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I've been playing around with the PoN demo for a few weeks now (in btwn my plans to end Yankee supremacy on the North American continent in the years 1861-1865). I'll be buying the real deal in a week or two, just in time for a long vacation.

I've tried my hand as S-P for the few months that the demo allows, but I'm not doing so hot with the economy. Within a few turns my economy settles down into a steady state where I barely manage a private capital gain of a dozen or so pounds per turn. I import much more than I export and my home markets can only buy so much. At this rate it will take me years to save up enough capital to buy another factory (never mind colonial adventures). If I choose to play S-P in a GC, I have a feeling many of the early years will be spent building my economy and not much else. It appears that a solid economic game is central to success in PoN. Can any of the veteran players offer some overarching suggestions for steadily growing an economy? I realize this is probably a complex subject with many different approaches, but any broad tips pointing me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

I would recommend Loki100's AAR on SP to find out about the early turns, and what he did to get some cash.

Jim-NC wrote:I would recommend Loki100's AAR on SP to find out about the early turns, and what he did to get some cash.

Yeah, that's a really good idea, specially because Loki played with S-P/Italy in that AAR and he explains everything very well, so reading his AAR is really helpful when learning how to play the game.

Actually, I have been reading Loki's AAR of S-P, but he skips over some stuff in the early turns, and I was left wondering how he managed his robust private capital gain shown in the later screenshots. Maybe I just need patience? Is a gain of 5-20 capital per turn good?

Early game, I'd say 5-20 is pretty good. If you can get your residual stock over about 1300 (I forget the threshold) as you then get the 'businessmen have bought' events. Some of these are rubbish but over time it'll give you a decent access to luxuries and so on.

In the AAR, early on, I did it by trial and error to be honest. I'd do a more systemic approach in a new game - there's a lets play video I've just done on one more structured approach to organising the early economy. Basically it starts from closing it all down, then only re-opening what you need - this them maximises gain of PC and/or coal for the longer term

Hello Loki! Thanks for chiming in. Your AAR really whetted my appetite for PoN, and I've only read through the first few pages. If you say 5-20 per turn in the early game is good, I don't feel so bad. Where can I find the "Let's Play" video on organizing the early economy?

The Red Baron wrote:Hello Loki! Thanks for chiming in. Your AAR really whetted my appetite for PoN, and I've only read through the first few pages. If you say 5-20 per turn in the early game is good, I don't feel so bad. Where can I find the "Let's Play" video on organizing the early economy?

On the PoN AAR sub-forum, it's there, but unfortunately Loki's cats were UNJUSTIFIED CENSORED from taking part in most of the videos!

Here's the link though, but I tell you that the cats didn't take part in it
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?36162-More-how-to-play-than-lets-play

Got it! Thanks.

The Red Baron wrote:Got it! Thanks.

You're welcome.