Export
Export is the diplomatic resource used by the Asian civilizations at the Consulate in The Asian Dynasties and Definitive Edition. It pays for foreign alliances, units, technologies and shipments, giving Japan, China and India access to options beyond their ordinary production buildings.
How it works
Export generation is tied to the civilization’s economic rules and can be adjusted through the Consulate interface. Increasing its share affects how resources are directed under those rules, so Export has an opportunity cost even though it is not one of the standard gatherable resources. The selected foreign ally determines which offers are available.
Player decision
Choose a Consulate ally for a defined need, such as a unit role, technology or shipment, then set generation to meet that plan. Avoid shifting too much of the economy into Export if Food, Wood or Coin is already limiting workers, military production or an Age advance. Reassess the rate as the match moves from opening to late game.
Consulate rates and the gathering trade-off
Export is earned by Villagers, Cree Coureurs des Bois and Settler Wagons, and the Consulate controls the exchange between ordinary gathering and diplomatic income. At a zero Export setting, workers gather Food, Wood and Coin at their normal rates and generate Export at the base rate. A 5% setting makes ordinary resources gather 5% more slowly while Export generation rises by 35%; a 10% setting reduces ordinary gathering by 10% and increases Export generation by 60%. The resource can pay for the Consulate’s foreign units, technologies, buildings and shipments, some of which arrive sooner than Home City shipments. It is therefore a timing decision: raise the rate before an ally purchase that unlocks a needed option, then lower it if Food, Wood or Coin becomes the immediate bottleneck. The selected European ally changes the available offers, and some alliance bonuses can offset part of the gathering penalty. Export is not a freely gathered fifth resource; its income comes with an economic opportunity cost.
Choose an Export rate with its resource penalty in view
The Consulate’s rate selector trades ordinary gathering for faster Export generation. At 0%, resources and Export generate at their normal rates. A 5% rate slows ordinary resource gathering by 5% and raises Export generation by 35%; a 10% rate slows gathering by 10% and raises Export by 60%. These settings apply while workers gather and can be changed as the plan changes. The higher setting is most useful when a specific Consulate shipment or technology is close and the economy can tolerate slower Food, Wood and Coin income. If a Town Center queue, building or Age advance is already short of a resource, reduce the rate until that bottleneck clears. Export is valuable because Consulate access can deliver allies and units quickly, but a fast shipment is only helpful if its cost does not delay the army that must protect it.