Mercatorio Season 7
Season 7 of the medieval economy simulator Mercatorio starts on May 1st and will include new buildings, new products and new production methods.
This time there are significant changes in transport operation and the market mechanics related to that, as well as expansions of the chemical industry of the Mercatorio world.
Product updates
From industrial chemicals to more nuance in kernels of crops, types of fabric, to luxurious soap (though not without industrial applications). These are the new products this season:
- Potash: Burning of large amounts of hard wood produces caustic potash which can raise the pH of solutions or otherwise take part in many chemical reactions.
- Tallow: Rendering of scraps left over at the Butchery produces a greasy substance that can lubricate machines or be further processed into eg. Soap.
- Soap: The reaction of Tallow and Potash produces an excellent cleaning agent. Either for cleaning the body of people that care about such, or for cleaning inputs or outputs of greasy production processes.
- Seeds: Flax seeds are now treated separately from other grain. Their high oil content makes them good fodder for animals, but they can also be ground up to extract the linseed oil for other uses.
- Varnish: Boiling and mixing of various oil or resins produce a liquid that upon oxidation leaves a strong and waterproof protective layer on whatever it is put on or mixed with.
- Canvas: Heavier and denser linen fabric that is more wind- and water-resistant than regular cloth and more suitable for windmills, sails or sacks for transportation or storage of dry goods.
- Acid: Distillation of either vinegar from sour wine or better, various minerals, create strong acids that are helpful in separation of different metals during smelting.
Other notable product updates:
- Candle bundles are increased in value and weight (doubled), while storage and transport space remains unchanged.
- New and increased demand for Spirits and Medicine
- Many higher level production methods are now using Paper (for templates or construction drawings).
- Cured Fish has been slightly boosted relative to Cured Meat.
Building updates
New buildings this season:
- Rendering House: Attachment to the Butchery which renders scraps and leftovers into useful Tallow.
- Soapery: Mixing Tallow and Potash to produce useful Soap for industrial or personal use.
- Bullion Forge: This new forge specialises in smelting of bullion metals, gold and silver. Their smelting production methods are moved from the Smeltery to the Bullion Forge.
- Canvas Weaver: Specialising in the weaving of strong and heavy canvas fabric, requiring more sturdy equipment and processes than regular Cloth.
- Distillery: Taking over Spirits distillation from the Apothecary to handle increased demand for Spirits (and letting the Apothecary handle new demand for Medicine), as well handling the new Acid production.
- Varnish Kitchen: Crushing of seeds, boiling and mixing the ingredients required to produce tasty looking Varnish (Do Not Drink!)
Other notable building updates:
- The Cartshed is renamed Cartyard and a new, cheaper Cartshed is added with lite versions of the production methods. Upgrades back into the Cartyard.
- The Tapestry Weaver is renamed Tapestry Atelier and gets new embroidery production methods.
- The Charcoal Hut is renamed Burner Hut and add gets new Potash burning production methods.
- Cottages and Rowhouses are reduced in cost while requiring more inputs for their production methods, giving an economic profile more alike to other production buildings.
The new Soapery in the front, with its supply
of Tallow secured by the Rendering House on its left. In the background
the new Disitillery can be seen.
Transport updates
- All ships and carts are getting a “renew” operation method facilitating simpler and more efficient large-scale trade. In this operation the transport convoy relies on spare vessels maintained by the ship or cart producer instead of doing its own.
- Trade in ships and carts is now possible to automate, both on the market in your own region and others, assuming you have a trade route to the region capital.
- Operation products will now be kept at the base of operation and no longer reduce the available cargo space of transports. (Transports linked to a warehouse already function like this and this will remain as before)
- Transport trade range becomes a softer limit. Trade routes exceeding the trade range for a transport will incur double cost for the distance beyond the range. The hard cap is moved to 2x the trade range. Tumbrel range is reduced from 1200 to 1000.
- Transport cap bonus from mercantile skill is increased by 1 for journeyman and master (to 4 at journeyman and 12 at master).
- Hulk production cost increased, operation cost reduced.
Snekkja outsourcing maintenance to a Shipyard
for simpler and more efficient operation.
New Trade Route mechanic
Trade route total number of imports and exports are getting limited to a
transport type specific cap, plus modifiers from prestige and mercantile
skill.
Base transport slots:
- Handcart: 10 (up to 10 imports and up to 10 exports)
- Tumbrel: 16
- Snekkja: 14
- Cog: 20
- Hulk: 26
- Premium Cog: 30
Bonuses from prestige (+1 for each increase in transport capacity) and from mercantile skill (+1 at worker, +4 at journeyman, +12 at master)
Other updates
- Town centre building expansion is relaxed to reduce crowding and unnatural restrictions. They can be expanded across town quarters, following the same mechanic as district buildings, with expansion allowed to any available tile within a certain radius.
- Cultural leadership establishment growth cap is increased from 0.25% per turn to 0.5% per turn.
- More tenants early on and slightly fewer at high prestige levels.
Read more about the game and try it yourself at Mercatorio