Economic Domination

**Merak** · 03-20-2009, 17:17

hmm wish i could see the pics (damn company i work for) bu from what you have typed i am impressed

**Jacque Schtrapp** · 03-20-2009, 18:43

I'm playing as GB and its around 1860. I control all of NA and India while managing not to go any further than nose thumbing at any other Euro powers. Taxes are set at the lowest level in all theatres and I have around 20 or so full stacks sitting around waiting for someone to do something stupid. Despite the 50k upkeep for the military, I'm bringing in 75-80k per turn and have no navy to speak of. Even territories like Cherokee and Kaintuck are fully upgraded and bringing in 13k+ per turn. The cash from the Indian provinces is just insane. Since I have over 2 million in the bank, I'm going to give a bunch of money, some techs, and a couple of provinces to my protectorate, the Knights if St. John, and see if I can coax them to evolve into a military/economic powerhouse.

**andrewt** · 03-20-2009, 19:01

Mexico's my highest income province right now. They're pulling in roughly 15k a turn and rising. I just got the last upgrade for mines and am upgrading everywhere.

**Belgolas** · 03-20-2009, 19:04

My first time I played as the Maratha nation I was into the millions of $ cause I controled almost all the trade theaters and was dominating every contenent by a lot. I now am trying the Russians out.

**antisocialmunky** · 03-20-2009, 19:19

I hope you enjoy your ridiculously long trade routes that get pirated by absolutely everyone.

**Ordani** · 03-20-2009, 19:38

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

I hope you enjoy your ridiculously long trade routes that get pirated by absolutely everyone.

On the contrary, trade routes in ETW are almost totally fire and forget. I think I've had to run various pirates or belligerent fleets out of the African theatres ... three times at most in a game.

While I like the trade element to the game, the amount of money you can bring in so easily is simply too much. I've had 100k in trade in early games with virtually no maintenance overhead or risk in getting or losing it.

**andrewt** · 03-20-2009, 19:57

That's always been the problem with CA's games. There's really steep diminishing returns when it comes to economic buildings. The early buildings are just way better than the later ones. The "upgrades" are more expensive yet add less.

I've had some money problems early in the game. Mostly it's the Spanish and Pirates who I'm at war with. The other is that UP starts trading with both Maratha and Mughal and they keep blocking each other's port.

**Warhammer3025** · 03-20-2009, 21:05

How do you guys rush the trade lanes fast enough to build up such astronomical incomes? As France, i can usually secure 4/5s of brazil, 3/5s of ivory coast, 2 in madagascar, and 1 in the west indies, without going to war and only fighting pirates. I spammed Indiamen like crazy was rushing my fleets out as quickly as possible but that was all i could manage before GB, UP, OE, Mara, and Per parked on teh rest. I make more than enough money anyway, but i'm just shocked at how much some of you folks can generate so early in the game, as well as teching up so damn quickly. I generally just make 4 schools, just to keep things simple, how many do you eco whores have, 10+?

**MikeV** · 03-28-2009, 04:58

Originally Posted by andrewt

That's always been the problem with CA's games. There's really steep diminishing returns when it comes to economic buildings. The early buildings are just way better than the later ones. The "upgrades" are more expensive yet add less.

This is most likely intentional: otherwise, you'd have the problem that the leading faction's lead would snowball exponentially and they'd be untouchable -- unless every other faction allied together against them and coordinated to take them down. Not likely, with this AI.

**antisocialmunky** · 03-20-2009, 21:25

Originally Posted by Ordani

On the contrary, trade routes in ETW are almost totally fire and forget. I think I've had to run various pirates or belligerent fleets out of the African theatres ... three times at most in a game.

While I like the trade element to the game, the amount of money you can bring in so easily is simply too much. I've had 100k in trade in early games with virtually no maintenance overhead or risk in getting or losing it.

I was mainly refering to your Mediterranian one after you take the Crimea. I've seen people fight over who gets to pirate it. Its rather amusing.

**Quillan** · 03-20-2009, 22:13

In my GB campaign I'm getting about 20k per turn in trade just with the Ottoman Empire, and another 17k or so just from France. Long term trade really adds up.