Quietus' Rome: Total War Guide

[Quietus]

Thanks for the guide, Quietus. I'd like to add: POPULATION DRIVES YOUR ECONOMY.

Most people know that taxation is proportional to population. But so are trade and farming. When a city doubles in size, it also doubles trade and farm income. If you want more money, get more people. This explains turn-to-turn trade variations, since population tends to increment upward.

Huge bloated cities can rake massive cash despite few economic improvements. It's not obvious, because the city is allocated a large amount of public debt based on headcount. And big cities are often inefficient moneymakers per capita, so they appear not to be pulling their weight. But the city as a whole IS pulling its weight and more.

A 20% trade bonus applies only to trade income. A 20% farm bonus applies only to farming income. But a 20% population increase applies to tax income, AND trade, AND farm income. Thus population growth should have priority over trade/farm upgrades.... (handily enough, trade and farm upgrades DO increase growth)! Sewers are ideal because they accelerate growth while countering the inevitable unhappiness growth will bring.

Hey Cyan,

Yes, population is the cog of the economy. Indirectly anyway. Tech Levels are the direct function of the population. For example, building ports etc. Is that what you meant?

i) Occupation –The city will be occupied as is and no buildings will be damaged (recommended).
Pros:

* Faster upgrade possibilities (city level upgrades are tied to population).

Hence, it is fairly circular, because, you can't upgrade without population anyway.

Big cities always make a loss. The best money-making populations are between 1000 and 6000. Anything above that and you'll be losing money every turn.

Garvanko, oh no. Cities don't really lose money. Read the first part of the economics section (about wages and upkeep).