Need help with Commerce in Medieval Age

[Ecthorne]

I never have enough money during the medieval age. I usually have to dedicate 80% or more to maintenance (with no maintenace paid for troops) during this era and it usually takes me until the industrial age (if not longer) to catch up and surpass the other civilizations. Any tips?

 

[katank]

Currency, Code of Laws, and courthouses everywhere. Build the Forbidden Palace on the other side of your empire form the capital.

Cottage spam in most cities (i.e. cottage every flat grassland).

 

[Crighton]

yeah do the cottage thing in as many places as possible, if you can get teh pyramids switch to universal sufferage to get the hammer and the growth etc

 

[Hells_Hammers]

well, building courthouses is a start, and cottage spamming should be considered with every city, but it sounds to me like you may simply be building to many 'improvements' in your cities.

for example, do you place forges/barracks in those coastal cities that produce tons of commerce/science but very few hammers? do you place banks/libraries in those highland cities that produce very little commerce? just because you can build an improvment, doesn't mean that you should because, as you are experiencing, it can cripple you with maintence costs.

if an improvement isn't going to play to the strength of a particular city, don't build it. in the lulls between beneficial improvments, convert those hammers to research, commerce, or culture...

 

[Araqiel]

well, building courthouses is a start, and cottage spamming should be considered with every city, but it sounds to me like you may simply be building to many 'improvements' in your cities.

for example, do you place forges/barracks in those coastal cities that produce tons of commerce/science but very few hammers? do you place banks/libraries in those highland cities that produce very little commerce? just because you can build an improvment, doesn't mean that you should because, as you are experiencing, it can cripple you with maintence costs.

if an improvement isn't going to play to the strength of a particular city, don't build it. in the lulls between beneficial improvments, convert those hammers to research, commerce, or culture...

It is good advice to prioritize what type and how many improvements to build. However maintence costs are not tied to the number and type of buildings anymore. Now its based on number of cities, distance from your capital, and civic type.

So overbuilding doesn't hurt with maintence, only in the opportunity cost.