Talk:Humanity's Course Eternal: A Map Game/@comment-32023146-20200424170622/@comment-31417419-20200425004345

Kemrii, the latter point relies on a fundamental misunderstanding of how logistics works - you assume that all trade going to Europe only has cargo headed for Europe and therefore in such a hypothetical event it would indeed be predominantly cheaper, but:


 * Even if the United States is in turmoil its individual cities are some of the most productive and highly valuable economic centres in the world. Trade will still be going to them.


 * Even ignoring North America, there’s also ports in Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico. Are they less valuable? Definitely. But it doesn’t mean they just don’t exist.


 * Just because the routes are shorter does not make them substantially less costly and preferable. Aside from avoiding a majority of major population centres in North America and Eurasia, these routes are still inundated with icebergs and other potential dangers; entire new resupply stations and ports would have to be built to accomodate this new trade route.


 * Furthermore, logistics isn’t the process of getting a massive amount of goods from just one location to another and then back. There will rarely be enough demand on singular trade routes to fill entire cargo ships and as a result it wastes a massive amount in resources previously spent on shipping goods from anywhere to anywhere along its assigned shipping lanes. Overall a route through the Northwest passages will earn far less, if any profit, than one through the Panama canal; not to mention the expenses on paying employees who will now have to be given far more amenities to adapt to a far colder environment for longer periods of time for a route that skirts around most lucrative ports. Very little of the world lives along the Arctic Circle, for the reason that it is - the Arctic Circle. Global warming would have to entirely blindside the entire world if that was to change so quickly.


 * We also already have a system designed for direct transport, it’s called air cargo.

(Even if I agreed with your assessment, which I don't, it's still Ryan's decision as head mod that it's implausible. So. What say we change it? I'm sure you've already thought up another use of the place anyways.)