1880s Economics

[Whiskey]

Was the economic balance tested at all in the 1880 scenario? USA is running a ridiculous 2000 private capital deficit, and it starts out with a measly 2500 PC. What's the deal with that? All the private capital in the US economy dries up in 1 month. Meanwhile nobody wants any goods becuase GB and GER are running a substantial PC deficit (or good's surplus) as well. It seems the only healthy economies are JAP and RUS.

[Durk]

I am wondering if you are playing AI or in a multiplayer game. In mulitplayer, trade allows you to escape this problem. The economic balance is actually so good that the USA needs to watch out for inflation.
Not sure what to suggest is you are playing versus AI, maybe this, open another nation to play with which you can trade. Maybe Japan?

[Kensai]

Give the game some turns to do its balance. I don't think that by 1880 the world economy in PON is unbalanced. Actually, I find the opposite problem (too much capital!) much more serious because it "overdrives" the game pace.

Remember the little dirty trick of PON: DON'T be a mercantilistic player. Mercantilism in this era does NOT work well and it is historically accurate. There are only a few nations that can get away with it, probably only the biggest ones in Europe (Great Britain, France, Germany).

[Whiskey]

Durk, I'm not sure you are interpreting that inflation right, or rather the problem I am complaining about correctly. I agree that the US (and all GP) economy is overpowered in 1880 scen. As in it produces FAR FAR more goods than it consumes or can sell. On the supply side the US economy is on fire, however, the demand side is cold as ice. Demand is only about 50% higher than it was in the 1850 scen, yet supply is about 10x higher. The result is an unrealistic inflation resulting from private capital shortages as factories produce surpluses they can't sell becuase the market is saturated. In real life prices would be hitting the floor, not soaring.