Methods to get the best Economy possible

[JeromeBaker]

I dont know if this thread was started before, but what do you guys use to start up your economy. I know the goal is to get free trade agreements with whoever you can. Do you guys intially tend to build up your towns and ports or do you instead put all money into your millitary to capture more territories. Do you slant your early tech build up to help the economy or do you focus on the millitary/science. When I played as Prussia, I put too much into my millitary because I wanted to get into some intense ground battles, but later in the game I had a hard time playing catch up and upgrading my territories to support more troops and the game fell flat after I was 3/4ths of the way towards completing the long campaign. Now that I am playing as Great Britain, I am building up my economy first by upgrading all available town/captial/ports that contribute towards the economy. Also, when you get a new town, are you more likley to slant towards science, economy, religious buildings when you get the initial choice? I find I almost always go for the economic building ( I think its some type of smith workshop).

[Ardri]

One key in the beginning is to keep taxes as low as possible to encourage economic growth that later in the game you can tax when you need the funds. Basically anything that creates wealth is good to have and this includes lowering taxes. Making a bigger pie means you get a bigger piece later. I essentially focus on the economic buildings as you suggested, which is also a good reason to have lower taxes as you run into a lot of clamor for revolution because of the industrialization affects.

Other than that overseas trade is essentially the best way to get ridiculous sums of money. Seeing as trade is so important I think good relations with GB are essential or they will just sit on your trade routes raiding your money before you get your hands on it. I am not sure how see ports work in your capital but I think that it is a waste to build anything other than a trade port in your capital as those ports determine how many sea trade agreements you can have.

Seeing as you are playing as GB you can probably just use your navy to take over the majority of the trade spots overseas and once you have them in your possession you will not lose them meaning as long as you keep your trade routes open you will bank.

[andrewt]

I'm using the low hanging fruit strategy on research. I start with techs that will research future techs faster then research other cheap techs that have what I think has the best current benefit to me.

I do the same thing for economy/military. I either pick off easily conquered provinces/neighbors or focus on my economy first. I'm using a payback model when looking for town improvements.

[Sir Beane]

Build as many univiersities as possible, and research as much industrial tech as possible. It makes your farms, ports and plantations much more profitable.

Take India and South America if you can. They have gem and gold mines which can make you a pretty penny without much effort.

[hoom]

Lots of Indiamen on the trade spots in the trade theatres & no enemies blocking/raiding.

[Polemists]

I actually turned most of my schools into churches or weaversmills then since the populace was so happy and catholic I taxed the heck out of them. Got to 1757, and still have 70% approval with really high taxes.


Also as others say colonies are a good way to make good money. Try not to piss to many people off early tho. I did, and that combined with territory expansion means it's pretty difficult to get or keep any trade agreements.