like this:

Having both a black and a white border on the white cards (eg Amber) looks quite good, but having a twice as thick border on the black cards (eg Herbs) looks awkward.

However, I'm not that fond of having double borders on white cards but not black cards, so I don't know what to do. Probably keep it as in my last suggestion.

ok, twas worth a try. I agree about the thick border not looking good

With Celtic Fury starting, I'm going to be deploying stage 1 of my trade helper and so have been working on the images. Is there any desire/possibility of getting your beautiful new work in, or should I stick with what is in the Archive? (same question on the Calamities)

The new commodities are in the Archive, so go ahead and use them! They are the ones dated "2008-03-05-draft".

As for the calamities, you'll have to wait for them to be finished first.
If you want to start now, you'll have to use the old ones. You might be able to change the images later when the new ones get ready.

Changing over isn't a big deal. What is the easiest way to make sure I got the right ones?

http://broggs.org/~civmoves/celtic/images

Suddenly I started doubting.

What is Amber?



AMBER option 1


Ambergris (Ambra grisea, Ambre gris, ambergrease, or grey amber) is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.

Ambergris has a peculiar sweet, earthy odor (similar to isopropyl alcohol). The principal historical use of ambergris was as a fixative in perfumery, though it has now been largely displaced by synthetics.








AMBER option 2

Amber is fossil tree resin, which is appreciated for its color and beauty. Good quality amber is used for the manufacture of ornamental objects and jewellery. Although not mineralized, it is often classified as a gemstone.

A common misconception is that amber is made of tree sap; it is not. Sap is the fluid that circulates through a plant's vascular system, while resin is the semi-solid amorphous organic substance secreted in pockets and canals through epithelial cells of the plant.






When I was working on the trade cards I can't recall i had any doubts and chose for option 2, later option 1 got into my mind.

Maybe it's a language thing: In the Netherlands we speak Dutch and both are called 'Amber' (pronounced 'umber').

Can anyone help me out in this?

I can tell you that I immediately think of your option #2, so I think you existing card is good. I bet most people assume #2 as you did.

My Penguin atlas of Ancient History lists #2 as an ancient trade item coming from the western Baltic coast area. I am 99% sure that's what is meant.

I'd say 99.95% sure that's what it meant.

Reading thru my Minoan archaeology book, a trade item that keeps cropping up but not covered in the game are 'Tools'. Apparently Hammers, nails, saws, drills, axes, etc. were VERY important to even early bronze age cultures. How much wool is a hammer worth? That's what trade is all about, I suppose that metallurgy might be necessary to produce tools, but metallurgy advancement in the game implies Iron working, not bronze.

There should be a hierarchy of metals in the trade cards. Tin and copper are needed to make bronze, they should have lower numbers. Iron should have a higher number than Bronze, copper, or Tin. Not sure where Lead belongs - alchemists sought it to turn into Gold, Romans used it for cooking wares and plumbing (Plumbus). Maybe Lead should be #2?

Some of the trade items seem redundant - Gems, Amber, Obsidian - Stone, Marble, - Hides, Furs, etc.

The Greeks also traded slaves (their own people) That could be an additional trade item also. Does anyone have the political fortitude to add a Slaves trade card to the deck? or is modern society demanding that we ignore that it was a factor in historical cultural evolution? Does Political Correctness defeat historical accuracy?

How many other non-redundant legitimate trade items can we come up with? Sea shells were an important commodity in Mezo-American trade, surely there was a Euro-equivalent.

Any others?

Well Slave trade has been discussed earlier here:

[url]http://www.civproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=96
[/url]

I believe there is a limit to how realistic the game can be
Also tru is: one trade good can be worth mre in one place than another and that's hard to add to the game even with the trade-city variant.

one thing I'd like to add to your list of what trade goods are worth: remeber that Iron was became only important when Bronze age ended. before that point the quality of iron wasn't as good as afterwards.

Well Slave trade has been discussed earlier here:

[url]http://www.civproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=96
[/url]

I believe there is a limit to how realistic the game can be
Also tru is: one trade good can be worth mre in one place than another and that's hard to add to the game even with the trade-city variant.

one thing I'd like to add to your list of what trade goods are worth: remeber that Iron was became only important when Bronze age ended. before that point the quality of iron wasn't as good as afterwards.