag and manage to occupy it, Welsh citizens will be captured/perished - we could create a slaves resource perhaps, usable in player factories/fields in hideout feature).
Just a first time idea, first time served, in the forums.
IDEA of the moment!
While writing all these, I re-read BS solution:
Perhaps an increase to the daily fame drop should also be considered but I will keep this for another discussion, to keep things clean.
The current 1% value is experimental. It is really not a final option. We can either increase it or make this drop player controlled per port (aka players will get some ways to affect how much of a influence drop each player in each port, will suffer every day).