Eriador Economy Problems

[AdamRCW]

Hello there, I'm new to TWC and TATW, although I've been playing Medieval 2 for a while.

I've been playing as Eriador and am at turn 70, and everything has ground to a halt. I'm totally bankrupt even though I've kept garrisons to a minimum and am only fielding one army (and not even a full stack at that). I finally succeeded in wiping out the OOG and am the largest empire in middle earth. I've also followed the advice I've seen on this site and kept taxes low to boost population, built farms and roads whenever possible as well as mines and have trade agreements with all my neighbours except the OOMM who have recently declared war on me, and Isengard are at my borders and I feel it won't be long before they join in too!

I can barely keep OOMM at bay and I'm bankrupt already despite my best efforts. Any advice would be great!

Thanks in advance!

[FC Groningen]

I think I know the problem, but could you upload your safe here just in case? If you do so, we can take a look. You have to upload your safe in rar format though.

[AdamRCW]

Apologies for what might seem a silly question, but I where are the save games kept? I can't seem to locate the folder.

[FC Groningen]

Well if you enter the Third Age map ("Third_Age_3" unless you modified it), there should be a sub map called "saves".

[AdamRCW]

Not there :S

I've not modded anything (I wouldn't know how). It's standard 3.2 TATW. Try as I might, there is no "saves" folder within the TATW folder.

[FC Groningen]

Is there a map called "mods"? Try that one and continue from there on.

[xxxMoRaVexxx]

Usually:

C:\Program Files (x86)\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age_3\saves

Saves are in .sav file format .

[AdamRCW]

I've gone to SEGA/Medieval II Total War/mods/Third_Age_3/ and within that folder there are only two others: data and preferences. When I searched within both of them there also was no "save" folder. This is confusing, because I just launched the game to check and yet all the saves are still there!

It's not a hidden folder and it's not anywhere else in the Medieval 2 Total War directory. Is this normal? It seems bizarre to me!

[AdamRCW]

I just checked the game itself. Are you sure I'm not just being a poor manager? I'm actually making a profit of around 1,300 per turn but only after I disbanded most of my army! One half stack of half-decent goblins and that's the end of it for me! My treasury is at -9,500 in debt and I'm at turn 89. Am I perhaps being too impatient with my economy?

The Shire has autonomy, although I fail to see the difference as the build options in shire settlements are still there as well as my governors. The only difference is the odd tribute and the road-building help. Could that be a problem?

One last (unrelated) question from a new user: how to I use smileys?

[AdamRCW]

do*

[smoesville]

It's probably virtual store, i'll try and find the solution for you The OS puts your saves in another place, a virtual version of the game.

Edit:
Use "Go Advanced" and you'll see the smiley pallet o many of them are just the normal ones like ':'+'P' is

[AdamRCW]

Aha! It seems I accidentally posted a smiley while asking how to do so. How ironic! Thanks!

[tugaguy]

try this

C:\Users\(YOUR USERNAME)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\saves

[FC Groningen]

If you can't show us the file, it will become hard, but yeah, this mod really doesn't allow many troops to keep. Pay attention to your "free upkeep" in settlements. Usually you don't need more than that. Don't adopt any generals, especially early on, unless he's exceptional or you lost some guys already. Note that your general's bodyguard can deal with most stuff the Orc factions can send against you. Simply rely on hammer and anvil tactics to slay the lot of them. Also note that generals bodyguard units replenish their number over turns, which means you don't much of an army in the first place.

[tugaguy]

it's not there, my mistake

C:\Users\(your username)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age_3\saves

please delete my previous post...

[smoesville]

This is a tutorial that can turn off virtual store if you want. I found it was a good move because it can lead to problems with many mods for the game.

[Macilrille]

I think he already hinted at the problem. He has governors in every city, including the Shire (which runs itself)- like you do in MTW2.

Here a General will cost you 500 gold/turn. You have likely adopted too many and then used them to govern instead of using them to fight. Hence having had to build an army (which costs money) and field it (which costs money), and rebuild it when suffering losses (which costs money).

Send 2/3rds of your generals to fight. That is what they are best for, meanwhile disband most of the army you have in the field; they are expensive. Let the lazy nobles and princes of your realm do something useful and earn glory in war.

[Bowmaster]

How many armies do you have and how big they are? And where's your capital? And do you have ever had it happen that the AI takes one of your settlements and executes the population?

[AdamRCW]

You were right about virtual store. I found it there! I've tried attaching it so we'll see if I succeed.

Capital is still Bree (I left Aragorn there as governor seeing as he was doing a good job). I guess I got confused by Shire autonomy and thought they'd become a separate faction, hence me leaving the governors there out of uncertainty. I'll be sure to pull out those governors. So far, as you've recommended I've been making use of my generals and their bodyguards. I've always been outnumbered at least 2:1 but relied on a good number of archers (huntsmen mostly) backed up by cheap bree militia and then a couple of generals to flank them. The setup works like a charm and has given me several heroic victories against OOG. Even works in sieges, as I just shoot from outside the walls until they have no choice but to sally, and then they get ridden down in the open.

As far as losing settlements goes I've only had Amon Sul occupied once (not exterminated) and then I retook it (damn trolls are a nuisance!). I'm not currently fielding any armies (for economic reasons), the biggest garrison I have is at Ost in Edhil and that's just 6 units of militia/hunters plus Gandalf in case of invasion from either OOMM or Isengard. I have a similar garrison at Gundabad. The main reason for his is these are the two settlements that border OOMM. All other settlements have two militia/hunter units max.

I'll take your advice and pull out all the useless governors in the Shire and elsewhere and send them to give OOMM a headache. Might even get lucky and lose a couple of them!

[knicolas2]

just taken a short view.
as said.. yes way to many generals in my opinion.
take of halbarad out of annuminas he gives the city negative population growth.

capital is nearly in the middle of the realm so i wouldn´t change it.
am just a tip if you go and attack ootmm with your generals.. pls NOT moria first. think of the balrog.

at the beginning of the campaign what have you build? i would suppose building farms and markets and at the moment you can afford it set taxes on low. and maybe rush quickly the rebel settlements.