Money Problems

[GeHe]

Time and time again I'm running into the same problem: Money (or the lack of it). Play with Victoria mostly, using warlords, Prince difficulty. It works out good from the start. Usually able to build the oracle, then choosing CoL to found a religion. But from founding my fourth city, everything starts slowing down. Struggeling to maintain a research rate above 60%. The computer researches techs faster than me, and I'm getting left behind.

Any clever tips on how to financially survive?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

You are financial, so you have researched pottery I take it? Spam cottages (EDIT: And work them!).

Currency is often better than code of laws since you need to build courthouses for CoL to have an effect. You can also build markets. Courthouses aren't that great if you are paying less than say 4gold for the city.

Open borders with civs means extra trade route gold as well. If most of your cities are coastal get the great lighthouse and maybe colossus.

Founding a religion isn't that great at prince and above (well, monarch and above probably, but it is good to practice ), diplomacy is more important. Change religion to your rivals' one who you aren't going to attack soon.

 

[GeHe]

OK. Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a shot.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

One thing code of laws is good for is caste system, you can run merchants then without markets/grocers (but you can't use slavery - which is not good).

By the way, I consider Elizabeth to be far better than Victoria. Liz is one of the top notch leaders in the game.

 

[Ibian]

Settle all your great merchants and prophets in one city. Build wall street there. No more money issues.

 

[lordqarlyn]

Settle all your great merchants and prophets in one city. Build wall street there. No more money issues.

Ah, yes, a super financial city, where liquid money pours out of the taps. That is an excellent strategy - a single city like that can pay all the bills! Especially if the city is holy city to several religions!

 

[OTAKUjbski]

Currency is often better than code of laws ...

Not to mention Currency allows you to sell technologies and (especially) your excess resources.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Good point, if only I took my own advice more often

 

[Johnpecan]

I feel there isn't enough emphasis on a holy city in this thread. The first game where I tried using a holy city I was constantly in war and as time went on and my empire expanded, I expected to lower my slider. But to my surprise, my holy city supported nearly my entire empire and allowed me to keep the tech slider at 70-90% the whole time. I was very impressed with the holy city. 3-4 turns for a missionary = 1-2 gold a turn permanently from that city = the big win. Combine the holy city with cottage spamming, the financial street AND Wall street. You will be impressed if you haven't tried this strat before.

Another idea, try popping a great merchant. His mission can provide deficit research for quite a while.

 

[Slashninja1467]

Victoria is the worse financial leader in my opinion. Instead, choose Roosevelt.

There was a thread here w/ someone stating that Roosevelt was a powerhouse. This is due to the Industrious/Organized trait combo as well as his starting techs. He's a monster with coastal starts due to the fact that he can perform the MC slingshot ridiculously well with the oracle. Now factor in the cheap lighthouses AND forges and u assured urself the mids (larger chance of getting GE because of less whipping penalty of forge, The collosus (MC Slingshot and Forges), and The Great Lighthouse. With monster commerce like that on the coast, AND Courthouses, methinks of Infinite City Spam hehe.

 

[Jayhawk_Colin]

By the way, I consider Elizabeth to be far better than Victoria. Liz is one of the top notch leaders in the game.

I agree 110%, she is on of my two favorites in fact.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Vicky is better for this minor gauntlet though (settler spam on settler difficulty).