HELP IM GOING BROKE! More questions..

[Jifster888]

I keep going in the negative when it comes to my failing empire! What buildings should I build I keep going in the negative? Can anyone give me an advice for a suitable city? What about food, how do I increase production of it? When should I switch governments?

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

First check your tax rate. Make sure you have enough money coming in each turn to cover your costs for now.

The city improvements that help your money increase are marketplaces, banks, and stockmarkets. You can also build the Adam Smith's wonder which will make all city improvements that cost 1 gold cost 0. Caravans and freight can also help, they give a cash bonus when delivered and also can give extra trade. Trade is also the basis for your money and science, so the more of that you have the better it will be. Courthouese can help also by reducing corruption.

To increase your food, you need to use settlers to irrigate the terrain around the city. Grasslands are great for food, and plains are decent. Once you discover refridgeration and build a supermarket, you can 'double irrigate' the squares which will add more food.

Switching governments should be done as soon as you discover the one you want (get to Monarchy or Republic as soon as possible), however, be sure to do it just before an Oedo Year . That way you only get a little bit of anarchy, not 3 turns worth.

You may want to spend some time at the War Academy to get an overall idea of what you should be trying for.

 

[Odin442]

Always try to get Adam Smith's wonder. If you don't, you'll have to keep tax rates enormously high at almost all times just to get by later, and having to do that will really kill your sciences.

PS- It's usually a good idea to keep luxuries at 20-30%, unless you're looking to make everyone supremely happy.

 

[duke o' york]

Unless you're being constantly bothered with insurrection, Republic and Democracy are the only governments that really need luxuries. Once you have celebrated the size of your cities up with WLT_Days and start to get Elvises (Elvii?) then you can start to reduce the luxury rate a little and still keep them happy. Remember to bump up the luxuries just before the end in order to get as many happy citizens as possible though.

I say that every city needs a marketplace, and start to build libraries in most, but banks are expensive to run so make sure they are worthwhile first. If you aren't getting enough gold from a bank to make it pay for itself then you shouldn't have built it.

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in vino veritas

 

[Kev]

The way I see it, trade is definitely the key to keeping your civ flush with cash. Some ways you can increase your trade are:
- Placing workers on tiles that offer decent trade (whales, silk, fish, and any water).
- Making roads on grassland/plains tiles will bump the trade.
- The Colossus will give extra trade up to discovering flight.
- By far the best way to increase trade is to produce caravans. Caravans give a one-time science and cash boost, but they also establish tade arrows for up to 3 routes that will stay for the city and even grow as the city does.

These arrows help with so many aspects - happiness, science, etc. With trade routes in as many cities as you can muster, you should never want for money throughout the game.

Marketplaces, banks and stock markets will definitely help with your cash (as well as happiness in Republic and Democracy - which could mean the ability to lower luxuries eventually). However, be sure that you are making a "profit" on these improvements. I believe that marketplaces increase the gold earned by a city by 50%. If the city is making 2 gold every turn, then a marketplace will increase this to 3. With the cost of 1 gold for upkeep, this is basically a wash until the city produces extra gold. (Of course, with Adam Smith's, a marketplace will have 0 upkeep - making it more profitable to build). A bank and a stock market have higher upkeeps, so keep them in mind when you are building them.

Where food is concerned, there are some basics to remember:
- Be sure to build in an area where food will available. Grassland is a good basic square while fish, whales, and wheat are examples of special icons that will help. Be sure that the square on which you actually BASE your city is one that could give you some food as well. It can cause some slow growing if you build on a hill or a forest square - though it will increse the defense of that city.
- While water will only give a single food at the very start, a harbor will provide for 2 food for every water square. Not to mention that each water square will give you 3 trade arrows.
- Keep in mind that in a republic or democracy that settlers/engineers will take 2 food from your city. However, these are the units you will need to develop irrigation (which will add 1 food for every square irrigated). If you think about it, with 2 squares irrigated a settler/engineer will pay for itself food-wise, and given that they will make roads, clear crud like jungle and swamp, and eventually enable you to settle new cities you can see how valuable they are for you.

Have no doubts that as you keep playing you will see what works for you and what doesn't. It certainly is fun learning! Believe me, althought I've played this game for about 5 years, I am constantly picking up new ideas from this site!

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Diplomacy - the art of
saying "Good Doggie"
until you can find a rock

 

[greenie]

Originally posted by duke o' york:
Once you have celebrated the size of your cities up with WLT_Days and start to get Elvises (Elvii?)

Yes Duke, the plural of Elvis IS Elvii

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- Greenie

" Let us take by
cunning what we would
take by force"

 

[Humplick]

Check your tax rate and make sure that your income # is larger than your expenses #. Also, get to a republic/democracy as soon as you get a mike chapel and you should be able to rake in the cash. Also, if your totally screwed, switch to fundy for a while and build a buncha happyness improvements so you can get up the money. The only drawback though is that you crap out in science.

Hope im somewhat of a help.

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"What should they throw at each other than Mr. Williams? Raw chicken, they could get sal monela."

-Steven Colbert
(the Daily Show)

 

[Enkidu]

If you're powerful enough, a good way to boost your cash is to ask for gifts or tributes. Especially weak civs will give you 50 or more nearly every turn.

 

[jc011]

When you build a city, make sure you build many roads all around it and be sure to irrigate all the sections of the city resource map, this will give you a large surplus, productivity and the roads will increase trade within the city and therefore add to your income. When your food storage is overloaded, your population will increase. The Adam Smith's wonder is extremely useful to cut back costs. Only build the city improvements that you need for the current government you are using. For example, don't build colesseums if your government is a Monarchy. Follow the game tips ( if you're playing on Cheiftan ). You don't need any luxuries for Monarchy or Despotism.

Hope I've been useful! Good Luck!