L
Laguna
08 Mar 2026 21:24
Link
I should begin this by apologising to Tom Willard. When the idea of tying corps to Game Level was first floated, I was not a fan. My concerns laid with pushing players to pursue Game Levels as a goal, and the ability of C3s to respond to market imbalances to bring them to equilibrium. Now I am of the mind that not all markets need to be in balance, as these imbalances create niches specifically for players.
By limiting C3s to build corps up to level 3 we are essentially creating some markets that are reserved to players. Were we to implement this as things are this would affect 32 corps. These are essentially strategic weapons, space, maintenance and upgrades. Naturally, all these products will continue to be traded on the world market as normal to avoid complete disruption.
Focusing on strategic weapons and space industries. These goods only exist to fulfill player goals - they aren't essential to satisfy population, product needs or any other in-game goals. They are the perfect niche for a player-driven marketplace.
In addition and noting that game level 5 and above require a well-maintained empire and an enterprise, nuclear weapons and space shuttles can only be produced by a handful of players. This is fine as only few a corps are needed to supply strategic weapon maintenance corps. Likewise, if other players wish to acquire these, they have and incentive to reach out to producers, or commit to higher game levels.
It is only an incentive as these can still be bought through the world market. But this market design does promote player engagement. In the same vein, we should make sure the immediate orders can only be fulfilled by existing offers.
On the other hand, maintenance and upgrades play a very outsized role in the game. Upgrades in particular are needed to optimize any and all corporations, and the maintenance products are needed to satisfy country needs.
Keeping the above in mind, I suggest adjusting the game level requirements for some corps:
The general idea for these adjustments is to allow the niche markets to emerge, minimize disruption on the world market and non-trivializing the High Tech group. I took into consideration that game level 4 is the maximum game level for empires without an enterprise and the potency of each nuclear weapon.
Upgrades may need to be lower to game level 3, given their role in the game, but it should work out okay. This and other products can and should be revised in the future. Specially when the player population increases in the future.
As a side-effect of implementing this restriction on C3s, this will free up resources for them to balance other markets.
The above is phase 1. Phase 2 is to extend Game Levels to Enterprises as well, as they ignore game levels entirely and make these niches trivial.
After some interactions, the simplest and most beautiful implementation of game levels for Enterprises is as follows:
C3s will be treated as Game Level 1, meaning that Enterprises are free to build up to Game Level 3 in C3s. To build higher, they will need to seek out player countries.
This creates a symbiotic relationship where CEOs will incentivize and help players advance through the game levels and acquire more countries, so they can build the restricted corps. Up to GL4, Presidents will be hosting corps that should be more profitable to them than the available alternatives. Both should benefit from corps that are in theory more profitable.
All of these changes are made in pursuit of creating an environment where players feel they have something to gain by establishing ties with others, instead of relying solely on the anonymous and impersonal world market.
By limiting C3s to build corps up to level 3 we are essentially creating some markets that are reserved to players. Were we to implement this as things are this would affect 32 corps. These are essentially strategic weapons, space, maintenance and upgrades. Naturally, all these products will continue to be traded on the world market as normal to avoid complete disruption.
Focusing on strategic weapons and space industries. These goods only exist to fulfill player goals - they aren't essential to satisfy population, product needs or any other in-game goals. They are the perfect niche for a player-driven marketplace.
In addition and noting that game level 5 and above require a well-maintained empire and an enterprise, nuclear weapons and space shuttles can only be produced by a handful of players. This is fine as only few a corps are needed to supply strategic weapon maintenance corps. Likewise, if other players wish to acquire these, they have and incentive to reach out to producers, or commit to higher game levels.
It is only an incentive as these can still be bought through the world market. But this market design does promote player engagement. In the same vein, we should make sure the immediate orders can only be fulfilled by existing offers.
On the other hand, maintenance and upgrades play a very outsized role in the game. Upgrades in particular are needed to optimize any and all corporations, and the maintenance products are needed to satisfy country needs.
Keeping the above in mind, I suggest adjusting the game level requirements for some corps:
| Group | Product | Game Level | New | Change |
| Space | Cargo Shuttles | 6 | 6 | Same |
| Strategic | Nuclear Missile Batteries | 4 | 5 | Higher |
| Strategic | Nuclear Missiles | 4 | 5 | Higher |
| Strategic | Nuclear Submarine Missiles | 4 | 5 | Higher |
| Strategic | Nuclear Submarines | 4 | 5 | Higher |
| Space | Shuttle Boosters | 5 | 5 | Same |
| Space | Shuttle Components | 5 | 5 | Same |
| Space | Shuttle Engines | 5 | 5 | Same |
| Space | Shuttle Extentions | 5 | 5 | Same |
| Space | Shuttle Fuselage | 5 | 5 | Same |
| Space | Space Centers | 6 | 5 | Lower |
| Strategic | Strategic Bombers | 4 | 5 | Higher |
| Strategic | Strategic Bombs | 4 | 5 | Higher |
| Upgrades | Advanced Effectivity Products | 5 | 4 | Lower |
| Upgrades | Advanced Quality Products | 5 | 4 | Lower |
| Maintenance | Airforce Maintenance | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Maintenance | Assets Maintenance | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Strategic | Chemical Missile Batteries | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Strategic | Chemical Missiles | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Maintenance | Navy Vessels Maintenance | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Strategic | Nuclear Power | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Maintenance | Str Weapons Maintenance | 5 | 4 | Lower |
| Strategic | Tactical Nuclear Weapons | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Strategic | Tactical Weapons Launchers | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Strategic | Plutonium | 3 | 4 | Higher |
| Strategic | Weapon Grade Uranium | 3 | 4 | Higher |
| Maintenance | Factory Maintenance | 5 | 3 | Lower |
| Industry | Airplanes | 4 | 3 | Lower |
| High Tech | Ammunition Quality Upgrades | 4 | 3 | Lower |
| Maintenance | Def Weapons Maintenance | 4 | 3 | Lower |
| Maintenance | Military Bases Maintenance | 4 | 3 | Lower |
| High Tech | Mobile Devices | 4 | 3 | Lower |
| Maintenance | Off Weapons Maintenance | 4 | 3 | Lower |
| High Tech | Weapon Quality Upgrades | 4 | 3 | Lower |
The general idea for these adjustments is to allow the niche markets to emerge, minimize disruption on the world market and non-trivializing the High Tech group. I took into consideration that game level 4 is the maximum game level for empires without an enterprise and the potency of each nuclear weapon.
Upgrades may need to be lower to game level 3, given their role in the game, but it should work out okay. This and other products can and should be revised in the future. Specially when the player population increases in the future.
As a side-effect of implementing this restriction on C3s, this will free up resources for them to balance other markets.
The above is phase 1. Phase 2 is to extend Game Levels to Enterprises as well, as they ignore game levels entirely and make these niches trivial.
After some interactions, the simplest and most beautiful implementation of game levels for Enterprises is as follows:
<!-Quote-!>Quote:Enterprises can only build up to the host country's game level plus two more levels.<!-/Quote-!>
C3s will be treated as Game Level 1, meaning that Enterprises are free to build up to Game Level 3 in C3s. To build higher, they will need to seek out player countries.
This creates a symbiotic relationship where CEOs will incentivize and help players advance through the game levels and acquire more countries, so they can build the restricted corps. Up to GL4, Presidents will be hosting corps that should be more profitable to them than the available alternatives. Both should benefit from corps that are in theory more profitable.
All of these changes are made in pursuit of creating an environment where players feel they have something to gain by establishing ties with others, instead of relying solely on the anonymous and impersonal world market.