The Golden Coast now technically exists.

Not much to say about it so far given there is not much to see there yet asides from two factories, but it won't be the sprawling monolith that defines The Commonwealth (given if that's the case we may eventually need at least an entire quadrant). As a result, there will be policies in place that encourage high density development first and foremost, a strong focus on driving commerce, all tied in with The Commonwealth's usual extremist stance on security infrastructure.

Beyond The Golden Coast there will exist districts (similar to boroughs); they will ensure artistic licenses and control

Think Singapore & Hong Kong.

My personal long term vision is a dense urban environment that is a secure location for commerce. One that is naturally grown out of a few good policies, rather than top down model.

If bergecraft is a think tank, consider this an economic think tank within a think tank. If Bergecraft sets some boundaries on scarcity, then the economic reality of this world is also different, and a wee bit closer to reality than that of Civcraft's.

I think it's only fair to declare what my intentions are so that you don't feel that there has been a bait & switch. As a result, here is a tentative list of the crazy things I'm thinking about testing:

• Property Taxes: This is an important one. Property taxes don't work on Civcraft for a few reasons: land is relatively infinite. That's not the case here on Bergecraft, and depending on the length of the current server map and the number of players that may eventually join, there may need to be a better deal on land use than the one commonly adopted on civcraft. A property tax is one such way for two reasons: (1) it creates a disincentive for using land in ways that are not productive, and (2) given how expensive items are on this server, it can truly serve as a fund for things like the aforementioned security infrastructure. For minimal red tape, there could be a per block rate that you agree to pay per week when you claim land.

• Mixed-use Development: Broadly speaking there are three uses for land: industrial (will include agriculture), commercial, and residential. The idea here is to promote the use of land for 2 out of 3 purposes in order to pay less in property taxes.

• Implement Tax Rebates: Just like income-tax rebates if you donate to a charity, if private individuals donate their time and energies to the broad citizenry (such as: managing a public farm/factory or a soup kitchen, building roads to city specifications, expanding security infrastructure, providing support for newer players, etc) you get exemptions on your property taxes. Things like beautiful architecture (going as far as designing the building on creative before claiming your property) can result in possible tax exemptions.

• Tiered Security Infrastructure: Higher tiers end up traveling the fastest in the city. Lowest tier (non-citizens) travels the slowest. The reason for this is that slow escape routes are not ideal for raiders, where as quick response when raiders are in the city is ideal for defenders.

• Principles of Security: Right now we're just a tiny outpost, but so was Fort Ironside. However, unlike Fort Ironside back in the Commonwealth, the vision here is to have a security infrastructure set up that fits with the megacity theme, and set up in tandem with the roads and the rest of the transportation infrastructure. However, I'm also looking for the least amount of central planning as possible, so this means that the city should be built with a set of security principles rather than standardized infrastructure.

• Streetscapes: Road and security oughta be seen as works of art, and so that's how they'll be treated. Fancy stuff like this or this

Above all, the goal is to build a high density city not by saying "I'm afraid you can't do that", but to say "Yes you can do that, but here are some incentives that may shift your behaviour so that it's ultimately more productive for X purposes". The idea is that once the initial roads and security infrastructure is set up, people can start claiming whatever they need alongside those roads premised predominantly on the Lockean Homesteading Principle, as that ensures that plots are not boring and uniform.

Of course, for all of this, I'll need some help getting factories in order. Built a Kiln and a Charcoal Burner so far.

If you are interested, ask me to PM you the coordinates. :)

Cheers,

~sashimii