Know your facts
Before you start your journey you have to gain some background knowledge. Here, you will find a link to symbaloo, site where all the needed infromation about the silk road is gathered. Read about the Silk Road, the goods which were exchanged via it, some information about Marco Polo and the cities which lies on the Silk Road's track. By all means do not feel restricted only to links provided on Symbaloo site; we encourage you to look for more information on your own hand! To get to the Symbaloo simply click the symbol bellow.
Planning the Journey
1. Team management
Divide into groups of 3.
From now on, every week, each of you will have a task to write a short note (100-200 words) about the place you have visited each week and about the adventures you have encountered on your path (if any).
In addition, in groups decide who will take each job:
Strategist - Takes care of guardsmen (decides what action to take during random encounters)
Merchant - Responsible for goods carried, exchanges and trades in towns, supplies.
Explorer - Has final word about the next place of destination of your caravan
Each person should take a different role.
2. Journey planning
Once your team is established plan your route, which cities will you visit? Use the map from the Tasks main tab, read some facts about those places (you can search for them or use Symbaloo), and decide whether you want to visit 5 or 6 places (including your starting point - Xi'an - and finish point - Constantinople). Remember that the Explorer has the final word in planning your journey. The journey plan is not final and can be later changed during the game.
Tip: Take a moment and look at the evaluation chart. As you can see the longer the journals the better so it might be good to visit more cities.
3. Goods and Economics
At the start of the game you have a budget of 1200. Save it to make sure that you will be able to replace goods and guards lost along the way.
Now, you have to take some goods with you back to the Europe! You have 10 slots for goods, you need to decide what goods and how many of each source you want to take with you. Below is the list of sources which are available in Xi'an as well as their value. The goods in Xi'an are taken as exchanged goods hence you do not have to pay for them. Shall you lose some goods during your adventures you can buy some goods available in a city you are stationing in. Just ask your teacher how much you would have to pay for it.
What will be worth how much in Constantinople? You will see that once you reach thecity so trust your guts when it comes to choosing which goods to take!
Tip: Remember that the point of the game is to earn as much gold during trade in Constantinople as it is possible, and each sold source will lower the value of that source by 10% up to 50%. For example: Selling 1 unit of Gold in constantinople will give you 1000 gold, while the second unit of gold will be worth only 900 gold, the third will be worth 800 gold and respectively until the value reaches 500 gold (50% of starting value), after that point the value will stay the same.
4. Guardsmen
The Silkroad was full of obstacles and dangers. Caravanserais along the way offered protection but when on the road the caravan must be able to protect itself from the bandits, wild animals and many more. Hiring guards is the most viable way of defense but it is costly. Will you take your chances and aim for greater profit or will you spend some of your precious gold to protect yourself ?
By default your caravan has 2 guards but they do not offer much protection there are too few of them. Number of guards in your caravan can range from 0 to 10. Having 10 guards greatly improves your chances of getting to your final destinations with coffers and carriages full of precious goods.
10 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is increased by +3
9-8 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is increased by +2
7-6 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is increased by +1
5 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is not modified at all.
4-3 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is modified by -1
2-1 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is modified by -2
0 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is modified by -3
At the end of your journey (Constantinople) every guard you have is paid 200 gold coins for his service.
Items available in Xi'an: Jade x1 (only 1 per caravan), silk, porcelain
5. Fill the form
Make a new google document, copy the information bellow and fill in the form so you can take account of what goods your caravan has, how much gold, guards, etc.
SILK ROAD
Caravan name: .....................
Merchant: .....................
Strategist: .....................
Explorer: .....................
Goods: 1....2....3....4....5....6....7....8....9....10....
Cities planned to visit: 1.Xi'an 2....3....4....5....6....
Visited cities: 1.Xi'an 2....3....4....5....6....
Guards: ..........
Earned achievements: .....................
Gold: 1200 (each caravan starts with 1200gold, please change the ammount every time you lose, spend or earn gold)
Once you have filled in the form share it with your teacher and your caravan members
6. Prologue
Once everything is decided, your task is to prepare a short introduction (100-150 words) in your journals where each of you have to write about: your caravan's name, your own and your teammates roles/jobs, the planned route for your journey and what goods you are taking with you for the travel.
Divide into groups of 3.
From now on, every week, each of you will have a task to write a short note (100-200 words) about the place you have visited each week and about the adventures you have encountered on your path (if any).
In addition, in groups decide who will take each job:
Strategist - Takes care of guardsmen (decides what action to take during random encounters)
Merchant - Responsible for goods carried, exchanges and trades in towns, supplies.
Explorer - Has final word about the next place of destination of your caravan
Each person should take a different role.
2. Journey planning
Once your team is established plan your route, which cities will you visit? Use the map from the Tasks main tab, read some facts about those places (you can search for them or use Symbaloo), and decide whether you want to visit 5 or 6 places (including your starting point - Xi'an - and finish point - Constantinople). Remember that the Explorer has the final word in planning your journey. The journey plan is not final and can be later changed during the game.
Tip: Take a moment and look at the evaluation chart. As you can see the longer the journals the better so it might be good to visit more cities.
3. Goods and Economics
At the start of the game you have a budget of 1200. Save it to make sure that you will be able to replace goods and guards lost along the way.
Now, you have to take some goods with you back to the Europe! You have 10 slots for goods, you need to decide what goods and how many of each source you want to take with you. Below is the list of sources which are available in Xi'an as well as their value. The goods in Xi'an are taken as exchanged goods hence you do not have to pay for them. Shall you lose some goods during your adventures you can buy some goods available in a city you are stationing in. Just ask your teacher how much you would have to pay for it.
What will be worth how much in Constantinople? You will see that once you reach thecity so trust your guts when it comes to choosing which goods to take!
Tip: Remember that the point of the game is to earn as much gold during trade in Constantinople as it is possible, and each sold source will lower the value of that source by 10% up to 50%. For example: Selling 1 unit of Gold in constantinople will give you 1000 gold, while the second unit of gold will be worth only 900 gold, the third will be worth 800 gold and respectively until the value reaches 500 gold (50% of starting value), after that point the value will stay the same.
4. Guardsmen
The Silkroad was full of obstacles and dangers. Caravanserais along the way offered protection but when on the road the caravan must be able to protect itself from the bandits, wild animals and many more. Hiring guards is the most viable way of defense but it is costly. Will you take your chances and aim for greater profit or will you spend some of your precious gold to protect yourself ?
By default your caravan has 2 guards but they do not offer much protection there are too few of them. Number of guards in your caravan can range from 0 to 10. Having 10 guards greatly improves your chances of getting to your final destinations with coffers and carriages full of precious goods.
10 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is increased by +3
9-8 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is increased by +2
7-6 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is increased by +1
5 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is not modified at all.
4-3 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is modified by -1
2-1 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is modified by -2
0 - When resolving the random encounter your roll is modified by -3
At the end of your journey (Constantinople) every guard you have is paid 200 gold coins for his service.
Items available in Xi'an: Jade x1 (only 1 per caravan), silk, porcelain
5. Fill the form
Make a new google document, copy the information bellow and fill in the form so you can take account of what goods your caravan has, how much gold, guards, etc.
SILK ROAD
Caravan name: .....................
Merchant: .....................
Strategist: .....................
Explorer: .....................
Goods: 1....2....3....4....5....6....7....8....9....10....
Cities planned to visit: 1.Xi'an 2....3....4....5....6....
Visited cities: 1.Xi'an 2....3....4....5....6....
Guards: ..........
Earned achievements: .....................
Gold: 1200 (each caravan starts with 1200gold, please change the ammount every time you lose, spend or earn gold)
Once you have filled in the form share it with your teacher and your caravan members
6. Prologue
Once everything is decided, your task is to prepare a short introduction (100-150 words) in your journals where each of you have to write about: your caravan's name, your own and your teammates roles/jobs, the planned route for your journey and what goods you are taking with you for the travel.