Mercantilism - Seaport Sim

A new strategy challenge awaits you! Take charge of a Baltic Sea port in the middle ages and build up a trade empire to stand the test of time. Wage economic warfare on your opponents by taking advantage of the supply / demand based economy. Use your vast earnings tactically to manufacture more goods, more sailing ships and expand your dominion to other ports. Will you build a vast trading fleet and be a champion of free trade? Or do you get fat from protectionism with a tariff levy on all who wish to share the resources of your vast manufactories? Manipulate the economy and take your rightful place at its head.

Mercantilism allows you to take charge as Patrician of the Hanseatic League and expand throughout the Baltic Sea as you see fit. You have complete control of the artisan manufactories of Lubeck, a historically important seaport which was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Your sailing ships sit at their dockyard jetty moorings, ready to sail for the economic riches of Danzig, Konigsberg, Visby or any of 18 dockyard piers. From these humble beginnings you will expand your mercantile dominion by producing and trading raw material then using the might of your manufactories to convert it to vital produce to fill your warehouse stockpile. Your mighty fleet of sailing ships will transport the goods across the known world to the pier or jetty moorings where you can obtain most profit.

But the protectionism strategy can work for the crafty Patrician. Expand your material and market it effectively, and your Hanseatic League doesn't need a vast trading fleet in dockage. The Holy Roman Empire will come to your seaport pier and pay your tariff levy for the vast artisan stockpile in your warehouse. Let the sailing ships of your adversaries come to your dockyard pier and provide the raw material you need, while you grow fat on tariff levy funds. Build up your manufactories to supply the world market with all the material they need and your protectionism will pay off with handy profits.

As you grow rich off profits, either by protectionism using a tariff levy or a fleet of sailing ships you'll earn enough to open up a new dimension by purchasing a mercantile seaport or two which are struggling. With your Patrician business expertise you can turn these around to profitable ventures and take advantage of more jetty moorings, more produce in your artisan warehouse stockpile and even more profit. Every substantial mercantile dockyard and pier on the Baltic Sea (and some beyond) can be purchased and exploited towards greater profits for your Hanseatic League. Wage economic warfare on your opponents by building the artisan resource stockpile of resource in your warehouse, halt their supply chain and drive them to your high tariff levy seaport dockage. As Patrician it is your duty to enrich yourself through ruthless mercantilism, so produce sailing ships, manufacture resources and smash your opposition.

In history the Hanseatic League managed expand from Lubeck to control much of the Baltic Sea trade, including Danzig, Konisberg and Visby as well as many other jetty moorings and mercantile dockyard of the Baltic Sea. But there were still holdouts, both within the Holy Roman Empire and without. Can you forge a Hanseatic League with dominion over the whole ocean and dominate the economy of the region? This is your challenge as Patrician in Mercantilism.

Features:
-Control a mercantile seaport on the Baltic Sea in the middle ages
-Upgrade artisan manufactories to produce trade goods
-Produce a range of special buildings
-Build new sailing ships and upgrade existing ones to dominate sea trade (but jetty moorings are limited)
-Set your trade policies – do you fill your warehouse stockpile or trade freely
-Grow to take over other ports and strengthen your supply chain, or wage economic warfare on opponents
-Full supply / demand based economic system which forms the backbone of the game
-Protectionism or free trade – its your choice