Being a "resource" company, is it viable?

[City Builder]

Hi,
I've never tried it myself but am curious if anybody else has tried to be a resource production company only. What I mean by that is that you only buy the natural resources on the map, (lumber, silver, gold etc) and then resell it to the AI. If you've done this has it panned out to be profitable? Profitable enough to win the goals that you set for yourself in the game?

Thanks

[mwyeoh]

Unfortunately I havent been able to do so.
One of the biggest drawbacks is that Capitalism is a limited simulation (but already an extensive one) and so resources have a much lower demand

For example:
OIL- Only use is for plastics (No fuel)- so its demand is rather low
STEEL (Coal/Iron)- No demand from a constuction industry- So demand is also rather low
TIMBER- No pulp/woodchip demand (Only furniture demand). Paper is only required for tobacco products- No magazines/newspapers/books, so demand is also quite low
GOLD- Only in demand for gold rings- also rather low demand

In general, there is always one or two profitable industries in resources aslong as you have a monopoly, however if an AI is also supplying the resource, and the AI often prices their resources UNDER cost, it is better to buy from the AI as it is cheaper than producing it yourself

[tingchung]

demand of Oil is too low

in the real world demand of Oil is crazy !!

[dancognac]

I agree

Raw materiel is a weak oint of the game. For example the gold empty reserve empty too quickly and demand for ressource product is too low. The demand for ressource should be greater, but in the same time more competitive. Some AI player could specialise in ressource and capital to build a mine should be huge like in real world.

Daniel

[dancognac]

I succed to make profit only with silver. To make succeful for resosource:

• the number of cities and AI player must increase

Daniel

[tingchung]

the most profitable or the most chance to get profitable resource should be "chemicals minerals" ----because all drug and cosmetic product need this materials

the 2nd profitable and demanded should be silica ...because glass and silicon need silica ! all cpu ccd need silicon ! wine and perfume and juice need glass!!

Inside the game , the appeal industry is extreme profitable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so let go farming to get more cotton to make textile and wool is more smart than go mining !!

[Wesley]

I've been able to profit almost every natural resource, it's just not the amount of profit I'd like. I found timber quite easy to sell after a few years in the game.

Perhaps setup a natural resource firm when the industries are more diverse later in the game.

I think the oil resource is a bit unrealistic, considering the city you're playing in would crash without it. Unless they are getting it from one of the mysterious 'local' competitors.

[tingchung]

yes timber is high demand in game , because many consumer product need "paper "

[Hyronymus]

yes timber is high demand in game , because many consumer product need "paper "

And once you opened a logging camp it turns empty!

[Vorpal]

I found if you buy the land a resource is on, but don't put a mine on it, you can stop another resource spawning. Especially in 1 city games, it's great for getting a monopoly on a resource.

I haven't tried to make a resource company, but this might be one of the ways to make it super viable.