Economics in stainless steel.

[Tpoucat]

So I just downloaded stainless steel, V6.0, and I have to say it's much harder than the original, not in warfare but rather from an economic point of view, my first few trial campaigns have been spent usually 1000 florins in debt.
So I was wondering, whats a good economic strategy for the begining game and for continuously turning a profit for the duration of the game?

[Nole4694]

well first tell us what you are doing now then ill tell what might help
if you're trying to build in every settlement each turn your screwed though

[Kiljaden]

if you're trying to build in every settlement each turn your screwed though

guilty... lol

[Harry Lime]

Moved to Stainless Steel

[ptzvetan]

Moved to Stainless Steel

Sorry for asking
Moved where in SS

[strife1013]

here

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=171781

or here

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=314

Tips....

Make ports, get trade rights, free upkeep, keep only the units you need as upkeep can start to cost you a lot, use merchants wisely, dont fight wars you can fund, build money making buildings such as ports, roads, merchant quarters, mines, farms and use your family members and generals wisely as some may have or get bonuses through education or having a good wife which may apply for tax/farm/mine bonuses and such. Hope this helps.

[Captain Irish]

I play early campaigns in 6.1 with Real Recruitment but without Byg's Mod. I've found that it isn't hard at all to make money but it does start to drain rather quickly when your armies begin to have more than half toward early professionals and feudals around turn 100 or so.

Build economic structures in your best trade cities, this is key. For example, in my current English campaign around a third of my income comes from four cities: London, Bruges, Exeter and York. Build roads and docks/warehouses as soon as they become available in your top cities. I hold lesser cities like Rennes, Cork and Aberdeen and I rarely if ever build anything there since high end structures aren't really worth the investment. I use the money I'd spend on construction there on army upkeep, allowing me to maintain a better force. The same goes for castles. Nottingham, Aberdeen and Caen churn out my best troops while Winchester and Caernarvon get fewer upgrades and produce the support troops.

[Hoplite_Harry]

I never seem to struggle with my economy, though I find sacking always helps.

[FriendoftheDork]

I find the ecconomics fairly easy, at least with the Rus. Tax income seems higher than in vanilla, or maybe it's just that I get larger cities more easily. Corruption eventually becomes high, but all my cities are profitable and easily pays for a few armies and somewhat large garrisons as well in exposed cities.

Free upkeep for castle units helps alot for the ecconomy, as does the education traits with + tax collection.

Also Kiev and Constantinople can pay for an empire by themselves.

[strife1013]

Kiev makes that much money huh? I might have to take it over than as the T.O.

I always thought Constantinople was the richest city of them all.

[ptzvetan]

I'm playing with kiev on VH with BYG and RR and I hardly cope with the expenditures 11 000 for the army

which building you build first in a city?

[FriendoftheDork]

I'm playing with kiev on VH with BYG and RR and I hardly cope with the expenditures 11 000 for the army

which building you build first in a city?

My army expenses are about 40k. What I build depends on the city size, the level of trade etc.

In Kiev I built up roads, ports some farming and eventually great market. It nets me 6500 alone, while Constantinople gives me more than 8000.

Most are of course from trade (land and sea), while about 2k from taxes and 1k from farming (only 6-700 in Constantinople). This is turn 100+ late game BTW.

[Sonny WiFiHr]

First 100 turns play chivalric with all your general because they make big growth bonus ( more citisens more money). don't adopt any general just use family members. Make familiy tree small (more generals more money to pay - I pay now more than 12000 gold) ,be selective with them kill bad ones ( in long term this is huge bonus for family). my usual strategy is to not to mary any general if He is younger than 30 years and than only the best can hawe offsprings). When you conquer the city ask for tribute if you are abandoning it (more money in long term).Group your castles and specialise them (one for inf ,one for cav etc.) because you can raise army quickly if you need only have superior units in them. Make all coastal castles into cities if you can. Coastal city make twice much and build explores or merchant guilds in them. I play France now and Caen with 2nd tier merchan guild make about 6000-8000 (dont remember exactly but it will soon make more than 10000) build farms (population + money) first and build them all not just 1st and 2nd tier than all trade buildings.

[strife1013]

ports.

[WRL]

you have to build the infrastructure to make money, that simple, I always start with a basic farm, then grain exchange, create a local economy, this is the middle ages, ports are a must, devote princess's, and diplomat's early to gain trade agreements, then build roads to facilitate trade, then upgrade the buildings, as you grow. There is a financial screen that breaks it all down, try to not go in the red, or at least to far.

[FriendoftheDork]

Oh I forgot to mention, you should max out your merchants asap, right now they bring in about 10k themselves in my game.

Nice locations are Constantinople, Latvia, middle east (glass), Kwarezm (gold) and Marrakesh (gold). Speeded up agents and fleets means you can get there as fast or faster than in vanilla, and income is higher as well I think.

Without merchants I wouln't have the income to be able to build in every settlement I wanted and still raise a few armies.