Bring internal comsumption

[basily]

I have been advacating these since the old Colonization:

Internal consumption of goods right here in the Colonies.

-. A settlement must be size 8 or higher.
-. A new building, General Store, must be built.
-. The general store will sell merchandise available in the new world to the colonist for cash.

for a size 8 city, a General Store will sell 10 units of each of these 6 items, if available, at 75% percent price as europe:
The demand may increase with the size of the city.

1. Cloth, Coat, Cigar, Rum, Silver (as silverware), Trade Good (such as tea, why else was there a Boston Tea Party)

The general store will find and deduct (shop for) the items from any settlements with these items, with priority at the cities producing it. So no micromanagement necessary.

If a general store in a city can meet 3 of the 6 types of items. the city will be content, and liberty bell production will be +50%.

if a general store in a city can meet all 6 items. the city will be jubilant, and all production inside city (such as carpenter, weaver, etc), will be +50%.

if a general store in a city failed to meet at least 3 of 6 items. the city will be Grumpy, and liberty bell production will be half.

Without internal consumption of luxury Items, the colonists are just a bunch of over-worked and underpaid slaves, working for the sake of working... Besides, Having internal consumption gives a reason to keep producing these merchandise items after DoI. Instead of canibalizing entire settlements into huge armies.

[basily]

With all these money made, it will also be a good idea to charge for military support. In the 1800 and ealier, most organized states spend half or more of their budget paying their troops. (Rome, England, France, just to name a few)

(Now we spend most on entitlement programs. but that's for a different forum.)

Even the continental congress have to pony up funds to paid the troops, there is no reason why players of Civ4Colonization should be exampted. Here is my proposal:

You can keep as many units as the number of your settlements + 5 for free. So you you have 7 settlements, 12 units will be free of upkeep. (so adaquate defence will still be affordable). Beyond that, each unit will cost you 5 per turn. Fail to pay your troops will lead to desertion. If I had 100 units like my last game on the eve of DoI, I will be paying 500/per turn. Still affordable if only I can find a market for the goods I prodcued.