Rich King, Poor King - Permanent post on generating wealth in MTW

[Synapse]

Since economics and making money are going to be a permanent issue, I figured we all might as well share our strategies in one organized thread. (It seems there have been a few running around.)

The main thing I've found that instantly generates a significant difference is a governor / titleholder with 4 or higher accumen. With a level 5 accumen, I've had a province get a 75% gain in tax revenues, just by appointing him!

[Didz]

Quote Originally posted by Synapse:
Since economics and making money are going to be a permanent issue, I figured we all might as well share our strategies in one organized thread. (It seems there have been a few running around.)

The main thing I've found that instantly generates a significant difference is a governor / titleholder with 4 or higher accumen. With a level 5 accumen, I've had a province get a 75% gain in tax revenues, just by appointing him! [/QUOTE]

According to my analysis each quill of acumen adds 10% to the revenue of the province. So five quills ought to add 50%. Was there anything else that could account for the extra 25%. I thought I had checked the effect up to 6 quills and found it constant.



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Didz

[Arkatreides]

Didz is correct. Each point of acumen is +10%. Check whether your governour might have the Great Trader or Stewart virtues

[DaCount]

Hmm perhaps it is an idea that before you post such things in a new thread, that you find an old one with such discussion in it already and blow it back to live again. This way we don't need to retype so much http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif

[Dragon]

Hm ... 5 accumen should give 50% bonus, not 75% afaik.


Well, the obvious thing is to appoint smart generals to your rich provinces. But if you don't have smart generals (high accumen), you are sol there.

First thing I do in all games, I restrict my building frenzy to a few provinces, and improve farmland as long as it gives me a ROI in less than 20 years (20% improvement, cost 600, so I improve only provinces with 150 florin farming income or more). Since farmland 4 hardly ever reaches such a fast ROI (min 625 florins base value), I wait with them at first.

Next thing is trade. You can get tons of cash, especially in the middle of the game, maxing when half the ports and tradecenters are yours, and the other half belongs to your allies/neutrals. Obviously, as described in other threads, in war and once you control the mayority of the ports your trade collapses sometimes, so you have to rely on mines and farming then.


Most important:

- Pick your fights wisely. Do not attack everyone just because you can beat them. This is very different from STW.

- Garrison wisely. Dont use royal knights (most expensive upkeep per soldier) in your hinterlands. Use peasants, crossbowmen or highlanders (and a few others), they are cheapest in upkeep.

- If possible, plunder your (hopefully few) enemies. If you want to conquer them later, you will find out that you will not get many buildings anyway, so if you lay siege to a castle, or can move on to a weak enemy province, get moving. You weaken your enemy, and get cash, too.

- Get a quick start. The longer you wait to get a few meaty chunks, the more they will cost you to get (more defenders), and you have overall less from them. You can make your gaming experience in any difficulty more of a challenge just by doing nothing for some years ...

- Use mercenaries, but know what you do. They cost double upkeep. You can start with a nice big army with their help, but they are not yours, so let them take the brunt in any battle, and disband them as soon as the party is over.

- Bribe independent armies early. You get a province (more cash) and some good troops (without the mercenary-penalty) at once to conquer even more land. Just watch the province, and send peasants to keep them happy. And all that for not much more than the price of the units anyway ...


Well, that's my 8 cents short of a dime.