Treasury - how bad is it to be rich?

**Tue** · 06-09-2005, 07:48

Thank you all. It seems I was a bit too worried about their traits plummeting given that academies and scriptorums (havn't reached the last level yet) are very good at boosting the governor's retinues and traits. So from now on I'll just keep the money in my treasury until I need it.

@Quietus:
I'll be sure to stop by and say hello.
Why shouldn't I use the heir as a governor?

**Aesculapius** · 06-09-2005, 12:05

Well, the issue about corrupting your governors is one thing. As others have pointed out, it won't break your empire, just make it a bit less efficient.

But the really bad thing about being rich is that you're wasting your money. It does nothing for you sitting in the bank - you ain't earning interest on it! Whereas if you spent it on more troops, they could be getting out there conquering more territory faster and earning you more income. And if you spend it on improving your cities, your cities will generate more population and more income for you as well.

Financially and militarily, you'll do better in the long run by spending your money than by saving it up for 'when you need it'; as long as you make sure your troops are earning their keep and not sitting around idle. Besides, what are you going to do 'when you need it' that you can't do now?

This thread discusses similar issues - might be of interest.

**Tue** · 06-09-2005, 13:16

Originally Posted by Aesculapius

Well, the issue about corrupting your governors is one thing. As others have pointed out, it won't break your empire, just make it a bit less efficient.

But the really bad thing about being rich is that you're wasting your money. It does nothing for you sitting in the bank - you ain't earning interest on it! Whereas if you spent it on more troops, they could be getting out there conquering more territory faster and earning you more income. And if you spend it on improving your cities, your cities will generate more population and more income for you as well.

Financially and militarily, you'll do better in the long run by spending your money than by saving it up for 'when you need it'; as long as you make sure your troops are earning their keep and not sitting around idle. Besides, what are you going to do 'when you need it' that you can't do now?

This thread discusses similar issues - might be of interest.

Thank you for the link.

As for spending money I'm not that keen on ultra rapid expansion - just a personal preference - so I tend to build slowly but steadily. Currently I have 3 armies in the field which is enough to wage on two fronts with 3 more in strategic reserve/rebel hunting. All my cities are building continuously, I'm bribing diplomats to join me and faction armies to disband while building up a rather large navy. Could I spend more? Absolutely. But it doesn't suit me to have massive armies all over the place. I like to keep my armies smaller than my opposition to increase my chances of getting those nice crossed swords.

When do I need it? I don't know which is sort of the point. I like knowing that I have enough money to bribe just about everything if I have to.

**Revelation** · 06-09-2005, 13:45

But the really bad thing about being rich is that you're wasting your money.

Not entirely true. In fact, in most cases i'd say entirely untrue. If your faction is in control of a large amount of provinces, then there is no reason why you shouldn't be filthy rich. Even with a steady recruitment process in place and all towns expanding you should still be raking in the profits. It is actually quite difficult to spend , unless of course your the mass producer, you know the type, the ones who just build armies and fling them at any and all opponents(not saying theres anything wrong with this), with the "screw the casualties, just smother the bastards with numbers" attitude.
Of course, bribery becomes quite the bottomless pit.
All in all though, a little strategy will go a long way. With all your provinces building and recruiting, there is no reason why you should not be rolling in the green.

**katank** · 06-09-2005, 23:23

Constant building production is all you need. This does not even use up 1/10 of your cash later on.

Constant military production is a sign of inexperience. You need very little military production. 90+% of my units built are peasants thus garrison.

Money is best used to be gifted to AI factions through hefty regular tributes.

This nicely beefs up their factions and is automatic, thus less microing. Makes you fight more interesting opponents later on. Quite nice.

You can of course bribe a lot.

**Azi Tohak** · 06-10-2005, 00:16

For me, the sad part is Mikeus is right. You don't need to have good traits, just money to buy the best troops possible. In STW once you got Monks, you were done with infantry so now it is up to your tactics, but those fellas were target practice for archers and fairly easy for HC. Here...once you get your super infantry, unless the AI can match you (which I have NEVER seen) uber-unit to uber-unit, you can just say charge and the AI is hosed.

Wow...I did not realize it was a rant....

Azi

**Aesculapius** · 06-10-2005, 11:49

Originally Posted by katank

Constant military production is a sign of inexperience.

Really?

Why?

**Revelation** · 06-10-2005, 23:29

Constant military production is a sign of inexperience.

Originally Posted by Aesculapius

Really?

Why?

I wouldn't even bother with that one mate. It seems a rather ridiculous statement, a viscious little jibe even.
If you have the money, then spend it.
Each to their own. If building massive armies and conquering by sheer weight of numbers is your thing, then thats a sound, fun way to control the known world.
If micro management, designated armies for particular tasks, a strict retraining schedule and peasant garrisons is your thing, then hey, go for it. Both are fun and very effective ways of winning the game.
To say that you are inexperienced because you like to send numerous armies to all the corners of the world and keep a constant supply of fresh troops available is just plain ....hmm.....silly.

**cruix** · 07-10-2005, 09:13

Originally Posted by katank

Money is best used to be gifted to AI factions through hefty regular tributes.
You can of course bribe a lot.

Yup, this is how I have fun with my treasury. Right now I am funding all of the wars between the remiaining factions on the map against each other (on last that this would be the bretons vs. germania, juli vs. spanish, bruti vs. thrace+dacia, egypt vs. parthia, selucids+scythia vs. pontus+armenia.)

Also any time where I see one side badly loosing a battle, i pitch in by bribing away a good deal of the opposing side's army (ai has a bad tendency to march armies and generals seperatly, and i don't like bribing generals).

To further spice things up go bribe or buy random cities and then give them to the sentate. Watching those dogs having to march their duffs out of the comforts of Rome all the way into scythia or some other god forsaken place to defend a dinky rebellious colony is a reward in itself.

**Deus ret.** · 07-10-2005, 21:08

Good idea gneeheeheee...

**player1** · 07-10-2005, 08:53

Here are the triggers for the reference.
And few or these traits are also good, or mixed blessing like Aesthetic or Epicurean.

Code:

Trigger corruption1
    WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd

    Condition EndedInSettlement
          and Treasury > 50000

    Affects Corrupt  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Aesthetic  1  Chance  3 
    Affects ExpensiveTastes  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Epicurean  1  Chance  3 
    Affects BadAdministrator  1  Chance  3 

;------------------------------------------
Trigger corruption2
    WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd

    Condition EndedInSettlement
          and Treasury > 100000

    Affects Corrupt  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Aesthetic  1  Chance  3 
    Affects ExpensiveTastes  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Epicurean  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Embezzler  1  Chance  3 

;------------------------------------------
Trigger corruption4
    WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd

    Condition EndedInSettlement
          and Treasury > 150000

    Affects Corrupt  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Aesthetic  1  Chance  3 
    Affects ExpensiveTastes  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Epicurean  1  Chance  3 
    Affects Embezzler  1  Chance  3

**player1** · 07-10-2005, 08:55

If you start piling so much money that you can't spend it, the good thing to do is to start brining.

While bribing is very expensive post 1.2 patch, you can't really do anything else with the money can you?