Is anywhere as rich as Asia Minor?

I've noticed this when trying two migrated faction games besides Pergamon, other places (at least southern Gaul and the Bosphorous) are quite resource-poor by comparison.

In Asia Minor we have a dense collection of settlements which are invariably large (lots of tax), coastal (so ports for trade income) and a number have mines (mining income). They're also close enough together that the land trade is pretty good.

Sure you've got unfriendly neighbours (Seleukids, Ptolemies, Pontos and possibly the Aedui in Galatia), but you've got the resources to deal with them there. Even just two settlements is usually enough to maintain a half-decent army which you can use for raids to get more money. Or conquering.

Other places don't seem to really compare. Is it the richest spot in the game?

Dalmatia is pretty rich, as the Iranian Plateu, Makedonia too...

The italian peninsula, southern spain. Controlling all the Aegean provinces creates the strongest commerce hub in the game, and a very generous source of income.

Indeed, the Aegean Sea is the money hub of the game. Lots of cities and it's the most central area of sea trade. Kappadokia (Mazaka) is the map's center, incidentally.

North-eastern and even central Asia Minor is not so rich, though, which is why Pontos is so damned hard. There are Seleukeia and Babylon, right in the heart of the Sele Empire and 1 space apart and well defended, but especially Seleukeia has an obscenely large population. Those two beasts can probably support a full stack (Sele) and a half (Bab) right at the start of the game. There are other decent towns in the area not that far from them especially by paved road, but even if the Seleukids are taken out of the game (the Arche as Bosphoros lawl) those two cities can easily be the nucleus of a very powerful and very easy to play kingdom.

Carthage is, unsurprisingly, a good contender, and I've never played the Ptollies but it does seem that Egypt makes more money than the AI will ever know how to spend.

North Africa and Iberia both have lots of mines available, making these cities insanely rich once they are upgraded. I'm playing Carthage, and NA/Iberia is definitely my economic center. Here's a list of North African and Iberian cities under my control and their income:

Gader 7600
Mastia 4600
Baikor 4500
Lixus 4000
Sala 3100
Sucum Murgi 3200
Sala 3100
Vellika 2800

Keep in mind, though, that these numbers come from a game where I control 49 provinces, and every city I own is fully upgraded economically, including full markets, mines at level 2, and all of those 36/60 turn large trading port upgrades completed.

Egypt starts out with some of the lucrative parts of Asia Minor, and Kypros (which has major mines and major ports at the start), and I think their coastal cities are rolling in money.

richest ? clearly the balkans makedonia and dalmatia if the mines are fully upgraded can suport 1 - 2 armies easily in the southern balkans you got the aegean money maker since the kretans are there for the grabing and athens is just a money maker and almost all the regions got mines (except for sparta and thermon )

when i play some faction from that area i always take the entire balkans except for the getai and build forts in the river crossings it´s an easy 20 years (80 turns) peace time to develop with minimal skirmiches (unleass you wanna go for asia minor and fight off the pontiac´s and the seulecids)

I would say the Indus river can bring you much wealth... how ever they are very hard to conquer, let me correct that... it takes quite a while (unless you have 3 armies who can take on 60 elephants each.... O__o

The only way I've been able to survive as Pontus is to blitz the three Seleucid towns in Asia Minor right at the start. Otherwise the Arche is unstoppable.

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Originally Posted by Titus Marcellus Scato

The only way I've been able to survive as Pontus is to blitz the three Seleucid towns in Asia Minor right at the start. Otherwise the Arche is unstoppable.

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That might well be another reason why migrating Epeiros to Pergamon is so viable - taking those settlements denies the Seleukids a ton of cash and the means to resist (in terms of churning out units nearby). Early on they have to get past their arch-enemies the Ptolemies along the southern coast, and possibly some Gauls in Galatia too. Later on there's the Tauros mountains and a growing Pontos too, which can make your position there pretty secure.

Actually, I've been able to survive as Pontos on VH without blitzing. (although, that was a while ago, won't be able to do it again atm), It just requires a hell alot of Micromanagement, and minimalizing your losses, to the extremes, probably the hardest campaign I've played, as a fuckup will most likely mean your untimely end.

(e.g. I've switched to blitzing them too xD)

I don't blitz, but I have now, at about 232BC evicted the Seleukids and Ptolemies from Asia Minor. I went at the rate of about one settlement every 3-5 years, starting with the rebel ones.

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Originally Posted by QuintusSertorius

I think their coastal cities are rolling in money.

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Which would be all except Hibis and Pselkis.
EDIT: Incidentally this is why as the Seleucids you should make it your priority to dominate the Levant and bottle up the Ptolemies in Egypt at the very least. Otherwise you simply won't have the resources to fight off both Pontos and Parthia and maybe Baktria.