help with controlling expenses?

[kromm20]

I feel relatively comfortable with the new aspects of CivIV(still trying to break a few old habits from CivIII ), but I can't seem to wrap my head around controlling loss to my treasury without reducing research percentage. I know city specialists (priests, etc.)lower debt/turn, gold per turn diplomacy trades, but what else effects this positively? I have built cities with great commerce which seems to only effect research,trade routes again add to commerce which goes to research. Is there a ceiling on commerce generated in a city where it drains over into treasury?Any tips or fundamentals I am missing? Perhaps I should be looking for specific techs that might augment specialists?What might they be? Thanks to any help that comes. I feel this is the only thing holding me back from the next difficulty level.

 

[mrlaze]

Builds hamlets or cottages or whatever. There is thread in here about it.

edit here is the thread:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=137360

 

[southafrica]

One Word: Courthouses

 

[bayareastank]

Ya courthouses reduce your maintenance costs in cities and there are some civics as well that also reduce expenses.

 

[Aurelius321]

I'd look to see if your falling victim to old habits. ICS is very detrimental in this game as you get past noble or so.

 

[kromm20]

For me, the problem stems from "Distance" expenses as I have the habit of marching a settle a far ways away to Quickly grab a resource, be it Iron, etc. or even to border a rival to block expansion in my direction, with the intent of "filling in" later. It's not a habit from CivIII as such, but perhaps a bad habit none the less.With the numerous amount of resources available in this game, I get greedy and want to enclose as many resources as early as possible within my borders. By the time I have two cities and plop a third down, I might have -5/-6/turn to my treasury from "distance" penalties alone. A couple of priest specialists from my early temples help some, but I still have to adjust my research slider to 90% for a while till other improvements or financial resources become available. Does spreading religion to other cities directly affect treasury or does it just affect commerce for the holy city?

 

[petey]

Spreading religion gives +1 gold for each city. You can see how much you're getting by clicking on the holy city and the amount is shown next to the shrine.

Try putting the cities closer to each other and going for the Stonehenge wonder. That will boost the culture in all your cities and expand their borders quickly so that you can get those resources easier and keep down early costs before you are able to afford it. If another civ steals a resource you need, switch production to military units and just take it from him.