Help my economy keeps crashing

[Matheis]

I am playing RTW Barbarian invasion on easy battle & campaign mode and I can't keep my empire from going bankrupt. When I try to build more markets,mines it simply is not enough after about 4 turns some of my towns rebel and then I go bankrupt. Whenmy economy starting to rise the barbarians would just attack me and take my towns.

I was thinking of getting rid of some of the small cities that don't contribute much like the brittania region of londom and the one above it. I am thinking of moveing those troops out and abandining those proveninces then moveing those troops to defend the terroritory next to the franks.

[DisruptorX]

Set up a cycle of letting your cities revolt, then sacking them and massacring the population for profit.

Yes, Rome Total War campaigns are silly.

[econ21]

Set up a cycle of letting your cities revolt, then sacking them and massacring the population for profit.

Yes, Rome Total War campaigns are silly.

No! You don't have to play in a silly way.

I am assuming the original poster was talking about the WRE? I actually think that is one of the best TW campaigns ever, particularly if you tweak it a little (as in Goth's mod) and follow some house rules (e.g. no extermination; no retraining; keeping to Rome's historic borders; I'm tempted to add "no bridge battles"). The first few turns in particular are really tense and fun to manage. Have a look at our WRE PBM to see how much fun it can be:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=60372

The key is probably managing loyalty - if your cities revolt (and you can't retake them), then it does not matter how much money they were pulling in.

To manage loyalty, a useful opening is to shift your capital from Rome to Massilia. This is the optimum location in terms of minimising distance penalties to your empire.

Next, make sure religion is handled. It's easier to give the people what they want - if the majority are Christian, demolish pagan temples and build churches; if they are pagan, do the opposite. This will tend to mean Africa and Italy are Christian; elsewhere is Pagan. If you want to, you can use the chap with the splinters of the true cross etc to slowly make the Empire christian (but the key word is slowly).

Then, obviously micromanage tax rates and arena games to get loyalty to satisfactory levels - often you need low taxes initially, which will cause more trouble in future due to squalor and will ruin your governor's traits (after a while, pull them out - they are doing more harm than good).

Finally, you could build a few happiness buildings. The low level relevant religious buildings are often most use. But I also like arenas or better in all decent sized cities.

Turning to the economy proper, you have lots of options.

Extermination will give you a lot of money, but personally I try to avoid that - it does not feel right and I think in-game it's a bit too good.

You could try disbanding troops (e.g. fleets and foederati cavalry) or some buildings (keep troop buildings only in Rome and one or two other places - Carthage, London, one Rhine settlement etc.). I used to do that but I am not sure it is necessary (it's not in Goth mod).

You need a small surplus to invest in economic buildings. Look at the city details to see what will happen to your income. Often ports seems really attractive investments (one or two are useless, because the port apparently only trades with enemy settlements). Mines are good. Markets etc may help if you have a good sea trade income. Make high return investments and over 10-20 turns, you should find the economy coming round so that soon you can continuously build something in every city.

The guides section of the Org will give you other views and strategies on playing WRE. I'm not saying my way is the only way or the best. But at least it's not silly.

[Matheis]

Ya I am western empire, and I am walking on a tight rope most of my money I have been makeing is takeing over my own towns (who were rebels) and exterminating them. However that money depleted but the money I gained from those towns I have put into building mines and harbors. However i have run out of rebel towns and now am -3000 every turn now I am like -12500 total I still got 1 full legion near the eastern empires western border. But now some of my towns are starting to rebel again.

The question is what should I do with this legion go after and destroy the almani (which won't pay very much) or go after my ally the eastern empire? the barbarian hordes have not arrived yet luckly they are still occupied with the sumaritians. But my guess in about 10-15 turns the vandels might arrive since they have been awfully quiet. I have allready prepared about 6 units of highly trained longbowman from rome I plan to send these by boat to solona cause thats the town that gives me alot of money and its the town the huns/barbarians normenly go after first.

If i ever get more money im going to build fortresses along the northern part of italy and northwest part of the netherlands.

[Matheis]

I wanted to go back to the old pagan ways so I burned down all the christian churchs I found each one gave me about 1000 gold so that gave me about 8000 to start with which was good to build some mines and traders.

[econ21]

Going after the Allemanni is probably sensible from a gameplay point of view. The ERE can wait - they are often targets of the Vandals and Huns, so taking them on early may merely transfer that problem to you.

If you get all of your starting towns under your control and build economic stuff (ports & mines), you should have no money problems.

But with a -12500 balance, you might want to think about immediate cost cutting - scrap all foederati cavalry and your navy. For a cash infusion and to secure your borders, exterminate the Celts, Berbers and Allemanni; maybe scrap a few low grade training buildings.

I can't see scrapping churches as cost effective - it will cause loyalty problems and you'll presumably have to spend more to build pagan alternatives. But maybe I'm missing something.