Patrician 1+2 (2001)

In this bundle you can have two great trade games, predecessors to Patrician 3, in the price of just one! Set against the historical backdrop of maritime trade at the time of the Hanseatic League, the Patrician series sees the player take the role of a citizen of a medieval hanseatic town in Northern Europe, between London and Novgorod, with the aim being to rise from the status of an ordinary, unimportant trader to that of a major business tycoon and governor of your hometown.

To achieve this goal, the player must gain the respect and recognition of other inhabitants and try to make a profit through maritime trade, the production of goods and the completion of missions. The player can raise his profile by both improving the city and through diplomacy, or by raising money for his treasury by means of piracy and smuggling – but watch out, others want easy money too, so you would do wise to arm your ships!

Gameplay

The main action of the games typically consists of trading, using trading offices and ships. Supply and Demand play an important role in this game. Generally seen as one of the more complex business simulations, Patrician can overwhelm the player with too much information. Players can also build public works, private houses, and industries, pursue a career in politics, and interact with such characters as pirates and burghers.

The games features an advanced dynamic economy which can be influenced by the actions of both the human players and the A.I.-controlled players. This in turn affects the various towns (constantly buying high and selling low will cause a town to grow poorer, for instance).