Understanding the economics

[Red]

Can someone link to a good page that breaks down the different buildings and types of income. Or have a go at explaining it yourself.
I'll have the option to build something that increases the income from "commerce" buildings for example but have no idea what a commerce building is.
Or what commerce even means, i should probably look it up.
Same with most of the others, agriculture is the only one i find straight forward. It's obvious what it is and what buildings contribute.
And then i'm unsure at what is better for income anyway, agriculture?, which i know also contributes to food. Industry, entertainment, commerce etc.

[UR ESTROGEN DEALER]

the different types of income mean nothing unless you're stacking up buildings that give, for example "+agriculture wealth %" or "+commerce wealth %"

for instance, the tier 1 grain building (province capital chain) gives you +5% agriculture wealth, stacking up farms in a province with a grain market is a good idea as all your farms in that particular province will gain +5% on their agriculture wealth yield.

a grain market at Tier 2 gives +10% agriculture, if your province has 4 farms giving +100 wealth the T2 grain market would increase your gold/turn from +400/turn to +440 agriculture wealth/turn

there's also buildings that increase culture wealth, commerce wealth, and trade tarrif wealth; these are all located in the province capital chain

[Hori]

Always balance food, happiness and taxes.

Food is the most important thing a faction needs, make sure there is a solid food source in every settlement or in every province at least. I recommend playing as, or conquering an agriculturally rich land, like Sirako on Sicilia or the Nile.

Squalor from food production, as well as difficult circumstances the people will constantly find themselves in, make them unhappy. Make them happier with temples, the bigger the better. Worship of one deity makes people in the housing province better at things different from another deity, the most effective being, for instance, Zeus/Jupiter for Classical factions. In combination with the tax harvesting edict, a temple of Zeus/Jupiter increases the general income from a province. However, in certain situations you might need help from another deity, like Athena/Minerva that might affect your income and public order not in a way as good as her father does, but in turn helps you spread your culture quicker and improves education in the state, allowing you to research things faster. Poseidon/Neptune doesn't consume your food but provides you with it instead, also boosting your maritime trade income. Make your people worship the right god in the right situation.

Income itself is the taxes you harvest everywhere. It goes without saying that trade is where the real profit is. However, you must choose the right type of trade in the right circumstances. If a settlement of yours houses a shrine to Poseidon/Neptune it will be better to construct a harbour there than a grain trade center. If you are constantly at war and can afford it, definitely go for the slave trade. Slaves, especially in large quantities and with the help of at least a single slave trade center, generate really high income. Don't overdo it though because owning too many means risking being overrun by them. A slave rebellion is a threat to be reckoned with. Even if you can, don't focus on slaves because it's the small things together that are important. There is a province called Africa that is historically a trade hub. It may sound unimportant but see for yourself what happens when you build harbours in all settlements of that province, markets, cattle farms and temples of Poseidon/Neptune in all towns and a slave market with a neighbouring jewelry factory in the province capital. You'll bathe in coin.

I hope this is helpful.

P. S. Issue trade-focused edicts in the provinces you want to specialise in trade. Towns in those provinces are obviously to be developed as trade ones.

The particular things you asked are all in the building description panels. For instance, a harbour generates land trade income and marine trade income. Those are different things and they are categorised as such on the building card. Industrial income is generated by, say, amphora factories or jewelry masters. All the buildings that boost their own types of income have got their specialisation specified on the card. An example: a temple of Poseidon/Neptune boosts marine trade. A harbour generates marine trade. It means that you have to construct a temple of Poseidon/Neptune next to a harbour to make that harbour perform better. Etc. etc.

[Red]

Thanks for your inputs. Looks like there's a lot i need to read up on. I've played through 2 campaigns so far. I had a good balance with Rome, Iceni i did so well with i counquered the planet.
Now i've started a playthrough with Cartharge and finding it really difficult to find a balance. Restarted with them 3 times now.
Any tips for econimic prosperity with early Cartharge?

[Hannibal Barca]

most important things are food and unrest , you need to build food and +public order buildings to counter economy buildings

[bbolto]

1) yes, the type of income doesn't matter except for stacking bonuses, which can be very effective. For example, as Carthage, your home city gives a bonus to commerce income for that province, so you really want a trading port in Carthage and other commerce buildings, and you also want to take over the rest of Africa when you can, either by outright betrayal (probably not recommended unless you're going for a strategy of "lose everything and slowly claw your way back" which is an actual strategy for Carthage), opportunistically seizing settlements when your client state loses them, or making the settlements revolt with agent spies and taking them from the rebels. If you do control all of Africa, and put trading ports and other commerce buildings in the settlements, it's the richest province in the game.

2) Carthage has a tough start and is going to be poor until you capture a trade goods province and almost all of the nearby ones are in your client states. You should still be able to get Massilia and maybe a couple of the Greek minors to trade. As for food, you should probably take out Syracuse when you can and that'll massively help your food situation. Until then I've usually put fishing ports in Ibossim and Qart Hadast, a trading port in Carthage and Karalis & Lilybaeum get military ports or docks depending on if I can afford the food.

[Barrelz]

Yeah carthage is a rough start and tend to be hard to keep the population happy at the beginning. Can be a bit of a ball ache but i like that campaign.

[Hori]

Simply mimick actual Carthage: trade with everyone! Occupy trade goods sources and sell those goods to factions that lack them. Don't initiate unnecessary conflicts: it's healthier to, with the help of agents (order spies to incite unrests, champions to go guerrilla inside the desired region and dignitaries to spread cultural tensions), cause a settlement to overthrow the government and then just march your army in giving an impression of pacemaker force; the resource is yours and you didn't really declare any wars on anyone (although the involvement of your agents, notably champions and dignitaries, in the revolt will harm your relationships with the owning faction; using only spies is safer but more difficult). If open aggression is inevitable, fight one faction at a time. Eventually you'll produce enough goods to make other factions come to you and ask for trade agreements (arguably the most valuable income source in the game, especially if your own output is lower than you'd like).

P. S. Also don't sign any other agreements, sometimes it may be necessary to give a potential trade partner some amount of money or even sign a non-aggression pact but only do so so they agree to trade with you.

[Cpt. Kid]

There is no complicated economy system in this game. Wait till after CA is done with Warhammer games we will see where we are at with a economy system on campaign map in the new TW games with this new game engine or whatever this is.

[bbolto]

Originally posted by Sabhotep:

Simply mimick actual Carthage: trade with everyone! Occupy trade goods sources and sell those goods to factions that lack them. Don't initiate unnecessary conflicts: it's healthier to, with the help of agents (order spies to incite unrests, champions to go guerrilla inside the desired region and dignitaries to spread cultural tensions), cause a settlement to overthrow the government and then just march your army in giving an impression of pacemaker force; the resource is yours and you didn't really declare any wars on anyone (although the involvement of your agents, notably champions and dignitaries, in the revolt will harm your relationships with the owning faction; using only spies is safer but more difficult). If open aggression is inevitable, fight one faction at a time.

It's Carthage. If you're playing anyone but the Hannonids with their diplomatic bonus, open aggression is inevitable.

I mean, what you're recommending is a good idea once you've stabilized your situation, which usually means defeating Rome and that usually means you've got their olives or wine or both, in which case you'll be able to start building your income! But what do you do until then And that's the trouble.