[CWBP2] Economy and stuff

[Deadshade]

I always liked merchant empires. The first one was Carthago and it became a superpower of its time based on economy alone.
It creates plenty of potential for storytelling by having a contrast between states governed by aristocracy/warriors/mages and states governed by merchants.

How important was trade for empires even 2 000 years ago shows f.ex this map :


The crushing majority of bulk trade (wheat, ores, slaves, coal, salt) happens always on sea because the transport price/ton decreases when the transport volume increases. And the easiest and cheapest way to increase the transport volume is to make big ships.
This is even more true for non technological civilisations where infrastructure (roads) are scarce and deangerous.
A very large and navigable river (Nile or Rhine style) is considered equivalent to the sea.

Ground trade (caravans) is only reserved for very high added value, small volume goods (spices, silk, jewelry, art) or in particular cases where it pays to expensively transport bulk goods even in smaller quantities. For example there is no sea near a proficient coal mine.