- trade - I've been setting up a table of required raw materials and skills for every tradeable object, i.e. chain mail : requires 15lbs of metal chain links + hammer + pliars + smith skill>=average; and metal chain links : require iron wire; and iron wire : requires iron bar + pliars + hammer + fireplace + coal + smith skill>=average (thanks to Igor for the basic idea).
Such a table would enable yourself (the player) to create every object (provided you have the materials/skills).
And for merchants, all I need to do is to define what finished products they should offer (e.g. Smith A in town T: helmet 1, sword B, axe, dagger, chain mail, scale mail), and they'd automatically buy the materials they need (coal, raw iron, iron bars, or iron wire/chain links/scales etc if you have any to offer, plus used equipment).
Thus commercial merchants would form part of the demand for goods in every town; the other part would be constituted by the town's non-professional inhabitants who would buy an average quantity of food, coal, tools, clothes, luxury goods etc. This way I can compute how much demand for how many goods of what type there is in every town; and according to this demand, I can automatically, bit by bit, 'sell' (take away and replace with gold) the goods in your storehouses (if you have any). This is quite simple and easy to implement; and once that is in place, I can add caravans, workshops, additional hired workers etc. I'm not sure how far I can take this right now, but sooner or later I'll implement this fully.
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On the whole, there's been a good deal of progress, and I think the game is actually quite enjoyable - regarding gameplay action, much more so than Teudogar was, and for a much longer playing time, too.