Hey guys, Spirit Of The Law here.
This video is about one of the strangest Unique Techs of any civilization,
and that's the Vietnamese tech, "Paper Money."
In theory, it sounds great.
Who wouldn't want to print free money?
Especially if you don't have to worry about the real-world consequences of hyperinflation
and the complete loss of the money's value.
To the point that it's used as wallpaper or burned
because it's cheaper than wood.
We probably don't have to worry about that in a video game, so the idea sounds great.
At least, on paper.
The tech costs 800 food and 200 gold,
and gives you and your allies 500 gold in return.
It sounds straightforward,
but the value of this really depends on the price of food at the Market,
and how many teammates you have.
So, in general,
how good do the numbers say this tech is in a typical game?
We'll start by looking at a 1v1.
It's essentially a trade of 800 food for 300 gold,
which is also something you can do at the Market.
You might think the balance point is a sell price of 37 or 38 gold per 100 food
by just dividing them.
But actually, it's a bit trickier than that.
If you start selling 800 food at that point,
you'll end up getting considerably less at the Market than you'd think.
You have to factor in the falling price every time you sell.
Factoring that in,
if the price at the Market to sell is 45 gold for 100 food,
then the next 800 food you sell gives you 300 gold exactly.
So, if the price of food is higher than that,
then you're better off selling at market prices, and saving the technology for later.
If the price of food is lower,
then Paper Money is giving you some sort of net value.
The thing is, it's a one-time use, though.
Maybe, going back to that hyperinflation thing.
So, you have to pick your time in carefully,
keeping the Market, as well as your immediate need for gold, in mind.
In an ideal situation, the most value it can possibly give you in a 1v1
is just 188 gold.
That's assuming rock-bottom Market prices of 14 gold per 100 food,
where the 800 food would already be getting you a 112 gold, anyway.
That's enough gold for about four Archers.
Which isn't great for an Imperial Age unique technology,
especially considering this is about as close as the Vietnamese get
to having a significant economy bonus.
You might as well get it at that point,
but I wouldn't say it's generally going to be a meaningful amount.
You also have to consider where your economy must be at,
if you're floating that many resources.
It's not that it's useless in 1v1,
but just that it calls for a very specific situation
with no gold, terrible Market prices,
and where you need just the tiniest push to get you over the edge.
But don't give up on Paper Money just yet.
What if you have some allies?
They all get 500 gold each as well,
which is actually more than you're getting, once you factor in its gold cost.
And definitely feels like it has some potential as a Team Technology.
In that case, the numbers look quite a bit better.
In the 2v2, that 800 food is basically exchanged for 800 gold.
Meaning, the prices need to start at 108 or lower
in order to be a good exchange overall.
Which is reasonable to expect by Imperial Age,
and also helps out your teammate without you needing to pay any tribute fees.
They'll definitely appreciate the extra gold.
And, can you really put a price on making friends?
Of course, at 3v3,
it's an even better exchange of 800 food for 1300 gold.
The only time that wouldn't be worth it
is if the market price is at 173 or higher,
which it almost certainly won't be.
Likewise, in a 4v4,
the market price just needs to be under 234.
Which, in normal circumstances, will definitely be true.
The point is, Paper Money will be a good trade for value
in the vast majority of team games.
Now that being said,
there is a competing factor in team games
that stops this from being incredibly overpowered, which,
is that gold isn't always a big problem thanks to Trade.
In general, the more players you have, the larger the map.
So, the more gold you're getting from trade routes.
Meaning, there might even be times where 188 gold in a 1v1
could actually be more helpful than 800 gold in a 2v2.
And that's really the paradox of the technology.
Paper Money gives the most gold in the exact situation
where gold is already easier to obtain.
Which makes sense from a balance perspective.
But also makes it a bit underwhelming for a Unique Tech,
when there are already so many powerful techs and bonuses out there
that apply for a much longer period than just a one-time use.
The real secret to using it is when you're playing 7v1.
In that case, you're exchanging 800 food for 3300 gold,
which is the equivalent of selling at a Market price of over 400.
In fact, if all seven players of your team went for Vietnamese,
that would make for a net of over 23,000 gold.
I think we finally cracked the code
and discovered the missing step to incredible profit.
The long story short:
in 1v1, if the selling price for food is 50 or higher,
then you should use that first.
And if it's a team game,
then it's probably worth getting whenever you have the chance.
That's all for this one though. Thanks for watching guys. We'll see you next time.