The economy in Starpeace Online is extremely realistic, just like in real life, everything is connected. Every action you perform will start a series of reactions, and often the ultimate consequences are hard to predict.
People inhabit houses in cites. A fraction of them will have jobs. Workers get paid for the work they do, producing finished goods as well as extracting raw materials that are used to produce other goods and materials. These workers will use the money they earn to buy goods at stores and supermarkets.
As simple as it appears, this cycle is very delicate. It is up to investors like you to make it work. The economy has to be carefully balanced and expanded otherwise the world might suffer adverse consequences.
Population
Population is the key to understanding the economy. There are three social classes in Starpeace Online: high, middle and low. The table below contains some notes for each class:
Topic
High Class
Middle Class
Low Class
IFEL stipulated salary
$50/h
$20/h
$5/h
Unemployment
Won't move to the city without a job offer.
Will move to prosperous and secure cities even without a job offer.
Will move to the city without a job offer, unless life is too expensive and unemployment high.
Will choose lower prices. Quality is not a concern.
Real Estate
First concern is the beauty and privacy of the area. Maintenance and low crime is also a concern.
They like the vicinity of commerce, although the low class individuals that are found in commercial zones disturb them. They demand low crime and pollution values. They usually look for low rent prices and nice maintenance levels.
They will go for the best price, as long as the pollution and crime are not too high. Other factors like the beauty of the area and the proximity of commerce are welcome as well.
Jobs
All classes behave in the same way in this respect. They will pick the jobs with the higher salaries. The prestige of the employer is also a concern. They could choose to earn less money in order to work for a highly prestigious company. People can work anywhere in town: How far they are from their workplace has little weight in their decision.
Crime
They almost don't generate crime.
They generate low levels of crime.
They generate crime if the social conditions are not favorable.
Quality and efficiency
In Starpeace Online just like in real life-goods can have different quality levels. This is expressed in the game as a percentage. This means a 3% quality car can barely move, and a 100% car is the best car available, given the technology present in that world.
Efficiency is also expressed as a percentage. It is a measure of how much of the required raw materials are employed in the production process. For instance, 200% efficiency means the factory is actually only using half of the raw materials it normally would use to create the same product.
Factories
Factories have supplies and they create production. They also need workers. Some factories process raw materials for other factories; others produce the goods that are sold in stores. Owning factories is simple enough, but to make them profitable is a little more complicated: you have to secure clients for your products.
Commerce
Commerce facilities sell what factories produce. A store can offer several types of goods, as well as a particular service. A food store requires the same supplies as a restaurant does, but they provide completely different services.
Commerce is a great area for newbies due to the low cost of the buildings, but it can get tricky. Commerce is very sensitive to location, as well as the price and quality of the goods being sold. Since you need to lure customers, you have to be aware of what the population you are targeting likes and how much they are willing to pay for it.
Warehouses
Warehouses store goods and raw materials. They are critical, in order to manage through the winter months, when farms cannot produce. Several industries rely on what is stored in them.
Warehouses also play a key role in organizing your company. This topic is introduced later in the manual.
Civic buildings
These are facilities that do not generate a profit, but they do provide very important services to the population: hospitals, schools, police and fire stations fall under this group. They are usually run by Mayors or Ministers, or by players with a political interest.
Real Estate
Real Estate buildings are where people live. Investors like you build them, and then people move into them and will pay rent. This is another great area for newbies. Just like in commerce, you will be dealing directly with the population, so you will need to be familiar with what they want and the way they behave.
You can also build offices. When the population has enough money, they may want to start their own independent businesses, like divorce lawyers, dentists etc. These small businesses will rent office space from you.
