Do you have any tips for beginners?

[Big_BoSS]

Any strategical or tactical help would do but please tell me how to get rid of this massive debt at the start of the game.

[Delta 1038]

Top of my head?

- Get trade agreements with literally anyone you meet, even if you plan to attack them.
- The diplomatic system in this game is very primitive compared to the newer entries and even to games of that time, like Civ series. So backstab all you want, they'll do it to you too.
- Don't bother with farms and sewers. Overpop is your worst enemy late-game.
- Recruitment is cheap, upkeep is expensive. Don't field too many armies if you're not fighting.
- Troop quantity not quality counts in garrisons for repression. So peasants are as good cops as Urban Cohorts.
- When cities get too rowdy for your garrison to contain, leave the city, let it rebel then exterminate them.
- Fight your battles yourself. Auto-resolve isn't that reliable.

[Big_BoSS]

Thanks for the tips Delta.

[chon]

Originally posted by Ad Bassante:

Thanks for the tips Delta.

Try custom battles to figure out how to best use the units and figure out what they are best to be used againts.

[Big_BoSS]

Originally posted by SapperGR:

Originally posted by Ad Bassante:

Thanks for the tips Delta.

Try custom battles to figure out how to best use the units and figure out what they are best to be used againts.

Ok.

[Jambie Lionheart]

Psh, custom battles are fun battles, , if ya reallly wanna learning curve and on how to use units, complete the campaign a few times with differently cultured factions. No better way of learning I poop you not. Set difficulty on Normal though at least (if you want), on easy the enemy run away from battle so fast all you gotta do is look at them funny and they start screaming mommy in Gallic and Egyptian...

[HazardHawk]

Originally posted by Delta 1038:

Top of my head?

- Get trade agreements with literally anyone you meet, even if you plan to attack them.
- The diplomatic system in this game is very primitive compared to the newer entries and even to games of that time, like Civ series. So backstab all you want, they'll do it to you too.
- Don't bother with farms and sewers. Overpop is your worst enemy late-game.
- Recruitment is cheap, upkeep is expensive. Don't field too many armies if you're not fighting.
- Troop quantity not quality counts in garrisons for repression. So peasants are as good cops as Urban Cohorts.
- When cities get too rowdy for your garrison to contain, leave the city, let it rebel then exterminate them.
- Fight your battles yourself. Auto-resolve isn't that reliable.

One major detail left out... Keep your taxes in each settlement as high as you can even if it means a bigger garrison of peasants. This gives you both money and slows population growth to allow you to keep up in building support.

[GhostyGG]

I think you should play on easy and figure it all out yourself. The first campaign I had was on easy and I took out an entire army with a general unit ^^ suuper fun. Then play on harder difficulties. German campaign is the most fun (imo), lots of battles on hard, and the romans are scary powerful. I am currently playing a medium campaign with carthage, those elephants are awesome!

As for getting rid of debts, I think building ports and markets is the best way to go. I think if you're setting taxes on high while creating buildings and having a general unit there it can give him a trait like 'Tax assessor' which makes taxes give out more money. Exterminating populaces within captured towns can give a boost to money as you can not only put taxes on high but you also get loot. The only drawback is having low population which isn't much of a deal imo.

Also, you can force your own towns to revolt by putting taxes on very high, then letting rebels take it, then retaking the town and exterminating populace again. I think there's a guide to that around here.

[Big_BoSS]

Originally posted by Wallet Jr.:

I think you should play on easy and figure it all out yourself. The first campaign I had was on easy and I took out an entire army with a general unit ^^ suuper fun. Then play on harder difficulties. German campaign is the most fun (imo), lots of battles on hard, and the romans are scary powerful. I am currently playing a medium campaign with carthage, those elephants are awesome!

As for getting rid of debts, I think building ports and markets is the best way to go. I think if you're setting taxes on high while creating buildings and having a general unit there it can give him a trait like 'Tax assessor' which makes taxes give out more money. Exterminating populaces within captured towns can give a boost to money as you can not only put taxes on high but you also get loot. The only drawback is having low population which isn't much of a deal imo.

Also, you can force your own towns to revolt by putting taxes on very high, then letting rebels take it, then retaking the town and exterminating populace again. I think there's a guide to that around here.

Thanks for the tips.

[SilverSquid1810]

Bassante, get trade with literally everyone.
Trust noone, the AI is crappy and always betrays you.
In garrisons, quanity is better than quality, but it is the opposite in the field.
Too many soldiers will REALLY drain your treasury.
Raise taxes as the Greeks to VERY HIGH. Your citizens won't care. However, NEVER raise taxes to very high on any other nation, you will get a rebellion within turns.

[NekRon99]

Tax levels can be raised to very high on any faction. Find the balance between garrison size and city happiness for varying tax levels and it is fairly simple. My settlements are all as high as they can be whilst happiness stays at 100 or above, anything below that risks revolts. but 100 guarantees stability. 95 is as low as I go comfortably where the odd rebel army has a chance to appear near your settlement. As you raise tax level, add an extra peasant to garrison if your happiness dips below 100. The only reason Id lower a tax level on a settlement is if I want pop to grow for recruitment or upgrade purposes.

[SilverSquid1810]

Originally posted by NekRon99:

Tax levels can be raised to very high on any faction. Find the balance between garrison size and city happiness for varying tax levels and it is fairly simple. My settlements are all as high as they can be whilst happiness stays at 100 or above, anything below that risks revolts. but 100 guarantees stability. 95 is as low as I go comfortably where the odd rebel army has a chance to appear near your settlement. As you raise tax level, add an extra peasant to garrison if your happiness dips below 100. The only reason Id lower a tax level on a settlement is if I want pop to grow for recruitment or upgrade purposes.

Yes, but I am talking about when you first start, as I assume the guy who made this Discussion would need to know.

[GhostyGG]

If you keep everything on high or very high your governors will get terrible traits. You'll get less money from taxes from bad traits. That's why it's not recommended.

Keep everything on low, and very high when building something.

[NekRon99]

Negative traits have nothing to do with taxation levels. Certain buildings and temples are responsible for those as does keeping over 50000 gold in any given turn. Vice traits can also be gained by not building certain things whilst your governor is in a settlement. For example if you can upgrade farms, but chose not to, you risk gaining the bad farmer trait line, the same for mines etc. if, on the other hand you do build 2 of either kind{mines or farms} you gain the positive trait instead. Also if you keep a general in your lands but not in a settlement, you risk negative traits with his spouse. There are web sites which actually list every trait possible, and how it can be gained or avoided. So too there are lists of every temple or building which train your retinues.