Nippon: Zaibatsu · Board game rules
Does the influence table for goods function as a ladder?
Quick answer
Yes — the more Goods you spend (1, 2, or 3) and the higher the Goods level, the higher-value Influence token you may place, forming an increasing progression. [p.14 — LOCAL MARKETS ACTION]
Details
The Influence value table works as a tiered scale based on two factors: the level of the Goods spent and the quantity spent. For 1-level Goods (Paper, Cotton), spending 1/2/3 Goods lets you place a token worth 1/2/3 Influence, respectively. For 2-level Goods (Lenses, Bento), spending 1/2/3 Goods lets you place a token worth 3/4/5 Influence. For 3-level Goods (Clocks, Bulbs), spending 1/2/3 Goods lets you place a token worth 5/6/7 Influence [p.14 — LOCAL MARKETS ACTION].
So within each Goods level, the value climbs by 1 for each additional Goods cube spent, and each higher Goods level starts at a higher base value than the previous level's maximum. This creates a stepped, ladder-like progression across the whole table, rewarding both higher-level Goods and spending more of them at once.
Watch out: You may only place a token whose value is appropriate for the level of Goods spent — you cannot use a low-level Goods to justify a high-value token, or vice versa [p.14 — LOCAL MARKETS ACTION].