Patrician IV: Conquest by Trade

Patrician IV: Conquest by Trade is a managerial simulation set in the Hanse region. During the late middle ages the player has the goal to build up a trading empire. In the campaign the home port is always Lübeck; in the free playing mode every of the 32 included hanse towns can be chosen.

The player's most important role is to have an overview about the production and needs of every town - to make money it is obviously needed to buy cheap and to sell expensive. Supply and demand of every town dynamically changes with the own trading activities and special happenings, e.g. a hard winter. Trading routes can be automated.

The own reputation also changes depending on the trading activities - if the player ships all meat away during a starvation, the people won't be too pleased... The home town can be expanded and improved by constructing additional buildings and businesses - which depends on the player's success and influence. Full production cycles result in more goods to ship. He even can become mayor which comes with political influence and power about the city infrastructure, e.g. defenses.

Other aspects of a trader's life are competing traders, Mediterranean expeditions to get valuable spices, research to acquire better ships, and sea fights. Just like in Patrician II: Quest for Power these are can be calculated or played manually. The player needs to circle around the other ships and can change the ammo; shooting is automated. The player also can actively become a pirate and raid other ships.