post patch econ/cost system: it's fine!

**Slaists** · 05-02-2009, 01:03

Since the patch I have seen many posts ranting that post-game-play patch has rendered the game unplayable due to unreasonable costs, etc.

Post-patch, I started a game as Britain on H campaign difficulty. As of now it's 1740, I have 100K+ in my treasury (all provinces developed to the max of my tech ability), I have +17K profit per turn and I have 2.5 stacks in the Americas (not counting garrisons here and there in the provinces with colleges) and the original armies in Britain; I have 2 military fleets (one in the Carribean: has defeated the French and the pirates many times; one near the channel: has defeated the French a few times); I trade all over the place; and... I have 16 provinces, so hardly anyone can blame me for blitzing.

As a matter of fact, at one point, I thought I had lost the 13 provinces to the combined force of Iroquois, Cherokee and the French (only 2 out of original provinces were standing). But I managed a reversal in that department, retaking all lost provinces and granding them back to my protectorate (I wanted to finish the mission rather than just grab the land). So, as of 1740, the 13 provinces are back as they were and I am one province away from completing the mission (for the 13 provinces to join me).

It all took some thought and management (for example, protecting the trade routes of my trade partners; or letting the enemies tear apart the 13 colonies, while I was dealing with more urgent matters at hand [the pirates and the Huron]): yes. But isn't that kind of challenge what we want from the game? + it's 1740 and there's is still plenty of 'things to do' and Britain is only the 4th/5th faction in the prestige ratings...

So, my 2 cents: CA has done a great job improving the gameplay (it's way more engaging and rewarding than before) and I like the new cost/economy system. The complaints are just that: b-ocks!... Pardon my French! This kind of praise I think I have never before directed towards CA, only towards the modders...

--

UPDATE: it's 1754, I have completed the 13 colony mission, and I am 'raking in' about 35,000 of PROFITS every turn. I still have my 2.5 stack armies, but one of the stacks is raiding the North African coast now, while the other one is pondering attacking the plains indians just out of nothing to do syndrome. Cherokees have agreed to be protected by me, so have Iroquois (both are at war with each other though... so it'll be fun watching them sorting things out). Mm, yes, after the "13 colonies" joined me, my province count jumped up to 26. Still not sure, it could be labeled as 'rushing'.

I have a fear though that taking those last 7 provinces (GB needs 35 provinces in total, but that total includes Gibraltar and Egypt: both easy grabs from Spain and Ottomans, doable just before the finish-line) in India will be way too easy making the end-game a bit of a boring chore that it used to be before the patch. So, all in all, if you ask me: the game is still too easy on the H campaign setting.

**Miracle** · 05-02-2009, 03:29

You played as GB which is still one of the easiest (if not the easiest) faction to play post-patch.

How about playing as one of the harder factions (Ottomans, Poland, etc.)?

You can't say the econ system is just fine and dandy when you've only played one game with an easy faction. It's just not a representative sample.

**knoddy** · 05-02-2009, 03:52

im in the middle of a poland vh/vh game and im fine so can i comment on how its good?

yes i was a bit shocked at the turn around in income when i loaded my game, but it was easy to control and reverse it, now im back to earning bout 10k a turn. and i didnt get rid of ANY of my large armies, i mostly got rid of useless garrisons and stopped throwing cash at the ai for different things (trade access, techs etc)

for me the funniest thing is, people complained and complained when the game came out that the AI was too idle and not aggressive and that it was too easy to blitz the AI and all that. so the devs listened and change the game to suit the audience now that its challenging everyone wants it back the way it was lol

Cheers Knoddy

**A Very Super Market** · 05-02-2009, 04:24

I started a new one as Prussia, and one as the UP. However, I am too much of a wuss, so I played H/M, and the economy was manageable without flipping out on me.

**andrewt** · 05-02-2009, 23:47

Originally Posted by knoddy

for me the funniest thing is, people complained and complained when the game came out that the AI was too idle and not aggressive and that it was too easy to blitz the AI and all that. so the devs listened and change the game to suit the audience now that its challenging everyone wants it back the way it was lol

Cheers Knoddy

Do you have any proof that the same people who complained that the AI was too idle are now complaining that it is too aggressive? It has to be the same people, not different people with different opinions.

**Slaists** · 05-02-2009, 07:30

Originally Posted by Miracle

You played as GB which is still one of the easiest (if not the easiest) faction to play post-patch.

How about playing as one of the harder factions (Ottomans, Poland, etc.)?

You can't say the econ system is just fine and dandy when you've only played one game with an easy faction. It's just not a representative sample.

Don't ya worry. I have a VH Ottoman campaign going on in parallel and I'm savoring every turn of it. Believe me, it's going just fine finance wise too... I actually started the GB campaign just to test out the changes to sea battles. I did not seem to get enough of those as Ottomans.

**Dayve** · 05-02-2009, 08:33

I guess i'm just doing something wrong then because i was bankrupt and economically defeated by 1713, then i played as Spain and despite disbanding every other army, having only 3 galleons in Europe theater and a main army that consisted of 3 line inf units and a general, i was bankrupt.

**Slaists** · 05-02-2009, 13:51

Originally Posted by Dayve

I guess i'm just doing something wrong then because i was bankrupt and economically defeated by 1713, then i played as Spain and despite disbanding every other army, having only 3 galleons in Europe theater and a main army that consisted of 3 line inf units and a general, i was bankrupt.

Hmm. How to you play the economic side of your empire? I alwasy try to have positive income predicted for the next turn and build up a 'cushion' of cash for the cases when my trade gets blockaded. Once I have battleworthy fleets in critical points I go bolder (leaving less of a cash cushion in treasury).

And yes, as Brits I did not raise too many armies. In the Americas I only had one full stack with colonial line, some horse and arty + another stack, which was half hessians, half local musketmen (cheap upkeep) + the local cavalry & arty. I never seemed to need more. As a matter of fact, the stack of colonial linemen is now conquering North Africa.

Trade management seemed the key. By 1755 I have about 40,000 in trade income and only about 20,000 in tax income each turn... One thing: check the trade partners sheet. If some of them are 'grayed out' (blockaded) and there is no way your fleets can lift their blockade: cancel the trade agreement and assign it to some other faction. Even if no other is available, canceling out blockaded partners, appears to improve the overall trade income. I guess, the goods get reassigned through the other trade partners.

**Turbosatan** · 05-02-2009, 15:40

Loving the patch.

Ottomans, VH/H (what? I want the enemy to rout eventually), s'about 1721-ish, I'm currently making 8K pa; don't have much of a fleet -- which will have to be amended, 'cos Venice has just declared war, the first nation to do so who are able to inflict trade damage on me -- & one of my (two main) armies has just lost something like 80% of its men squashing the military threat of the Poles.

Haven't got much of a warchest, but the game's challenging & fun.

PS: the melee-heavy battle AI thing. I know by now that a lot of ETW problems have only happened to other people (including one delightful tyke who labelled me "a screaming fanboy" for piping up that my game had only crashed twice), but I haven't seen this, either.

When I fought Poland's line infantry: they lined up & shot.

When I fought Dagestan's line infantry: they lined up & shot.

Don't get it, sorry... Although the Persians mobbed me, which I thought was okay, as they had about three firearms in their entire army.

**Fisherking** · 05-02-2009, 15:48

Spain was hard before the patch.

It may have been the most difficult economically of any faction I had played.

I have not tried it post patch but I know the increased costs could be crippling. Prepatch I had to put every cent into the economy to get it built up. With a more aggressive AI and questionable benefits to building most improvements I am sure it is more than challenging.

**joe4iz** · 05-02-2009, 05:17

I would say if anything it is easier now to get rid of the competition.. By 1720, I had done away with the Huron and the Pirates. The pirates being the harder of the two. I am not making the amount of money that you are as GB because I keep having war declared on me and have had the good fortune of taking territories. Mind you they aren't all declaring war on me but on the 13 colonies. At 1730, I have finished off the Iriquois and France...France still holds Alsace and have taken Savoy. I think they are out of money though as none of their American possesion had any troops in them. Have not had time to attack the Cherrokee but I expect to do so shortly.

I guess some of it the factions are acting suicidal .

Instead of taking out the Cherrokee, I destroyed the Barbary Pirates and sold their provinces to three different factions. That should start some nice wars. So yes, by 1750, I expect to control all of NA. I was not able to do that prior to the patch. France has taken sometime to digest. I guess I should have sold it instead of garrisoning and building the economy there (there was none).

**xsvfan** · 05-02-2009, 07:01

The only problem I have is I have to delete my dutch campaign (104 turns). Im on all 4/4 difficulty. I was going to make ~7,000 gold this turn, but after this patch I stand to lose almost 55,000. Too bad I have to restart because of this change.
One strange bug, I was pirating in the english coast on the same trade route (to sweden, etc) and when I combine my naval units I lose 70,000 gold