Fiscal Tips

[A Nerd]

I have a hopefully simple question, what are some good strategies to make some money in M2TW? I've tried to play fair but it seems I always go broke. I often have to resort to the...hold your breath and cover your ears if you must...add_money cheat! EEEK! I was wondering if anyone could provide their tips to a thriving stable economy. It seems that despite builing financial buildings; ports, markets and the like, I still go broke. To maintain garrisons, expansionist desires and military defense forces for the inevitable multiple attacks by my AI adversaries the funds needed either are unavailable and/or dwindle to nothing. My proud glories and desires for world domination get buried within the mass graves of my brave but unlucky perhaps foolish (for fighting for such a fiscally irresponsible monarch) soldiers and strategem pieces. Any tips?

[augustosilva]

Be patient, probably you are spending so much to create an army instead of expand your economy. You cannot improve all at same time. In the begining recruit some units (stay away from unkeep costs of an large army) to protect your settlements. The priority is to build ports, roads, markets, earn money of missions, take rebel settlements, etc... Make alliances, trade rights and wait the gold come. When your economy is stable is time to start the world conquest... Basically it's my strategy.

Man, its my first post in 'english', I hope this was useful, and that you understood ;)

[A Nerd]

Thanks for the reply. What is your opinion on merchants? Welcome to the forum by the way! Can you trade with other factions without a merchant?

[augustosilva]

Yes, you can trade with other factions without a merchant. Merchants are used to explore resources from other territories, like gold, ambar, silk... Just select your merchant and move it next an resource that it will give x gold per turn. To initiate 'trade rights' with another faction you might initiate diplomatic relations using the diplomat.

[A Nerd]

That's good to know that you can trade with other factions without a merchant. It seems though that when I put a merchant on a trade good in a forign land he only seems to make 20-30 florins per turn. WIth the exception of Timbukto where they tend to make 200-300 florins. To me this seems to make them quite useless. Considering the effort made to produce them and move them onto the good you want to trade, especially if it is quite some distance from thier conception. I usually only use merchants (forign ones) as assasination targets, in order to increase the aptitude of my assassins. Perhaps an experiment is in order! Dumb old merchants who couldn't make a dime selling food to a starving man!

[augustosilva]

lol in terms they are really useless in small numbers! And spending gold with them if your faction is Venice or The Byzantines is not a good option by the disputed position on the map, you will need more protection than normal. Russia and England are good options to play using merchants. I prefer to play with more isolated factions to focus more in economy and technology in the early period.