How to make money!

[PershsNhpios]

Hmm, in my campaign Makedonia has taken most of Peloponnesus!
Anyway, I now understand how to build an empire, I knew I should of persevered with the barbarians and started on the hard factions.
I was right, by 250 BCE in my campaign I conquered Britannia and Ireland.

The trick was to use every dirty trick you could with your units, because initially you just don't have the resources to play heroically with great battle lines.





Did someone say something about manipulating the AI??????
How do I get force_diplomacy accept to work??
Oh please tell me the secrets of this, if I cannot make realistic deals with the AI, I will make house rules for myself (i.e. paying 10000 for each forced deal), and cheat to force them to be reasonable!

I would greatly appreciate anyone who can help me here, as I do not cheat otherwise, I think it is wrong in this mod as the team has put too much (voluntary!) effort into immersing every possible part of classical warfare into their project to cheat for success.
I did not even want to cheat on diplomacy at first, but some responses, while others are realistic, throw me out of the illusion.
Other things like the battle AI mistakes, I can forgive.

I beg ye, who art so handsome and wise in ye ways of dirty cheating, to assist me in my plight!

[The Celtic Viking]

For force diplomacy, install this neat little mod: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=80763. I use it all the time when the AI is too idiotic in the diplomacy section (such as when they will refuse trade rights only because they just refused to ally with me).

[PershsNhpios]

Thank you sah, my furry friend (Not at all an uncomfortable 'come-on', but a reference to your tagline.), I will download it immediately, and let my appreciation to all be known for advising me how to make money.
Do not be shy however, suggestions and experiences still welcome here.

[The Celtic Viking]

Thank you sah, my furry friend (Not at all an uncomfortable 'come-on', but a reference to your tagline.), I will download it immediately, and let my appreciation to all be known for advising me how to make money.
Do not be shy however, suggestions and experiences still welcome here.

Oh, I like it when strangers on the internet says they want to be my friend. Makes me feel more like home.

As for making money, there are some ways to do it. The best ways I believe are already stated, and in any case they are how I do it. That is, disband the army and develop your city/ies, or conquer until you're back on plus. Usually I go with the latter option, but as the Casse and Pahlava I've opted for the former with success (only lost as Pahlava because I got too greedy and refused to build an army even when I had the funds to do so ).

Then of course there's the choice of where to go, if you choose to conquer. As the Sweboz, north is always a good idea. Not only because Scandinavia is the best piece of land on earth, but also because there's the mines and trade and Skándzá-Swáiut. Awesome. It shouldn't be too hard either, and after a few settlements you'll be making enough money to stop and build up. Just remember to disband the cavalry - they're not worth the upkeep with your starting economy.

Another thing is that I always let the enemy sally rather than to assault. Not only will they have less men able to fight you, but you will fight in the open on your terms. Saves lives, which should mean that you're able to take more settlements, and become richer that way.

[PershsNhpios]

Very noble and respectable replies, which I have been waiting for.

I have adopted an apparently successful financial package, as I have stated previously here, however it is a grand thing to hear the attempts of others. This was however partly due to luck, as for once the Eleutheroi did begin their campaigns while I was beginning mine!
I have not yet tried fortune yet as an Eastern nation, I will follow my Casse campaign and it's reports hopefully to the finish.

Upon assaulting a settlement as the Casse, I made sure my besieging army was weaker than the garrison.
This made the garrison sally forth immediately.
I then created a horseshoe of slingers surrounding the front gate, as the enemy tired and were brutalized by shot as they sallied, and my men started to lose ammunition, I lessened the horseshoe and then ravaged all survivors with my chariots before they arrived back in the town.
Then it was simply a matter of breaking down the gates if there were any survivors.

Of course, I have not yet landed on the continent yet, so my Celtic tacts only stretch as far as guerilla warfare in the north has allowed.
Though I am very apprehensive of my upcoming campaign away from the homeland, which is why I wanted to develop a diplomatical frenzy before I arrived, which is why I asked about.. well, cheating!

I agree with your opinion of forts, Sygod, as they are not used nearly enough, considering they are now freely built!
However as the Casse, I doubt such a situation could be successful with the multitude of the enemy, I had to be very wily to win my battles in Britannia.
Your words I will keep in mind when I war on the continent however.

Finally, about this money mod.

I would be so grateful as to buy six rounds and cashew nuts/chips for everyone at the EB Royal, if someone could find a way of downloading it other than the links given on the author's thread.
I have tried all things asked of me, and have not succeeded at all.
As far as I know, this file is but 5kb, so it would not be very much to host.
(Ahem.. *hint*!).
I have heard it makes the AI far more realistic in growth, I do not know whether it is save-game compatible, but I would prefer it rather than the Casse playing bonk-a-horrifically-large-stack within the next 50 years.

[The Celtic Viking]

You mean the balanced mod? In that case, try this: http://hem.bredband.net/jonjir/balancedv11.rar

[PershsNhpios]

You are swiftly responsive, and have the helpful dedication of a true ape, Monkey! I wonder if they serve vanilla coke with bananas at the old EB, and if so, I am going to find you a nice, monkey sized stool and I will pay for you to drink and eat as long as you wish!
Thank you very much, you have granted me the most in my questions here!