In which I finally get started on my trade/econ system

 after reading a metric boat-ton of stuff ... from Tao of D&D (pretty much the go-to on NTME but really scattered and somewhat hard to pull together, especially after ten years of corrections, updates and changes in direction), and for h in hexes (another GREAT resource but more about modeling than gaming, and VERY immersed in mineralogy, mining tech and metallurgy.)  And I FINALLY got a copy of Grain into Gold.

After a lot of noodeling and a few false starts I THINK I'm ready to jump in and just start building.

Step one - a list of resources.  About five dozen of them.  And the list will probably be expanded.  This is a somewhat generic list that will get some more depth added in it's next iteration.

Step two - assigning each of these resources to terrain types.  Done

Step three - taking the dozen or so "civilized" areas of the current world and assigning resources to them. Based on level of development and size.  Will also assume three other large land massed not currently "known" but traded with by my capital city and perhaps one or two others and incorporate their assumed production.

Step four - assigning craft people to each settlement.  You might grow cows for meat, milk and leather but without a tanner/leather worker you won't get much.  Development and size again a factor.  And MANY of these are mere cottage industries for local consumption, not for sale.

Step five - trade network.  Travel time between settlements have been calculated.  Need to decide how far perishable goods can be transported.

Step six - need to assemble the "recipes" for manufactured items.  Then revisit step four perhaps.  Gets kind of circular here.

Step seven - This was Tao's step two.  Takes some time but Grain Into Gold should help.  This is where I hafta start linking spreadsheets and data and cells and formula and I THINK I know the approach I want but time will tell.  

Step eight is then kin of an amalgam of all the skipped steps above.  Make sure I have a price for all undeveloped goods, manufactured goods and a final "menu" for each city as to what is available and how much it costs.

My first day back in the classroom will be August 16 once there I should have a few more hours a day to spend on these tasks.  Step one and two are done.  Give me a week on step three and we'll see what happens.  This will ALSO involve figuring out my spreadsheet layouts so it might take a lot of starting and stopping. 

Lonely fun indeed!