Economics (Population, IC, BP) and Civilian Infrastructure

[snip]

The economy of each country is described by three numbers:

- Population (unit of measure:  one million people)
- Industrial Capacity (unit of measure:  one IC)
- Build Points (unit of measure: one BP)

If a country consists of more than one geographic area - such as a homeland and colonies - each is described individually within sim reports.  A country can be split into adjecent regions if it is not considered to be completely integrated (due to geographic, infrastructure, or cultural reasons).

Population

The population of a nation can increase over time.  This is typically determined by the Moderators every two sim-years.  A nation can improve the likelihood of significant population increases through sound political and economic policy, or through specific immigration/family planning measures (which may cost money). 

A nation's policies - especially if prone to engage in war - can also cause population to grow at reduced rates, or perhaps even decline.

Industrial Capacity (IC)

Industrial Capacity is just that - the size of economy.  It abstractly represents a wide variety of industrial activity ranging from mining to banking to tourism. 

A player increases his industrial capacity by purchasing units of its in-game representation, IC.  Each new IC costs (40+Current IC), up to a maximum of 60, and produces income in the half-year following its completion. Only one IC may be under construction in a given territory at a time. Players may also earn IC through role-play.

The ratio of IC to population gives a general sense of how developed a region is.  Where population (in millions) exceeds IC, the region is under-developed.  Where the two are equal, the region probably has either a modern resource-extraction or agricultural sector or (rarely) a modern service sector (such as tourism or large religious pilgrimages).  Where the IC exceeds the population (in millions), it is likely that the region is heavily industrialized, with large manufacturing and service sectors.  A region cannot have more than population (in millions) *10 IC.

IC can be damaged or destroyed.  Damaged IC requires $37.50 to repair, and produces no revenue in its damaged state.  Destroyed IC is simply lost, although new IC can replace it.

Revenue

Revenue is generated in two six-month turns each year.  Revenue comes from each region's population and IC. 

Each IC produces $1 per half year. 

The population of the region produces $1 per million people, with a limit equal to the number of IC in the region. 

For every million people in excess of the number of IC in the region, only $0.20 is produced. 

Since populaton figures are rarely exact multiples of one million, revenue is likely to be rounded to the nearest hundredth of a dollar.

Example:  an underdeveloped country with a population of twenty-seven million people and five IC would generate $5 from the IC, $5 from five million people with corresponding IC, and (22 * $0.2 =) $4.40 from the twenty-two million people without corresponding IC.  Total revenue is then $14.40.

In peacetime, a nation can spend no more than 50% of its revenue on military projects or civil projects for which there is likely no immediate economic justification.  The remainder may be spent on economic development projects, most typically new IC or BP.  If a nation is mobilized to a war economy, this restriction is lifted.

Revenue can be carried over from the first half of a year to the second half, but not between years.  Unused revenue at the end of a year is lost (which is to say - taken by the government's finance department and put to uses other than those we have here).

Build Points (BP)

Build Points represent the portion of an economy's capacity to produce capital assets (such as infrastructure or military equipment) that your nation's government has access to.  It is likely that additional capacity exists in your nation but is being used for more menial things such as building houses, paving roads, building civilian shipping, and so forth.

A player increases his Build Points by purchasing units of its in-game representation, BP.  A player can buy increments of either 0.5 or 1.0 BP depending on the needs of his economy.  A half BP costs (100+5*Current_BP)/2 , and a full BP costs 100+5*Current_BP where the current number of BP is the net BP production for the whole country , and each becomes functional in the half-year following completion.

In rare cases where a region initially enters active play with some fractional amount of BP other than 0.5 or 1.0, the player's first effort at adding BP in this region must be to "round up" the BP to the nearest half or whole BP.

BP can be damaged or destroyed; when damaged, 1 BP is simply reduced to 0.5 BP and remains functional as such.  A half BP, if damaged, becomes non-functional and requires $75 to restore to working order.

Players may earn new BP as a result of significantly enhancing gameplay, such as introducing new, participating players.  This is at the discretion of the Moderators.

Using Build Points

Build Points are not, themselves, a tradeable commodity, nor can they produce a generic tradeable commodity.  As noted above, they instead represent capacity to produce specific items - specifically, those items for which a BP cost is noted in addition to a cash cost.

When making use of his nation's own BP, a player simply notes in his sim report how much BP is being used in each project (ship, army unit, etc) purchased or under construction, or for specific items being stockpiled.  A player can carry-over unused BP originating in his own nation from the first half of a year to the second half of the year, but not between years. 

When making use of another nation's BP, a player must declare what those specific items he is purchasing.  The second nation may charge the player for the right to make use of that BP - but this does not count against the cash price of whatever item the player is building.  It is strictly a surcharge for the second nation's profit.

Example:

Gran Colombia is building a 4,000 t cruiser locally, at a cost of $4. As its own BP is already completely in use, Gran Colombia orders 2,000 t of parts from the Hapsburgers. The Hapsburgers charge $3 for the right to make use of their industry. This $3 is strictly profit for the Hapsburgers - the Colombians must still pay the full $4 cost of the cruiser just as if the parts were all coming from their own BP.

Specific items may be stockpiled indefinitely, without cost, but their future usage is restricted:

-Infrastructure components (Hangers, Airstrips, Ports, Slips, Docks, Railways, Undersea Telegraph Cable, Radio Towers) can only be used to build or repair those specific types of infrastructure. Railway gauge must be specified at purchase.

Example: Gran Colombia stockpiles 2,000 t of undersea telegraph cable.

-Army, Ammunition, and Airship components can only be used for a specific nationality, generation (and type, for armies) of unit.

Example: Gran Colombia stockpiles 500 t of ammunition for a baseline GC infantry Corps.

-With respect to ships: specific machinery, armament (plus mountings and their armour) and functional miscellaneous weight (fire control, wireless) may be stockpiled and used where the player sees fit, provided the player is willing to accept that the equipment may not be "current" when installed. Armor and hull components may only be used to build or repair a specific type and class of ship.

Example: Gran Colombia stockpiles a coal-fired 1905 vintage 4000 hp turbine powerplant, and 1,500 t of hull components for a Puerta Espana class protected cruiser.

Specific items may be removed from stockpile and scrapped, per warship scrapping rules, at any time.

[snip]

Edit Log

11/7/12 - Clarified language with regards to the construction of new IC.