Why you go into debt for rebellions?

[Horatius]

Is there a reason that on top of not getting the taxes for not having the city when as Western Roman Empire a city defects and joins the Western Roman Rebels in the Rebellion or worse category, I go into deficit?

I have learned how to deal with it, destroy all military buildings in the rebelling settlements a turn before I am thrown out, and remove the garrisson, then slaughter the peasants next turn, but it is very annoying to start the game in debt, and to frequently have my profits turn negative.

[dismal]

Is there a reason that on top of not getting the taxes for not having the city when as Western Roman Empire a city defects and joins the Western Roman Rebels in the Rebellion or worse category, I go into deficit?

You lose the income from the city and potentially a good amount of the income your other cities made trading with the lost city since it is now your enemy. On the plus side, you shed the rebels salaries.

I don't think there's anything special about rebellions when it comes to economic issues. Your deficit is just the old problem of having more soldiers than your economy can support.

[mystic brew]

i like it as a feature...

It's a realistic 'hit' that your faction takes from the disruption to normal trade and commerce.

and you have to decide quickly what to do with the cities, or downsize your forces.

[Celt Centurion]

You lose the income from the city and potentially a good amount of the income your other cities made trading with the lost city since it is now your enemy. On the plus side, you shed the rebels salaries.

I don't think there's anything special about rebellions when it comes to economic issues. Your deficit is just the old problem of having more soldiers than your economy can support.

I used to destroy buildings to keep them from being taken over by rebels as well.

The problem with that, is that when we take the city back, and we always do, we have to re-build, or essentially have very little in the city. We do always take it back don't we? I don't think that any of us allow them to get away with a revolt.

What I have been doing lately, and it seems to work in a barbaric kind of way;

after 1st Riot, drag and drop units until all but a handful are fully manned. Then I move all "fully manned" units outside of the city about one-half of their movement points away. Then I retrain all the others left. If, due to buildings damaged, I cannot retrain a unit, I send them to the nearest city I can if it's reasonably close, and if it's a long way, they simply join the army I just moved out.

Next turn, if units are then up to full manning, I send all but one unit to join the others. That leaves only one unit in the city. Usually though, they will have again taken casualties due to another riot. Move all but one unit out. Set taxes to very high. End turn.

Next turn begins, almost every time at this point, a revolt has taken place. On the positive, there are usually fewer rebel units inside the city if you don't have many inside, and the strong units you do have are a distance away. Send in a spy, lay siege. If the spy can open your gates, go take it back and give them an attitude adjustment by putting them to the sword. If the spy doesn't open the gates, then build your siege equipment, take it back, and put them to the sword. I am slowly learning that rebel cities have to be put to the sword. Some have such bad attitudes that they have to be put to the sword 2 or 3 times before I can keep it. Some cities, such as Cordoba, Tanais and Kotais have to experience a revolt every ten turns or so. The hardest part is just getting them up to "huge city" status so that you can build the better buildings such as Urban Barracks and foundry. Quite honestly, it does not bother me to go in and clean up the place when they riot. I lose far fewer men evacuating and provoking a revolt, and then taking the city back from the rebels than I do trying to pacify the population and keep them from revolting. Putting the troublemakers to the sword also finances building upgrades at other cities.

Am I becoming Barbaric or what?

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion