Some Noob Questions

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Hello!

I recently started playing Victoria 2 after playing all the tutorials, and I'm still pretty confused with this game.

Here are just a few questions I have currently.

1 - Why can I only build 2 brigades total? I'm playing as Modena, and the country is tiny, but I should be able to build a bigger army, no? I've turned up military spending, I've encouraged soldiers, I don't know what else to do.

2 - My budget has been all over the price. It's gone up to 2.0-3.0 increase daily, to hemmoraghing completely and losing money. How can I make this more stable? I developed the Stock Market and Clean Coal, and saw a great increase initially from both of them, but now it's back to being in the red again. I only have 2 brigades, I'm not taxing the poor too much and I have the taxes for rich and middle set to max (my government is the Reform party). So, what gives?

3 - How do I change government from an absolute monarchy to something different? Will this just happen in time? Also, why can't I social reform at all, but I've been able to political reform quite a bit?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!

[Bond Company Stooge]

Well, I just recently started playing Vic 2 myself, but I'll give answering your questions a shot...

1. In your military box at the top, there should be a small soldier icon with 2 numbers and slash between them, something like 5/8. This tells you how many units you can support. 5/8 means you have 5 units, and you can build a maximum of 8. I imagine yours is 2/2?

Also, each province can support a maximum number of units. If you click on each province it'll show you how many units are supported and how many you can build. If the army option is grayed out, you can't build any more.

I think there are a few ways you can increase your capability to build more units. You can try to promote solider growth within states by attracting soldiers to that state (icon at the top of you state window, click and it gives options as to what you want the focus for growth of that state to be, and soldiers may be an option)

I think, also, that if you increase your military budget in the budget window, this should attract more people to become soldiers.

Basically, the more soldier pops you have, the more army units your provinces can support, and the bigger military you can build.

2. How the economy reacts is blowing my mind too. It just seems to go up and down all of the place, for resons that aren't obvious to me (but, I'm assuming make sense with how the game's economy is run). In my limited experience I haven't ever noticed the economy to be stable over long periods of time, which reflects reality quite well, I think. I suppose it also depends on how in demand your exports are, and how many items/materials your nation needs to import and the cost difference between those two. If you are spending more to import resources then you are selling on the world market, you're obviously going to have a shortfall of income.

3. Hmm, this one I haven't thought about at all, so no answer. I think to reform anything, you need support in the house? And I think support for reforms come from liberal minded polititicians?

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Yes, liberals cause reforms, however, I can only do the right side of the column of reforms (political reforms) and not social reforms. So, I was just wondering why that is the case.

Good to know that I'm not alone in the economy thing. I guess I'll just chalk it up to hot and cold streaks, as that seems to be how it operates for the most part (hot seasons, cold seasons, etc.)

Sadly, I've tried nearly everything to increase my amount of soldiers I can build, but nothing has really worked. I'm stuck with a measley 2 brigades who can't do much of anything in an offensive.

I also have another question.

4 - Trade. Artisans are making glass and explosives in my country. How can I encourage them to make more? Should I buy the input items needed for those goods from the world market, thus allowing the artisans to buy from the local market instead?

5 - And what about national stockpile? I'm not sure exactly how that works, I just know it's expensive to keep turned up high.

Looks like I'm heading back to the tutorial section as there are a few things that I'm just not comfortable with in the game yet.

Thanks for the help!

[Slav Mcgopnik]

1. I think that one was already answered well enough
2.the game is auto trading for you, so you may gain more or less on a certain day, but the amount should be relatively the same.
3.yes, you need either house support or a radical enough movement.
4. I don't think you can affect artisans' productivity.
5. that will affect how stable and large your buidlings are and how well stocked (oraginzed and strong) your troops/ships are.

[Lily]

Originally posted by fluent2332:

Yes, liberals cause reforms, however, I can only do the right side of the column of reforms (political reforms) and not social reforms. So, I was just wondering why that is the case.

The liberals in the game are classical, 19th century liberals. They like freedom of speech and the press, but minimum wages and shorter working days appeal much less to them. Some liberals will support social reforms, but the main ideology for passing them is the socialists.

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Thanks for the help everyone. More questions -

6 - How do I get the country to build armies and navies? They are in queue and never start production. It says I need 7.73 or something Clipper Convoys. When I try to manually buy that off the world market, nothing happens. Am I missing something? I click to not automate the trades, turn the slider up to 7.73 and click buy, but nothing happens. I let it go for a few days and still no progress is being made and nothing is being stockpiled. What am I doing wrong?

[Duchy of Dogistan]

It's pretty simple, other countries might want those Clipper Convoys that you demand, you wait for them to be produced and be put on the market, you fight for your share of the trade battle from other countries. You can get more of that share if you have a bigger rank, thus answering your question of "why I can't instantly buy them".

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Thanks for the tip, but I tried waiting months and still didn't even get a 0.01 of any of the resources I need. Is it really that slow? I'm 35th in prestige, btw.

[Duchy of Dogistan]

Well I think the overall ranking is what counts, and maybe the demands are high. If you don't like waiting for Clippers to be produced, produce them yourself (very financially risky if your economically weak).

[Rex Futuri]

Original poster, from all the guides I've read online, and practiced myself, you are doing absolutely the opposite of what you need to produce soldier pops. Tax the poor until they aren't getting luxuries. They will leave their jobs, or be driven out of them, and be forced to become soldiers. Taxing the wealthy achieves very little...you don't get much compared to taxing the poor. Your political ideologies aside, this is a 19th century empire game, and the poor are meant to be taxed and used as cannon fodder so that the wealthy can build massive business empires and enrich your nation. Lowering taxes on the rich should help your economy and raising taxes on the poor will boost your treasury AND increase your soldier pops.

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Rex, thanks for the tip, but I've achieved the results I want by simply setting "Encourage Soldiers" as my national focus. I can now build several more brigades by doing that.

I'm still wary about trading. Do I set the trade slider for clipper convoys to 7.33 and then confirm trade? Nothing happens, but I guess over time it will?

[Lembley42]

It will buy automatically, if u set it that way (highly recommended for new players)
if you are still early on, clipper tend to usually be on low supply (and the first few ranks, especially UK buys everything out)

[Lembley42]

if you have any questions on victoria 2 / any paradox title, u can add me on steam and ask me directly if you want =)