I was surprised in my recent English GA campaign. I was romping along with a good chunk of the map, across southern Europe and a good chunk of the desert plains through to Tripoli. Then I found myself separated at Croatia (had a thin link through from Britany to Venice to Constanople and beyond after I kicked the Byz and the Eggys out)) and my high influence king died off and a new king reemerged out East while at the same time the Spanish broke a treaty and attacked my navy.
Suddenly, I drop from a comfortable income to being massively in the hole. I manage to fight back, droppping 4 provinces due to rebellion ( Mercia, Provance, Britany, and Champagne). All of them keep rebelling with loyalists, so I think it's a matter of time before I can retake them. Then the Argonese remerge in Aquitane.
Now, I accidentally get excommed as I forgot the pope warned me not to fight (he means stop holing up in the castle in Aquitane). But I am looking at some ripe pope lands, and figuring, hey why not take the pope down a few pegs, I'll lose some men (lower my costs), raze his buildings, and keep attacking the Spanish for a bit longer, until I have exacted and vanguished their navy (nearly there, now if I can only destroy all their ports and shipbuilding capacity, I'll really be gold).
My question is , when you suddenly go in the hole, how do you get out? Before the last redo bit part, I was some 6k in the hole, with big expenses (maybe close to 4k yearly), so redoing my empire by wacking the Spanish will be helpful (both ends as the Spanish expanded across wiping out the Alomonds and the Eggys).
Any other suggestions, beyond the usual restoring my trade, reducing the mercs (who gladly sacrifise themselves to ensure my victories, if not there is always the reload menu), and cutting the fat off lands I take over (also possibly razing my own to release some troops for outward conquering)?
I also already manage my own rents as I find I can do better than the AI automanaging can. Also manage to shuffle some peasants around when it helps keep the peace and some money flowing in. I almost wonder, should put my no stars king in a few battles (may be tough, some good AI generals about in I think it's 1222)? Of course I would build where he is (now settled back west in Genoa, but since I have no cash, I as yet can't build anything.
I think I plan to keep hacking the Spanish down and taking some buildings while keeping my borders intact. They still have a decent amount of troops, though I notice they tend to be a bit short on missile types, so if I can delay contact, I am usually okay a s my later all out charges go aganist slightly depleted and demoralized troops. If I can damage their more productive provinces the resulting cash flow will be a big boon. I can ignore the HRE at the moment as they were severely damaged when they refused my constant offers of peace. Poland is weak, the Byz damaged, and the Danish/scandanavians are growing, though still not that big yet (the HRE and the BYz are my buffers at the moment.
Eventually my cash position should improve, but just looking for any short cuts that might help. I know I could also sacrifise some of my own buildings that I don't use in certain provinces, though I don't know if the resulting savings make it worth while.
So any ideas out of the economic hole that you have tried or tested? My tech is good, plenty of troops, though my turf is a large area. Believe I am still ahead on GA points after a few crusades (still have 2 markers ready and waiting) and all the territory I took. That's also another idea, give up spme ground that I raze my buildings out east and take the released troops aganist the Danes/Scandanaians? Maybe another possibility after I finish hassling the Spanish.
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