Making Money

**knoddy** · 02-09-2008, 07:14

i have trade rights with heaps of peoples so thats not the issue. i think i just waste too much money on buildings i dont really need and try and have too many troops for my size :)

**Askthepizzaguy** · 02-09-2008, 07:19

Originally Posted by knoddy

i have trade rights with heaps of peoples so thats not the issue. i think i just waste too much money on buildings i dont really need and try and have too many troops for my size :)

You say you have too many troops. I say there is no such thing.

(different styles of play, for sure...)

If you have troops, you have a disposable weapon with which to expand your empire or weaken your enemy.

You could use those troops to box your enemy in, to guard river crossings, to rack up devastation in his lands, to sack his cities, to cover his ports and force a sally. You can send them on suicide missions and replace them easily.

Troops are better than money. but if you don't use them, they are merely a drain.

Give yourself some kind of advantage.

Either take a risk with few troops and build up florins, or build up troops and take a risk with few florins. One has got to give. Having massive troop levels and massive florin levels is only possible after you have built a massive empire. I favor the more troops method to build that massive empire. Some favor the economic game.

Pacifism is the slow route to victory, or the fast route to defeat.

**WhiskeyGhost** · 02-09-2008, 07:26

beware if giant army costs. Don't have a stack of high cost units just sitting around, unless they all happen to be veterans or something. To stave off the high upkeep costs of some units, only build them if your going to apply them ASAP. I often do this with things like Peasants, where i expect to throw them into a fight in 3 turn max from when i train them.

Remember, an army that isn't out killing something, is essentially just eating up your florins. If you end up with peace agreements and hostilities cease with your neighbors, keep a border garrison, maybe a half stack of re-enforcements, and get rid of any superfluous units (especially non-high ranked high upkeep units like cavalry).

When i first started playing, i always wondered why my income was low, until i realized that last mission I completed gave me 4 units of 250 upkeep cavalry which basically drained 1000 florins every turn they sat around doing nothing

**Askthepizzaguy** · 02-09-2008, 07:30

Originally Posted by WhiskeyGhost

If you end up with peace agreements and hostilities cease with your neighbors, keep a border garrison, maybe a half stack of re-enforcements, and get rid of any superfluous units (especially non-high ranked high upkeep units like cavalry).

When i first started playing, i always wondered why my income was low, until i realized that last mission I completed gave me 4 units of 250 upkeep cavalry which basically drained 1000 florins every turn they sat around doing nothing

P..p...peas... gree... mens?

What is this... "pease aggreemens" you speak of? I am familiar with the term hostilities, but peace?

I love it when I am gifted massive amounts of insane cavalry for completing a mission. Aim them at the nearest small rebel stack and win a free general!

Now, call a crusade, hire a few mercs, and go take down an empire or three.

**Poncho400** · 02-09-2008, 08:08

Yea, don't let good soldiers fill your cities as garrisons (unless they have free garrison). I personally keep a small peasant garrison in each city to help with public order. I'm taking all the units I've built while fighting now extinct factions and guarding vulnerable settlements, and I'm going to throw them at my close enemy. This will rid myself of enemies on my borders (I'll have an ally and two neutrals), get rid of unneeded troops without disbanding them, and further exapand my empire. Once I've done that, I can stick to keeping small garrisons and build up my bank account. Once I get a sizeable amount, I can rebuild a massive army to once again expand.

**Askthepizzaguy** · 02-09-2008, 08:12

Interesting point I absolutely HAVE to make:

Latest HRE campaign (the legend-in-the-making) involved taking the entire map as quickly as possible. I got excommunicated.

There wasn't even a single riot in my vast empire. None.

Not even pathetically undefended Jerusalem.

Why?

Glory bonus and fear. The more rivals you destroy, the more places you sack, the stronger you are and the higher your public order rating.

Public order becomes no concern at all once you've slain a few empires. So do it quickly and win a crusade or jihad.

Then crank taxes to maximum and watch money problems disappear as quickly as your enemies.

**Rhyfelwyr** · 02-09-2008, 13:50

Unless you do plan to blitz at the start, I've found your economy develops a lot better with low tax rates. The growth brought about by having low taxes soon brings in more cash than high taxes on a smaller population. In addition, this gets you high chivalry Generals that can massively increase growth in your settlements. In my current Turkish campaign, Caesarea was a Citadel by the time I got the eastern horde message, and was training Qapukulu by the time they arrived.

**Askthepizzaguy** · 02-09-2008, 14:15

I actually find that the strategy of lumping 8 or more generals together and going on a VERY QUICK crusade or jihad, and having them all take the target in a single stack nets you 8+ high chivalry (5+) governors.

FAR more effective than lowering taxes.

Admittedly a useless strategem for Orthodoxies.