Making huge money from crusades

**Gpower** · October 06, 2010, 06:37 AM

I'm playing as France, early era with BGR4 and RR. Previously crusades just usually cost me the troops I send (most of them die in battle) and even if I win I get a settlement in the middle of nowhere and maybe some command stars for my general.

However, with BGR, the cost to join the crusade and hiring the mercenaries pushed me in debt, and I started thinking about how to get my money back. The crusade was against Cairo - I sent my crusading army on a mercenary ship to there, and have another ship behind with a diplomat. However, instead of attacking Cairo immediately, I landed on North Africa and took 2 settlements on the way there (some castle and Alexendria), and sold them to the Moors/Crusader states for a total of 35000. And then when the crusade ends 1 turn after I captured Alexendria, I got a further 20000 from the Egyptians for a ceasefire.

Is this good diplomacy, or am I just abusing the AI?

**bɑne** · October 06, 2010, 07:00 AM

Vassaling and that tactic take away quite a bit of BGRs difficulty which is why my houserules are not to sell settlements or vassal, but the game is about fun. The main thing is that this doesn't make the game to easy for you - personally I think the cost for a settlement should be lower on sell and way higher on buy but no idea if that can be implemented. The AI isn't really equipped to judge settlements on their worth like the player can.

**rockman4417** · October 06, 2010, 02:57 PM

The problem is if you ever want to raid those settlements again, you'll lose a ton of rep. I'd rather not sell coastal cities. Leave a man there, raise the taxes and just let the income roll in every turn.

Then it rebels and noone gets it. It's old owners will likely go to take it back, in which case you're free to sack the city again, rinse and repeat.

**Neptune7** · October 06, 2010, 03:12 PM

Wow you make that much money for selling settlements?. I will have to try it out...

**rockman4417** · October 06, 2010, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Neptune7

Wow you make that much money for selling settlements?. I will have to try it out...

Yeah the most I ever got for one was 35,000. But yeah cities and castles are the game's biggest commodity.

**Ichon** · October 06, 2010, 06:35 PM

What difficulty was this on? I've never been able to get more than $3,000 for a city on VH. The AI requires at least 30,000 to sell meanwhile.

I don't sell very often though due to the hit to rep if you retake it later. It is easier to let it rebel and gain 2-3 turns of income which can be 3-12,000 + the sacking and razing of buildings which can bring in another 4-15,000. So for a big city usually minimum of 7,000 early on and for a large developed city late in a campaign you can get close to 30,000 without selling it.

**rockman4417** · October 06, 2010, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ichon

What difficulty was this on? I've never been able to get more than $3,000 for a city on VH. The AI requires at least 30,000 to sell meanwhile.

I don't sell very often though due to the hit to rep if you retake it later. It is easier to let it rebel and gain 2-3 turns of income which can be 3-12,000 + the sacking and razing of buildings which can bring in another 4-15,000. So for a big city usually minimum of 7,000 early on and for a large developed city late in a campaign you can get close to 30,000 without selling it.

Ya that's what I prefer unless I really really need gold. It may have been on Hard that I got the 35,000. It was 6.2 Alexandria to the Moors. Then I sold em' Cairo for 30k. They were loaded.

But in my current campaign VH/VH I've been able to get as much as 20,000. If they got the gold, they'll buy.

**oldgun99** · October 06, 2010, 08:41 PM

Heck I make huge money just from the Religious Tax. Thank God for taxes. Pun intended.

**Ichon** · October 06, 2010, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by rockman4417

But in my current campaign VH/VH I've been able to get as much as 20,000. If they got the gold, they'll buy.

Hmm... maybe it depends much on the CAI being used. In my campaigns the AI is always at war and broke after the first 10 turns or so. Only AI remaining at peace long time seems to accumulate funds. I have seen AI be much more willing to part with money if its rich though not for cities.

I've sold trade rights and map info for over 10,000 and maybe more if count the of turns of tribute. Just AI's won't pay me much for cities though they gladly accept my money. Rich AI is also happy to pay lots of gold for ceasefire sometimes.