Barbarians and No Money - How do you do it?

[Perturabo]

I know what you mean

Do I always play on VH/VH and by now I have used Hellene's and Dacia - still, I alway's get more money because I play extensive campaign's with loot's of fighting's and extermination's of enemy town's - by my opinion that is the only way to play EB, have money, and build your empire - but! 80% of EB player's just can not follow this pace because it take's year's (human year's) of RTW campaign's to make it work

There are couple of major problem's in EB regarding the 'lack of money' and unit upkeep:

1-The unit's are expensive on the default level's so you can build half of your City just by halting training of 2 elite unit's Imperial palace cost's 12800 minai, while elite's are 3000-5000 minai and some elephant's even over 15000 minai! - All of this is far away from historic notes

2-The unt's are expensive to be maintained - most of the time, upkeep cost's are 30-40% of the price! So player's are very seriou's if they are thinking of disbanding 80-100% of their army after a conquest!

Because now player need's to go back with is army sometime's for more than 5-10 turn's just to use them again - During that time you have to pay upkeep! And if you count that new unit cost's only 2,5-3 times more then upkeep of one new unit - you will see that you LOOSE MONEY if you DON'T disband your troop's that are now far away from battlefield (that mean's your battlefield - so if you take Rome maybe you want to expand in AsiaMinor not North Italy).

So, Pyrros did not disband his troop's he took to Italy - no, he used then after that in Makedonia and Sparta... If you play Epeiro's you will think twice before you decide to take 6 turn's from Italy to Makedonia with all the troop's

I belive that upkeep cost's should not be greater then 10-15% of unit training cost's - but that is just me

3-Manly because human player is alway's in debt you will have to play just certan faction's - one's that have 3+region's at the start..
Let me say it this way - I don't know how many, but I am sure that Pontos-Armenia-Saka are played only by 10% of EB's - just because there are no option's to gain money

I think that all faction's should have at least +100 minai income at the start as Huaman player not - 3000 to -6000 minai

But that would really change the EB team perspective

I hate to disagree.. have played Pontos on and off for a while, and it is easily one of the most enjoyable factions despite the main problem it suffers from - recruitment holes in faction MIC. I have a feeling that the financial situation at the start might be planned, because after a few well planned moves to take some of the coastal towns, you will be rolling in more money than your ex neighbour in Sardis - Croseus. Currently have 5 gold mines, some of which are amongst the best in game, and am pulling in enough money to kick both Selucia, Ptolies and the KH out of my region, while still donating large sums to the Maks.
It might take 10-15 years to get to that stage, but once there you are set, probably too little challenge really.

The Eperiots were the same, a few tough years then it was no problem to go where I want and do what I want.
Averni, same story, however there was never really the same amount of money coming in, but certainly enough to get by while plastering the Sweboz and Romans. The Aedui (sp) were defeated in about 4 years.

In my opnion, more money would simply detract from the game as it would be too easy. I like a challenge! Ares knows the AI provides almost none