Emperor: Ministry Tabs/ Commerce/ Markets

Market origin

## General Information

Markets require Inspector service. They can be damaged/destroyed by Military Attack, Floods and Earthquake. Due to its unique situation of not having Hit Points, nearby Fires don't seem to effect Markets. The Shops, which do have Hit Points, do not have Risks associated with them. The Shops seem to inherit some measure of Fire invulnerability from the Market. Both are exempt from nearby Fire damage, unlike other similar 'no-fire risk' structures.

Markets prefer trees, grass & dirt, dislikes rocky areas & ore. Click the Infobox Feng Shui link for more information.

Utilize Residential Gates and Road Blocks to restrict to movement of walkers at the ends of Markets. Residential Gates offer various options by right clicking them, but the Inspector has difficulty servicing the Market when a Gate is his terminus. Road Blocks don't have the options but the Inspector can better service the Market. Its common to have the Inspector walk by a couple of road tiles along Market while using a Gate as part of an Industrial Block loop.

{perhaps a graphic illustration or detail link including the Shop ID#s and special roadway access points}

## Desirability

Common Market requires a 4 tile roadway and be clear of obstructions for the full footprint.

Common Markets have space for 4 Shops. It is best utilized for Common Housing Blocks, where Tea and Tasty Food are NOT going to be distributed. Tasty Food could be provided; if Block holds fewer then ~1500 people.

The 3 recommended Shops are; Food Shop, Hemp Shop and Ceramic Shop. When Housing requires a Ceramic Shop, it is time to add the 2nd Food Shop, as well. Food supply should be stable and plentiful before adding either Shop. Even better would add the 2nd Food Shop earlier, perhaps with the Hemp Shop if Food supply is doing well.

The 3 other Shops which may be available are; Tea Shop, Silk Shop, Wares Shop(Bronzeware or Lacquerware). In the rare situation of two Common Market Squares servicing a Large Block of Common and Elite Housing; 3 Food Shops may be placed along with other 5 Shops types.

See Emperor: Feeding the People for more information.

The 4x3 tile center pattern is derived from lower 2 bits of the terrain map tile ID. Player has no control of the pattern generated other then placement position. The green/yellow placement footprint will display an off-color pattern of the 4 tile types. Pattern is strictly decorative.

## Desirability

Common Market requires a 6 tile roadway and be clear of obstruction for the full footprint.

Grand Markets have space for 6 Shops. It is best utilized for; Large Common Housing Blocks, where Tea is going to be distributed, Mixed Housing Blocks & Elite Housing Blocks. The Shops are; Food Shop, Hemp Shop, Ceramic Shop, Tea Shop, Silk Shop, Wares Shop(Bronze or Lacquer).

See Emperor: Feeding the People for more information.

The decorative 6x3 pattern is derived from the chosen zodiac animal of the building Profile. Loading a Save Point from another Profile defaults to the originating Profile statistics.

### Large Common Housing Blocks

When Common Housing requires a Ceramic Shop, it is time to add the 2nd Food Shop, as well. Food supply should be stable and plentiful before adding either Shop. Even better would add the 2nd Food Shop earlier, perhaps with the Hemp Shop if Food supply is doing well.

When Common Housing requires Tasty Food, it is time to add the 3rd Food Shop. Tasty Food fetches will return with 400 units of Food rather then 600units of Food. It is best to wait until the Market Square has been setup for minimum Food Quality of 'Tasty Food' before placing the 3rd Shop. This will make Tasty Food available sooner, since its first fetching will get Tasty while the other Food Shops continue distributing Appetizing Food previously stocked.

Finally, the Tea Shop can be added without worries that Food Distribution will become problematic.

### Mixed & Elite Blocks

1 of Each Shop is usually enough when using Grand Markets for Elite Housing. An extra Food Shops is recommended when Tea isn't going to be distributed.

Note: If the Block is consistent with a Large Common Housing Block with a few Elite Houses on the corners(not recommended), then consider using 2 Common Markets instead.
Delicious Food Quality may not be required but is an option to explore.

If the Theater Pavilion is placed then consider turning OFF the Market Square Entertainment.

### *Right Click Dialog*

The dialog can be accessed by Right Clicking the Market graphics in the City View Map area. Useful information is contained here.

* The Shops are order listed by the Market's ID#. See xxx detailed info link.

Each Shop displays its current stock, name and toggle button to stop distribution in case player preplaced it but doesn't desire distribution until later.
* Food information: This is the Food Quality setup buttons that need to be clicked until the correct setting gets displayed. The button cycles through the entire range of Food Qualities. The Default settings are OK for a starting city, eventually this should be tailored to fit the players "food distribution plan".
* Entertainment area ON/OFF button is useful after placing Theater Pavilion in an Elite Block, to turn OFF the unneeded venues. Otherwise, this should stay ON.

Note: The Entertainment button is dependent on the presence of a Food Shop. Without a Food Shop there is no way of turning Entertainment OFF.
* Current number of Employees(# needed). Use the Industrial Ministry Dialog(Hotkey[3]twice) to set Commerce to a high priority in case of worker shortages.

## Buyer Servants

1 Buyer servant per 100units of a commodity fetched will be spawned. They follow the Buyer back to the Market then vaporize as their task is complete.

Food Buyers will experience the '6 little man' limit. If there are multiple commodities being fetched the Quantity of meals fetched may suffer. Each servant can only carry one commodity of up to 100units, there is no sharing two half loads. As a consequence, when Salt and/or Spice must be fetched, the real food balance has to be maintained for meal recipes. Food Shops cannot store leftovers from a fetch.

Each of the little people(youngsters) has a Name and will be flagged as employed for their home residence. They come from the general worker pool thus may be seen doing other tasks(usually deliverymen) at differing times. While visible, they count towards the walker limit.

## Peddler

Once a Shop has something to distribute the Peddler walker will be spawned. If all Shops should run out of supplies then the Peddler will return to the Market, perhaps before completing his full walk circuit. While returning to the Market he may distribute products that become resupplied, but continues to the Market as his walk cycle has ended.

* Common Markets have 2 Peddlers.
* Grand Markets have 3 Peddlers.

The Peddler has the longest walk cycle of Random walkers being 49 tiles.

## Announcer

Markets have 2 Venues for Entertainment displayed in the top most corner of the decorative center for Musicians and Acrobats.

Theater Pavilions have 3 Venues for Entertainment for Actors, Acrobats and Musicians.

While a Venue has an Entertainer; Announcers may be spawned. Announcers convey the currently active Entertainment of the Market Square to housing they pass. If an Entertainer expires then conveyance stops for that type until a new Entertainer arrives.

* Theater Pavilions have 1 Announcer.
* Common Markets have 2 Announcers.
* Grand Markets have 3 Announcers.

See Entertainment Ministry for more information.

## Festival Performer

Appears in a random Market Square, during the month of Feb, when a Festival is held. It obeys the Residential Gate setting of Market Employees. Parades around Housing Block, vaporing when the month turns to March.

It is followed by 3 Musicians/Acrobats/Actors for the first School of the type, plus an additional 1 for each additional School of the type.

Its body segment is sometimes doubled(unknown reason) making a longer dragon. Its assumed that the aggregate entertainment days of housing influences the visual body segment generation (1=[less than 50%] or 2=[great than 50%] of the entertainment pillars heights [180days=100%]).