HELP needed with treasury!!!

[altanneruon]

Ok, basically the problem is that whenever I start a new game I increase my science research to 100 percent. My idea here being that I will eventually research all techs in the game before the finish and can then regain a huge amount of gold, that is not needed for research. This technique generally work well, but the upshot of this is obviously that i always am at zero gold, and minus alot per turn. This, I am ok with, but recently when I try this tactic, in ancient times, when my gold reaches around 3 or 4, the domestic advisor will not let it fall below this number, and to compensate, will sell the improvments in my cities. This has never happened to me before and so my thinking is that I have misadjusted the settings by accident to allow this to occur. I dont know if it helps, but the game this is happening in I am playing as the Ottomans(it also happens when i play as the Persians). Can anyone shed any light on my situation and what I am doing wrong?

 

[Spoonwood]

Once in the middle ages, depending on the level, sell tech for gpt (once in/near the middle ages, it generally won't work before then). On Chieftain level the advisor won't sell your buildings for going broke, but on any other level they will.

 

[vmxa]

Like Spoonwood stated, if you are playing Chieftain level the game will not punish you for being broke. It won't do it while you are in anarchy either at any level. As neither of those conditions are the norm, you need to use some other tactics.

You can research at 100% and not lose structures as long as you have cash to cover the expenses. If that is not the case you have to either increase income or reduce expenses. Usually this means lowering the science slider.

You can do quite well at 60 or 70% research and maybe 20% lux. Tune your empire to run better. Make sure you have all worked tiles improved. Do not build structures that cannot be use effectively in a given town.

In practice that means do not build a lib in a town that make 1 beaker. Wait until it is doing better, if it will ever be doing better. Don't build barracks in towns that will not come under attack, nor build troops.

Harbors are not needed in every coastal town, some are better off being a size 1, 1 specialist only. If they will be 100% corrupt and have no tiles that produce food. I look at towns to see if they will be able to generate specialist and how many. If they are core or at least not highly corrupt then look to see what structures could be useful and what could it do for the empire?

I also want to know what I will be doing over all. Will I be running zero taxes most of the time or zero research? If no taxes, don't need banks. If no research don't need universities and in many case I don't need a lib.

If it will bounce around, then plan for those structures that would be cost effective. True some structures have to be build in some towns, regardless. Often a market is not cost effective, but you need the happy boost.

Some times a structure makes sense now, but later can be sold. A building that was only meant to expand borders. That market you need to keep happiness under control in the early middle ages, maybe be needed later after you have 5 or 6 lux in your empire. Here I am thinking of the time when you have 5 or more pop as specialist in that city and a 3 or 4 lux along with the slider is enough.

 

[timerover51]

Ok, basically the problem is that whenever I start a new game I increase my science research to 100 percent. My idea here being that I will eventually research all techs in the game before the finish and can then regain a huge amount of gold, that is not needed for research. This technique generally work well, but the upshot of this is obviously that i always am at zero gold, and minus alot per turn. This, I am ok with, but recently when I try this tactic, in ancient times, when my gold reaches around 3 or 4, the domestic advisor will not let it fall below this number, and to compensate, will sell the improvments in my cities. This has never happened to me before and so my thinking is that I have misadjusted the settings by accident to allow this to occur. I dont know if it helps, but the game this is happening in I am playing as the Ottomans(it also happens when i play as the Persians). Can anyone shed any light on my situation and what I am doing wrong?

Whether playing on one of my modified maps or a standard rules map, I generally keep science slider at about 60 and entertainment slider at 30. I prefer doing all of my own research, so as not to depend on the AI for whatever advancements are made. That seems to work fairly well, and my target is always to have a small positive income every turn. If I need an advancement quickly, I will accept a reduction in my treasury to allow for some speed up. Regardless of whether I am playing modified or standard rules, I try to gradually build up my treasury, so as to allow for some deficit spending, unit upgrades, and rushing buildings.

 

[Lord Katana]

With some careful planning i usually can keep my sience slider at 90%-100% during the ancient era. It just means not building any building (exept one or two in your best towns like a granary), keeping an eye on your total military (dont have too many units) and keep expending rapidly (and near rivers if possible for the extra trade income). When I'm about done rexxing i usually build up some temples/barracks for culture and border defenses (or even attack if needed). At that point my sliders drops to 70% mostly (depends on the number of lux too).

This way i always am usually the techleader and still have enough gold to cover my expenses and buy building when needed.

Hope it helps a bit

 

[TheOverseer714]

Unless you are playing always war, trade, trade, trade. AIs will pay handsomely for techs that you research, and good trading can get you through the ages faster by not duplicating research.