Halp halp!

[Autonaamio]

Alright, since I'm a lazy and didin't want to search over 9000 posts, I have a question to ask you people.

Is it normal that after 10 years of playing I'm -40k on debt and can't build anything nor get my army going on?

I started out as... Damn it. Can't remember. Err. Sweboz? I think.

I conquered a few regions from the eleutherois, but didin't do any good for my economy, and I got even more debts. The -mnai I was making from the towns went down a bit by bit, but it would take approx 50 years to get them debts recovered and getting myself some cash to start building stuff etc. And I really don't want to play with my diplomat for the 50/100 turns.

Thanks.

[Cute Wolf]

Well, most faction most endure heavy economic crisis at the beginning if you not try to blitz and burn everything... let me tell you, I salute with you to not blitzing, pillaging, raping, and enslaving even in your dire debt situation... but guess you don't disband most units you didn't need... actually if you want to play turtle, disband most cavalry except you are horse minded factions, because cavalry is the most exspensive unit that you may get. Second, use your infantry to garisson cities, and start disbanding them until bare minimum. Third, made peace with everyone, and start giving out trade rights, diplomat? it was must if you want not to blitz... fourth, try to improve roads first, and trade port second, and market later, except you have no sea trade port again... pumping out taxes may help, but watchout for unrest... and when you allready save a big ammount of money... built mines! it will bring most of your economy backbone immediately...

[Dieu Le Fera]

Yeah, sounds like your unit upkeep is tanking your economy and I have found with barbarian factions that you will be close to debt through out the first 50 years of the game.

[Knight of Heaven]

:P lol i sugest for you to learn to play first. Read the RTW manual if you have one.
Well remember this.
1. Be aware of your upkeep, so disband your most expensive units, or conquer setlements with those inicial troops, it is important for you to have income, or else... Anyway In Eb is normal at first one have debt, but that wont take years to recover if you do things right. -40k is alot. too much.
2. Raise taxes in the cities, build markets farms, roads,mines, and buildings of trade, alse broke trade agreements with your diplomat with other factions. And avoid to use expensive troops with high upkeep, at least until you feel you can aford it.

Well you just must have things pretty ballanced you cant have a big army and not paying for it so best to use it to its fully. my advice is start over, maybe with the romans or the macedonians, or Kartage for you to get used to.

[Autonaamio]

Thanks for the replies, i've played RTW for around 4-5 months now, and I started playing EB today.

I never had this problem in the very original RTW, infact, I always made the economy come first.
It's just hard, because my starting town has around -5000 mnai in the beginning. I'll try the unit disposal now and start over, might aswell switch to Kartageans since I always liked those guys in original RTW.

[Dieu Le Fera]

Read the karthage early survival guide it helps.

[Leão magno]

Carthage's economy heals faster but only if you do not recruit for some years, disband partion of yor navy make peace and invest all of your money qeueing buildings that awards money, especially ports.

[Autonaamio]

I noticed, I maintain around 6-7k mnai / turn(without any mines)

I'm building mines and then building a smallish army to take out the rebels around me.

[Leão magno]

Remember keeping armies both in Iberia and Libia.

[Autonaamio]

Yeah, that was my plan.

Thanks for the support + fast replys everybody!

[Skullheadhq]

over 9000

Where did I hear that before?

Mt advice to you:
1. Conquer Gaul
2.Build mines
3. ??????
4.PROFIT!!!

Also, keep words like on 4chan, thank you.

[Autonaamio]

Where did I hear that before?

Mt advice to you:
1. Conquer Gaul
2.Build mines
3. ??????
4.PROFIT!!!

Also, keep words like on 4chan, thank you.

Alright that clears a bit, instead of raiding africa I should consider taking on gaul.

And, sorry about the language.(I haven't visited 4chan in +1 year now though ;))

[Skullheadhq]

Good, but you can't unmelt your brain I'm afraid

[Autonaamio]

I suppose you could say that :D

Though I used to watch alot of DB/DBZ when I was younger, so the "over 9000" been stuck in my head since I was a kid :D

[Fluvius Camillus]

:P lol i sugest for you to learn to play first. Read the RTW manual if you have one.
[..]

The only thing I used that for was to check out what protectorate exactly does, it wasnt really clear too!

Mind the faction difficulties at the selection screen, I started out with Pontos. Really a bad idea, I attacked Ankyra right away and learned what wild men do, next I just lost everywhere. After that I played Makedonia, an easier and enjoyable faction.

You can try two things in the start (you said you were lazy but the problem you have are in the FAQ!), you can either blitz your immediate enemies or rebels until the economy stabilizes and your starting troops run out. Or you can start slow and disband (never done that, dont ask me).

Good luck with your campaigns!

~Fluvius

[seienchin]

As long as it is possible I disband and roleplay, but for factions like sweboz, Lusotannia, phavla and saka rauka its impossible. Even with force diplomacy you have to conquer a lot really fast.
I hated it to beeing forced to conquer whole iberia by 250 or most of the seleukid empire by 240. Its ahistorical, impossible (From where do I get the people to rule and coordinate everything...) and bloody.
Still I think its great EB offers so many different experiences depending on the culture you use. I just hope in EB the partians arent a Blitzkrieg faction anymore

[Cute Wolf]

Well, how is your campaign goin? Still in debt? or did you start anew?

[Knight of Heaven]

Yeah, that was my plan.

Thanks for the support + fast replys everybody!

If you take syracuse early on with your starting army in lilibeo the econemy start rising pretty fast. no need to disband units. maybe one or 2 of cavalry.

[Autonaamio]

Well, how is your campaign goin? Still in debt? or did you start anew?

Campaign is doing good. I started from a clean table with the Carthagans(sp?) and my economy is blushing with mnai. I'm currently building two armies for africa and second one to coast of spain/gaul.
We'll see how the battles will go. Also any advices on units? Which are the good ones to use in combat and how much of cavalry do I need?

[Apázlinemjó]

If you take syracuse early on with your starting army in lilibeo the econemy start rising pretty fast. no need to disband units. maybe one or 2 of cavalry.

Or building mines in Gader and Karali. :o

[Iraklis]

Dont forget to disband the elephants tho, they are real mnai-suckers and i cant say they are that usefull. At least not so early in the game enyway.

[Macilrille]

Or you can start slow and disband (never done that, dont ask me).

Good luck with your campaigns!

~Fluvius

Ha ha ha Fluvius the Blitzer, fastest conqueror I know off ;-)

To the OP, EB is different (more realistic) and more difficult than Vanilla. It is good and commendable that you want something more realistic and well-researched so fast after starting RTW Vanilla, I applaud that.
But you should have started with Rome, Mac or Carties as already pointed out. You now are and enjoy the game so much more I hope (means you will keep playing- I wonder how many players EB loses by being so realistically hard on most factions).
EB is such a pleasure to play for the historically minded and except for the berserk AI and lack of naval invasions, so much an improvement over Vanilla that it is as stone age compared to Iron Age ;-)

Welcome, I hope you will have much fun.

[Autonaamio]

Ha ha ha Fluvius the Blitzer, fastest conqueror I know off ;-)

To the OP, EB is different (more realistic) and more difficult than Vanilla. It is good and commendable that you want something more realistic and well-researched so fast after starting RTW Vanilla, I applaud that.
But you should have started with Rome, Mac or Carties as already pointed out. You now are and enjoy the game so much more I hope (means you will keep playing- I wonder how many players EB loses by being so realistically hard on most factions).
EB is such a pleasure to play for the historically minded and except for the berserk AI and lack of naval invasions, so much an improvement over Vanilla that it is as stone age compared to Iron Age ;-)

Welcome, I hope you will have much fun.

Well put.

I only play a hour or two a day to keep my interest in the game. I also like the challenge in it - battles, for example I have to do much more strategy compared to RTW Van. Though the economy in the game troubled me in the beginning, but I'm now making ~15k mnai / turn(season?) so I have enough money to maintain a few armys while still beable to build my cities.

[Autonaamio]

A small update on the campaign if anybody is interested.

I've just conquered around half of the spanish-land, though it had been taken by Lusotannan's first.
By attackin Lustonannan's apparently the Romani's were their allies, and now i'm in war with them aswell, they haven't militarily approached me yet, but trying to wreck my navy.

[Blxz]

As long as it is possible I disband and roleplay, but for factions like sweboz, Lusotannia, phavla and saka rauka its impossible. Even with force diplomacy you have to conquer a lot really fast.
I hated it to beeing forced to conquer whole iberia by 250 or most of the seleukid empire by 240. Its ahistorical, impossible (From where do I get the people to rule and coordinate everything...) and bloody.
Still I think its great EB offers so many different experiences depending on the culture you use. I just hope in EB the partians arent a Blitzkrieg faction anymore

My new Saka campaign is easy enough. I have Chach, Chingu, Alexandreia-Eschate, Marakanda and the little town to the east which name escapes me right now. Economy is stable and I can build in each city pretty much every season. Thats hardly blitzing. You just need to balance your spending. Keep your army to the minimum. No need to take half the seleucid empire.

[Fluvius Camillus]

My new Saka campaign is easy enough. I have Chach, Chingu, Alexandreia-Eschate, Marakanda and the little town to the east which name escapes me right now. Economy is stable and I can build in each city pretty much every season. Thats hardly blitzing. You just need to balance your spending. Keep your army to the minimum. No need to take half the seleucid empire.

Probably Sulek in the province of Xiyu or Gava Haomavarga.

~Fluvius