Tips for a begginer ? thanks in advance

[tudor93]

hello, so I just started playing XC, this is my first mod (I only played vanilla), I want to say, great work, the new units are cool, the HUGE map is awesome but I can't handle it .... I mean, at the beggining of any campaign my cities have income like -1000 , -2000 ; so what must I do ? I turn the taxes to very high, still they don't have a positive income, the other factions have huge armies and they attack me, I don't have such big armies, on the second turn I don't have any money left, can you give me some tips, a easy faction ... what buildings should I build first (beeing used to vanilla buildings/cities, when I saw 3 different types of barracks, 2 types of farms and so on, I was like "wtf !?" ... thanks

[Zarax]

First, pick a faction that has a good economy from start, Carthage or egypt (Ptolemaic empire) have a relatively easy position and you can usually pick one enemy at the time.

There are a few guides stickied but here's some starting tips:

- choose your faction heir wisely, a bad leader will ruin your empire unlike in vanilla
- ports are vital for your trade, markets adds nicely to the tax income
- don't recruit elites until you have plenty of cash, they are powerful but will drain your income
- orchards give you a nice tax bonus but are not a good choice in small settlements as you won't get as much pop growth

[tudor93]

First, pick a faction that has a good economy from start, Carthage or egypt (Ptolemaic empire) have a relatively easy position and you can usually pick one enemy at the time.

There are a few guides stickied but here's some starting tips:

- choose your faction heir wisely, a bad leader will ruin your empire unlike in vanilla
- ports are vital for your trade, markets adds nicely to the tax income
- don't recruit elites until you have plenty of cash, they are powerful but will drain your income
- orchards give you a nice tax bonus but are not a good choice in small settlements as you won't get as much pop growth

thank you very much, +rep

[StealthEvo]

Read my AAR it's got all the tips you'll ever need.

[Zarax]

You still have to get out of the nutcracker on that

[Total Roach]

I'm getting really quite confused with which buildings and can build where, why I can and can't build them etc. For example, I can't build an army barracks in Antioch? I need some hellenistic requirement or something but there is nothing explaining what it isIs there a quide to building trees somewhere? The in game one is really insufficient.

[Total Roach]

Found the Allied tributary gov, how do I get military occupation, I want to build an army then urban barracks in Antioch now but can't as the colony is only lvl2, says I need the regional allied tributary, got that and everything bar the Military occupation bit

How come I can't make certain cities into huge ones?

Do I need to choose a government system for all my provinces including my original starting cities?

[Zarax]

military occupation is the first, basic government level.
You can build colonies with both military occupation and factional government provided your city level is high enough.
Some cities can't become huge because historically they never (or couldn't) grew to reach important size.

As for factional barracks:

lvl1 can be built everywhere with any kind of government
lvl2 requires at least regional pacification and at least 1 level of colony (klerukeia, emporion or settlements depending on faction)
lvl3 requires stationary garrisoning or factional government and at least a lvl2 colony
lvl4 requires factional government and at least a lvl3 colony
lvl5 requires factional government and a lvl4 colony or native culture of your faction.

[Total Roach]

military occupation is the first, basic government level.
You can build colonies with both military occupation and factional government provided your city level is high enough.
Some cities can't become huge because historically they never (or couldn't) grew to reach important size.

As for factional barracks:

lvl1 can be built everywhere with any kind of government
lvl2 requires at least regional pacification and at least 1 level of colony (klerukeia, emporion or settlements depending on faction)
lvl3 requires stationary garrisoning or factional government and at least a lvl2 colony
lvl4 requires factional government and at least a lvl3 colony
lvl5 requires factional government and a lvl4 colony or native culture of your faction.

Thanks, starting to get the hang of it I think, so far XC is proving to suit my style of play, nice and easy turtling, but quite a steep learning curve

[Total Roach]

Is it possible as the GCS to destroy the Hellenistic barracks that only have the Iphrictean(SP?) hoplites and rebuild with greek barracks for the Greek hoplite and heavy hoplite?

[Zarax]

nope, the barracks are decided by the underlying colony.
An hellenistic colony won't allow the building of classical greek barracks.

[StealthEvo]

Upgrading a tier should do the trick.

Ninja'd and I was wrong

[Zarax]

No, upgrading a tier will give iphicratean heavies and thorakitai (not bad units, mind you).

[StealthEvo]

Thorkies......RAWR!!!!

[Zarax]

Your favourite unit

[StealthEvo]

Somewhat

[tudor93]

I'm playing as Carthage and I captured 2-3 little settlements, should I go for Regional allied tributary, or for Regional pacification branch ? At first, I thought the best ideea is to pick pacification because late in the game (in the top of the branch)I get the Factional Government System (or something like that), but if I go with allied tributary I won't , I mean, it's just allied tributary, I can't upgrade it anymore; so, is there something tricky here ? should I obviously pick the pacification branch ?

[Zarax]

I'd go with regional pacification for the african coast, everywhere else you'd be better off with regional allied tributary.
Keep in mind that carthage can build colonies only in coastal areas so plan your colonization well before choosing.

Regional allied tributary is basically making the region a protectorate, which will allow you to build almost everything a factional government does but you'll have to rely on auxiliary barracks instead of factional ones.
It carries some economic penalties but also some happiness bonuses, making it a good choice for regions far away from your empire.

[tudor93]

I'd go with regional pacification for the african coast, everywhere else you'd be better off with regional allied tributary.
Keep in mind that carthage can build colonies only in coastal areas so plan your colonization well before choosing.

Regional allied tributary is basically making the region a protectorate, which will allow you to build almost everything a factional government does but you'll have to rely on auxiliary barracks instead of factional ones.
It carries some economic penalties but also some happiness bonuses, making it a good choice for regions far away from your empire.

oh, I see now, thank you very much (+rep )
edit: oops, can't rep I see

[Total Roach]

Still can't build an army barracks in Antioch as the GCS, and can't figure out why. Only got the lvl2 colony there and I cannot build another no matter what I do in terms of Govt choice, really bugging me.