Mechanics

Where the denarii come from, and where they go

Caesar keeps one purse and settles it once a year. Two taxes (on houses and on workshops) and the army, the plebs and the governor's pay all run on rates the player sets; the month only adds each rate to a running sum, and the year turns the sums into one set of accounts. A workshop's output is a level from 0 to 7, recomputed monthly from a sum of terms, with how well its province suits its goods the largest single one.

Applies to Caesar

A rate is a running sum

The player sets six figures on the Forum's screens: the population tax and the industrial tax (each 0 to 25), the conscription rate (0 to 50, "up to fifty percent of the population"), the army wages bill (0 to 999), the pleb welfare expenditure (0 to 9999) and the governor's salary (0 to 9999). Names are matched by what each word does, a strong inference. At step 101 of every month the game adds each tax rate to a running sum; when the year turns it divides by twelve. So a tax rate counts for what it averaged over the year, and changing it in December barely changes the year's tax.

Population tax

The year's population tax is every house cell's tax units added up, times the year's average rate, over 20. A house cell counts only if the administration flag is set on it, which is to say if it lies within reach of a Forum (6 to 12 tiles) or a Prefecture (4). The manual says the same thing: "taxes will be automatically collected from nearby houses". A house outside every reach pays nothing and sets a flag that the ratings advice reads.

Tax per head is the population tax divided by the population (plus one), kept in denarii and hundredths. The manual gives it as the figure that feeds the Prosperity rating.

Tax units per tile, by house grade

The 16 bytes at 3496:008E, read from the executable. A grade that holds fewer people can pay more per tile, and the last grade, which is less dense, still pays the most. Grades are numbered in tile order; see the Housing page.

Grade 1: 1
Grade 2: 2
Grade 3: 4
Grade 4: 6
Grade 5: 7
Grade 6: 10
Grade 7: 14
Grade 8: 9
Grade 9: 13
Grade 10: 15
Grade 11: 16
Grade 12: 17
Grade 13: 18
Grade 14: 20
Grade 15: 22
Grade 16: 25

Industrial tax

The industrial tax is every active workshop's production level times 64, added up, times the year's average industrial rate, over 25. It reads each workshop record, so a level of 0 pays nothing and a level of 7 pays most.

There is also a running figure, named here the industrial tax pressure, that the year's settlement updates. With no Forum it is held at −50. At a rate of exactly 5 it does not move. At rates of 6 to 10 it rises each year by the rate less 5, and by half as much again while it is below 3; at any other rate it moves by twice the rate less 5, which is negative below 5. It is clamped to between −50 and 24. A workshop's level then takes a term from it: below −30 it adds two levels and below −10 one; from 0 upward it subtracts one level at 1, two at 3, three at 5, four at 8, five at 12, six at 16 and seven at 20. Overtaxing industry, in the manual's words, "goes a long way towards shutting them down".

How the year is settled, in order

The manual states the tribute ("fifty Denarii, and increases by one Denarii after every year you rule") and the three operating costs. The cap of 100, Rome's 60 percent of a profit and the third missed payment are from the executable only, and the manual does not mention them.

1. The averages: Both tax sums are divided by twelve.
2. The industry rating: The average production level of the active workshops. It is what the Industrial Advisor reports: 1 or less Terrible, 3 or less Poor, 5 or less Average, 6 Good, 7 Excellent.
3. Population tax: Collected as above.
4. Industrial tax: Collected as above, and the pressure figure moves.
5. Construction: The year's construction spending, which the build routine has been adding up as it charged each placement, becomes this year's "construction work" and the running total restarts.
6. Savings: The governor's salary is added to his personal savings. Past 25,000 they stay at 25,000, the salary drops to 0 and a message is posted.
7. Operating costs: Welfare, plus the governor's salary, plus the army wages bill. The manual lists the same three.
8. The funds: Both taxes are added and the operating costs taken away; the funds cannot go below 0.
9. The tribute to Rome: The tribute due starts at 50 denarii and grows by 1 each year, up to 100. It is paid from the funds, or all of them if they fall short. If the funds are then still above 500 and the year made a profit (taxes less construction less operating costs), Rome also takes 60 percent of that profit. If nothing could be paid, a missed-payment count rises, the funds go to 0 and a message is posted; at the third miss in a row the game ends.
10. The report: The year's profit or loss (taxes less construction, operating costs and the tribute paid) and the other figures are copied into the Treasurer's report, and the history tables each take a new year. The Legion is recruited, the ratings are updated and promotion is considered, in that order.

A workshop's production level

A workshop is not measured by a rate. Each month the game gives it a level from 0 to 7, drawn as the jars beside it, as the sum of these terms and no others, then clamps it: its province's suitability for its goods (below); the population units of the houses within three tiles, divided by 16, less 4; the province's prospects for expansion, which the Industrial Advisor's report also grades; its own sales; two levels where a Heavy Industry stands within three tiles; the industrial tax pressure above; and minus one level for each of more than one, more than three and more than five workshops of the same goods in the city.

The manual lists the same drivers, "in order of importance": tax, demand, towns, workforce, markets, suitability, limit, highway and heavy industry. It does not weight them.

How well each province suits each goods

The 400 bytes at 3496:1880 in the executable: 50 provinces by 8 goods, each a signed byte. The Industrial Advisor names the five values that occur: −3 Terrible, −2 Poor, 0 Average, 1 Good, 2 Excellent. The province is the one whose EMPIRE2 file it is, numbered as in that format's page. The value is added to a workshop's level as it stands, so a Terrible suitability costs three levels of a possible seven.

00 Sicilia: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Good, Copper Terrible, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Excellent, Spices Average
01 Campania: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Excellent, Copper Terrible, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Average
02 Latium: Glass Good, Tin Poor, Pottery Good, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Average, Spices Average
03 Cisalpine Gaul: Glass Excellent, Tin Poor, Pottery Excellent, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Average, Spices Average
04 Corsica: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Average, Copper Good, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Excellent, Spices Average
05 Sardinia: Glass Poor, Tin Poor, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Excellent, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Average
06 Alpes Maritimae: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Good, Copper Poor, Wine Excellent, Ivory Average, Wheat Average, Spices Average
07 Narbonensis: Glass Poor, Tin Average, Pottery Good, Copper Poor, Wine Excellent, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Average
08 Hispania Inf.: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Good, Copper Terrible, Wine Excellent, Ivory Average, Wheat Average, Spices Average
09 Baetica: Glass Average, Tin Average, Pottery Poor, Copper Excellent, Wine Average, Ivory Good, Wheat Average, Spices Average
10 Lusitania Inf.: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Poor, Copper Good, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Average
11 Lusitania Sup.: Glass Poor, Tin Good, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Average, Spices Poor
12 Tarraconensis: Glass Poor, Tin Average, Pottery Good, Copper Poor, Wine Average, Ivory Good, Wheat Average, Spices Poor
13 Aquitania Inf.: Glass Poor, Tin Good, Pottery Average, Copper Good, Wine Excellent, Ivory Poor, Wheat Average, Spices Poor
14 Hispania Sup.: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Good, Ivory Poor, Wheat Good, Spices Poor
15 Aquitania Sup.: Glass Poor, Tin Good, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Excellent, Ivory Poor, Wheat Average, Spices Poor
16 Lugdunensis: Glass Poor, Tin Average, Pottery Good, Copper Average, Wine Average, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
17 Belgica: Glass Poor, Tin Excellent, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Average, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
18 Gallia Sup.: Glass Poor, Tin Poor, Pottery Excellent, Copper Poor, Wine Good, Ivory Poor, Wheat Good, Spices Poor
19 Gallia Inf.: Glass Poor, Tin Average, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Good, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
20 W. Britannia: Glass Terrible, Tin Excellent, Pottery Average, Copper Excellent, Wine Terrible, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Average, Spices Terrible
21 E. Britannia: Glass Terrible, Tin Excellent, Pottery Average, Copper Average, Wine Terrible, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
22 Britannia Sup.: Glass Terrible, Tin Good, Pottery Good, Copper Excellent, Wine Terrible, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Average, Spices Terrible
23 Caledonia: Glass Terrible, Tin Average, Pottery Good, Copper Average, Wine Terrible, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
24 Germania Inf.: Glass Good, Tin Average, Pottery Good, Copper Average, Wine Poor, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
25 Germania Sup.: Glass Average, Tin Terrible, Pottery Good, Copper Good, Wine Good, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Average, Spices Terrible
26 Pannonia: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Excellent, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
27 Dacia: Glass Terrible, Tin Poor, Pottery Average, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Terrible
28 Illyricum: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Poor, Copper Terrible, Wine Excellent, Ivory Poor, Wheat Excellent, Spices Poor
29 Dalmatia: Glass Average, Tin Poor, Pottery Poor, Copper Poor, Wine Good, Ivory Poor, Wheat Good, Spices Poor
30 Macedonia: Glass Average, Tin Terrible, Pottery Excellent, Copper Terrible, Wine Average, Ivory Poor, Wheat Good, Spices Average
31 Achaea: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Good, Copper Terrible, Wine Average, Ivory Poor, Wheat Excellent, Spices Average
32 Creta: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Average, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Terrible, Wheat Good, Spices Poor
33 Thracia: Glass Average, Tin Terrible, Pottery Average, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Poor, Spices Good
34 Asia: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Good, Copper Terrible, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Poor, Spices Good
35 Pamphylia: Glass Terrible, Tin Terrible, Pottery Good, Copper Poor, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Poor, Spices Good
36 Cappadocia: Glass Terrible, Tin Terrible, Pottery Poor, Copper Poor, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Poor, Spices Good
37 Assyria: Glass Terrible, Tin Poor, Pottery Poor, Copper Good, Wine Average, Ivory Average, Wheat Poor, Spices Excellent
38 Syria: Glass Average, Tin Terrible, Pottery Poor, Copper Poor, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Good
39 Mesopotamia: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Poor, Wine Terrible, Ivory Good, Wheat Average, Spices Excellent
40 Judea: Glass Good, Tin Terrible, Pottery Average, Copper Terrible, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Good
41 Arabia: Glass Average, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Poor, Wine Poor, Ivory Excellent, Wheat Poor, Spices Excellent
42 Aegyptus: Glass Excellent, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Terrible, Wine Poor, Ivory Excellent, Wheat Good, Spices Excellent
43 Cyrenaica: Glass Average, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Terrible, Wine Poor, Ivory Good, Wheat Good, Spices Good
44 Africa: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Poor, Copper Poor, Wine Poor, Ivory Excellent, Wheat Excellent, Spices Good
45 Numidia: Glass Terrible, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Average, Wine Poor, Ivory Good, Wheat Excellent, Spices Good
46 Mauretania: Glass Terrible, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Good, Wine Poor, Ivory Good, Wheat Good, Spices Good
47 Caeariensis: Glass Terrible, Tin Terrible, Pottery Terrible, Copper Excellent, Wine Average, Ivory Good, Wheat Average, Spices Good
48 Tingitania: Glass Terrible, Tin Terrible, Pottery Poor, Copper Good, Wine Good, Ivory Average, Wheat Good, Spices Good
49 Moesia: Glass Poor, Tin Terrible, Pottery Poor, Copper Poor, Wine Good, Ivory Poor, Wheat Excellent, Spices Poor

What has been checked, and what has not

The yearly accounts were checked against every real save: each save's last year of funds, taxes and costs is reproduced exactly, and the funds history balances year by year with two outside payments explained. Every save's industry rating equals the average the report computes. The suitability table is read from the executable and its shape is right where it can be tested (West Britain is Excellent for tin and copper, Egypt for glass and spices, Sicily for wheat), but no real save pins a single entry of it. A rule that never fired in the saves, the third missed tribute for one, is read from the code and has no save behind it. And the rates, as above, are named by what they do, a strong inference. Not covered: the ratings and promotion, the Legion and its battles, and what the plebs do.