What makes coins work?

[mkorin]

For the life of me, I can't figure out what makes coin resources available. Here is a good example, I just started a game right next to gold and created a mine as soon as possible. However, I am well into the game, past currency, alphabet, code of laws, calender and the coins do not kick in to my balance. What I mean is I can take the white circle off the gold mine and see the change reflected in my beakers and production, but the money does not change, nor does it change my total +- per turn. However, I know it works sooner or later as I've used it enough times to know that extra cash can come in handy. I assumed it was one of the techs above, but I have been actively watching this game and the cash has not kicked in.

Thank for any help
Mike

[tijuanacowboy]

First you just need to get your terminology correct (it is confusing!)

Commerce is the thing that looks like a single coin and is created from working squares. So commerce is created by having workers work (white circle) on the gold mine or cottages/towns, etc.

Now gold coins are the amount in the upper left corner. They aren't earned directly from working in the city. Gold is created from commerce (explained below), goody huts, and pillaging/capturing enemy cities.

At the end of the turn, depending on your science rate (% in the upper left corner) the total amount of commerce you created during the turn is translated into beakers (to research), and gold coins.

If you have your science rating set at 100%, all of your commerce created is put towards research, so you will not generate any gold coins.

If you lower your science rate below 100%, to like 80%, then 80% of your total commerce is turned into beakers and the 20% of all Commerce created will be made into gold coins. Then you should see a difference your total +- per turn and next turn your gold coins should be a little higher.

The problem is your gold coin % is not listed, so it can be a little confusing, so you have to change the science percentage to increase the gold creation percentage. Plus the commerce icon LOOKS like a gold coin!

Later on there's also a culture percentage so you can use some of the commerce to create culture, but don't worry about that. It is useful when you have unhappiness problems in your city, you're going for a culture victory, or your boarders need a little strengthening.

Hopefully this cleared things up!

[mkorin]

Sorry, I am positive the last game I played, I was able to change my turn earnings by changing my commerce circles to sit on gold coins, mines, cottages etc. I really needed cash so I had to take my commerce (white circles off of food and hammer resources for coin resources, this change my turn intake of money, as I changed the white circle. So I know it works, but now this game, still early but I notice that no matter where I put my white circles, my turn income doesn't change. I hope I am making myself clear as you are right, the game does make the terms confusing.

Mike

[mkorin]

All right, I figured it out. You only get the behavior I noticed if the science slider is set low, looks about 50%, thus The behavior I noticed when I was really hurting for cash so my science slider was at 0 shows immediately. Which in hindsite is what TiajuanaCowboy was saying.

Mike

[Willem]

Keep in mind too that there's inflation in the game, so you could be mining 8 gold, but inflation takes away 4 of those, as an example. So might not notice a direct change in your treasury balance.

[Urban Ranger]

I think Firaxis should change the amount of income you get to the value of a fixed year, probably 4000BC. So inflation decreases your income instead of being invisible.

[Bill3000]

There are also some improvements and the like that produces gold directly instead of going to commerce - in particular, religious shrines. This is important to know because it is the only way to get a positive income (+gold sources rather than commerce sources) if you are at 100% science.

Inflation works by increasing the total upkeep of your nation by a set percent that grows over time - e.g., if before inflation, your upkeep is 50 gold, and inflation is 10%, your total upkeep will become 55 gold.