Which is more Profitable?

[Syterion]

Since I can't make a poll, you'll have to make due. Which do you think is better, trading or pillaging provinces?

In my Byz game, the Hungarians are disrupting my trade, so I started taking their provinces. So I thought, which would be more profitable, allying with them and trading, or ransacking their lands.

I think the best solution is to kill off the Hungarians so they can't stop me from trading.

You can, of course, take a province and its money, then leave it so rebels come, then when the enemy takes it again they fight the rebels and you take it again, and pocket the money, and repeat.

[Brutal DLX]

Profitable strategy of yours.
To maximize it, I would suggest to start trading until
they attack you, then destroy their ships and raid their lands. That will make them pay for bad decisions and will fill your treasury.
Eventually trade with other facions will resume.

[Shahed]

I'd say a combination of both.

In my campaigns I always focus on trade as I know this has MASSIVE financial benefits.

On the other hand I often go out on chevauchee every 20 years or so, which is also profitable. I reckon though that chevauchee tacticss do not compare with the income generated from trade.

[Korror]

Trading is not a good long-term source of income, while you can make money through pillaging all through the game. The reason for this is that peace in M:TW is an exception. (It is called TOTAL WAR for a reason) The way M:TW is programmed, Everyone will be at war at you eventually. If you're powerful, they'll try to gang up on you. If you're weak, they'll kick you while you're down.

Trading is great early in the game. Usually the computers avoid war at the beginning and you can be at peace with everyone. War is a calamity to trade, not only because you cannot trade with your enemy but also because they often attack your shipping. If you're like me and have your ships spread out to maximize profits then they can wipe out your trading network in a turn or two.

Pillaging has its drawbacks as well. First off, other empires take a dim view of you pillaging their provinces so this source of income dries up in times of peace. This can be fatal to your army because often you are unknowingly supporting your troops by pillaging and when you are forced to make peace (usually by the pope) you have no way of paying your troops.

Both trading and pillaging have their places, when you can’t do one, do the other.

Korror

[andrewt]

Pillaging is basically almost the same as selling buildings in the land you just conquered. Eventually, there would be no buildings and you would get only a few florins from it.

[Acronym]

Tried a game with italians with no trading at all, only conquering and managing my taxes. I managed to take over about 80% of the map, and got disrupted with tons of rebellions which my xpert military crushed, and a civil war which just recently I won. I would say trade makes it much easier to field an army and build crap, but if you can manage the tactical battles well it shouldn't matter.

[Lord Of Storms]

I tried something once during a campaign just for fun and it worked out pretty good, I would look over the map for a general with low loyalty in a province not directly connected to me and try offering a bribe if it is succesful when I gain control I would destroy all the buildings good way to get quick florins and throw the army at the next province and try and play spoiler in as many provinces I can until I am defeated. gathering all the booty I can in the process . This can be a good way to disrupt a troublesome faction and undermine their progress. I like to call it "Grabbin some booty" http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[LordKevinV]

IMHO i agree with what someone already said. trade until someone else attacks you then raid and pillage their land with no mercy until your vengence is satisfied. thats really why i cant wait till VI comes out. i am gonna rule the world with the vikings http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Efrem Da King]

More likly just the British isles http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif .

[Basileus]

Trading can be quite profitable, in my last game as the frensh i had ships evrywhere and flandres had an income of over 8k+ hah qite nice, but then all hell broke lose so i had to fight with evryone gaian http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[Dijeeh]

I think taking over their provinces is more profitable...


Not only can you keep trading, but you get income from their provinces if you control them.

If their provinces are any good, conqouer them

[Cooperman]

Start small, create a stable trading empire, wait until you have half a million florins in the bank then start mass producing cheap military units and tear across the map pillaging everything in your path.
It works everytime with every faction even in expert shame the AI doesn't do the same then there might be a little challenge to the game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pissed.gif

[Geoffrey_FiztRogers]

Well i prefer to trade and then attack them after they started it. One things I do do though is with crusades when they have to pass through hostile territory I always destroy all the buildings ( for the loot and to criple them) in any territories I have to fight in on the way to the Gods land.