Port Extras

[Shadowood]

After sleeping on this, I have think the port coffers should be filled using a Harbor Master tax/fee.

A percentage of all trade will slowly feed the coffers in each port. Now we all know some ports have more trade then others, but this is a good thing as it will potentially entice conflict over popular ports.



Each day MILLIONS of gold coin is traded between ports (crates and Gold Bars). These items need to have a tax/fee that a Harbor Master charges. Controlling nations will be able to set up their Harbor Master fee structure. I envision this much like the percentages on the Bank page. But this could further tie into diplomacy. Perhaps set up like this:

Nation Citizens = .01%
Allied Nations = .5%
Neutral Nations = .75%
Enemy Nations = 1%
****These percentages are just place holders. We need to know how much each port is taking in to come up with the best numbers that are good for the game****

These fees will be deposited into the Port Coffers and the controlling nation will be able to set how/where these monies are spent. Expanding Plantations, pay for Immigrants or future port expansions (FORTS and BLOCKADES).

Just spitting out ideas to keep the discussion flowing...

[DezNutz]

I'm not against harbor fees, would just have to make sure it isn't abused because you could easily screw new players with such a mechanism.

[sXs]

How about working on some of the 138 APPROVED suggestions before adding new ones.

[Shadowood]

I'm not against harbor fees, would just have to make sure it isn't abused because you could easily screw new players with such a mechanism.

100% agreed. I will look at some numbers when I get time to present but some quick math.

1 Fleet of 5 LMM's = 600 Cargo space

If set up right a trader will have this fleet come back every other hour. So 12 times a day. 600x12= 7,200 crates

7,200 crates of Rum in Thorakas can sell for 15gc each. Daily total is 7,200 x 15 = $108,000

$108,000 x .01 = $1,080 (enemy nation)
$108,000 x .0075 = $810 (neutral nation)
$108,000 x .005 = $540 (allied nation)
$108,000 x .0001 = $10 (nation citzen)

Now these numbers are per fleet of course. But given the DAILY AMOUNT OF TRADE stated in the graphic below of $685 million per day. At a full 1%, coffer would grow at a rate of $6,850,000 per day. Divided by 21 ports, that is only an avg of $326,000 per port per day.

Again just a thought....

[Haron]

How about working on some of the 138 APPROVED suggestions before adding new ones.

This is a valid point, Feniks. However, I guess there may be reasons why those have not been implemented yet. If admin sees something that they want to implement for some reason, let's help them see our views on that. That may help such a feature become better, or perhaps it may become clear that it has too many implications to be implemented without considerable tweaking.

I would like to see some of the already approved features discussed, too. Perhaps with a comment from the admin on what they would prioritise highest, and what their main issues are with these features that have caused them not to be implemented.

An overall idea about which direction they want the game to take, would be very interesting and helpful.

[Haron]

About coffers:

We need ways to put money into them, manually and /or automatically. Similarly, we need ways to take money out from them. And we need reasons for nations to want there to be money in the coffers. That should come with some risk and some advantage. Also, there should be things to spend the money in the coffers on, preferably things which can only be had by using this money.

[sXs]

I would like to see some of the already approved features discussed, too. .

All 138 apprevoed suggestions have been discussed. Each has it own thread. Simply search "Approved" in a title only search of the suggestion thread.

https://www.piratesglory.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=34

[Captain Jack]

-Port Treasury does sound like a better name.
-I would prefer initially to fill the treasury only by a law which will be a percentage of the nation and/or port income.
For example:
-Each port gets to keep 10% of its income (ie plantations/market fees). The income held by port is not transferred at all at national income.
-Each port gets 1% of daily national income. (After this has been deducted, the remaining is added to the nation treasury). This has merit as nations do have incomes except than port income (ie loans interest).

The importance of having this controlled by a law is important at this time for a series of reasons. One of them is that I do not want to disturb the current power balance within a country. If we allow Governors to set this on their on, this is like removing Financial Control from the King.

Allowing Governors to manage the funds is then different as it is something that falls into their hands. It is a management delegation of a King approved budget.

-For early version, no transfer of funds between port or nation treasury will be possible. It will work based on incomes only.

-We could allow however players (any player) to add Gold Coins to the Port Treasuries. We could even allow this for nation treasuries as well. Nations could sell their allocated hostility in this way. Honor for citizens. For hostility, mark it as just a thought, I am not even sure if it is a good one.

-Let's not add population tax/happiness discussion here, it will make the whole discussion more difficult and it is a separate element with its own topic I believe.

-Plantation Acreage law does not need to be repealed. If a nation still wants to favor a specific port for extra acreage, it should have the option.

-Port treasury will be specific to port and managed by the Governor. So, any flag changes do not change it.

-There is already taxation for trade. I do not wish to change this for now and add further modifiers. However, it is true that the harbor fee is one of the most realistic fees that exist so I am not ruling it out. In contrary, I believe that we should work this out and add it in some way. Still, whenever it comes it will be handled like the rest of the port income (paid directly to nation income and then the law will decide the percentage that will be kept at port). At all cases, this needs a separate topic.

-The future cases are obviously plenty (Blockades, population happiness, market abundancy, public works - port buildings, etc). Let's start with the simple step of what we have now (plantation acres) and what we want to originally address (making transport immigrants by ships more meaningful).

At this direction I will add that the bonus paid per head will be only for non-nationals. This means that when a ship brings immigrants from a port of the same country, the bonus will not be paid. This will allow central management for nations instead of competition between same country governors which would make little sense in the current context.

For example, if I pick up immigrants from Regis and transport them to Pania, I will receive 0 bonus.

[Sir Henry Morgan]

If I understand this correctly, the funds in the port treasury are allocated by the nation (via vote) and locked away into a port vault that only a governor can allocate and manage to port business, ie, the Governor cannot distribute funds to individuals.

If another nation takes the port, the port treasury would then have a balance the new governor would manage?

Pirates take the port, and the swag in that port treasury is simply hidden, locked away?

[Sir Henry Morgan]

Another question:

If a plantation owner fires his workers, would the plantation owner qualify for the immigrant bonus? I understand that fired workers become part of the port population....