Saving Cash in Your Treasury

[zenmonkey12]

I have a quick question...regarding your treasury, I tend to spend it as fast as I get it, usually on speeding up build times on improvements or spy missions. It seems that, when I have lots of cash, the Ai tends to demand high amounts of gold for trades that it would not do when I have little to no cash. At most, I might keep 500 gold or so in my treasury to speed up my science research but thats it. In some posts I have seen players have 1000's or more of gold in their treasury. Is my style - as far as not saving money - hurting my game?

 

[vmxa]

No, there is little value to sitting on cash. Other than the Wall St, you get nothing for it. I may easy up on spies, depending on what type of spying.

 

[darski]

One trick you can use when talking with other Civs is to run your science up high so you do not have as much GPT while negotiating.

I was just reminded of that myself the other day.

 

[Bartleby]

As far as I'm aware, your wealth status doesn't affect the cost of buying stuff from the AI. If someone can confirm otherwise I'd be glad to stand corrected.
I'd only be worried by a large treasury fairly early in the game when I'm weak relative to the AI because then they're likely to demand it.

 

[Aabraxan]

So far, I agree with everything that's been said here. Gold in the treasury is good for rushing, trading, and spending, but there's no real up side to having lots just sitting in the treasury. I think the AI will demand more if you have more, but AFAIK, having more doesn't affect the price of stuff that you buy from it.

 

[Snarkhunter]

So far, I agree with everything that's been said here. Gold in the treasury is good for rushing, trading, and spending, but there's no real up side to having lots just sitting in the treasury. I think the AI will demand more if you have more, but AFAIK, having more doesn't affect the price of stuff that you buy from it.

(Emphasis mine.) I will just point out the obvious, that you aren't likely to get very much up for rushing, trading, and spending unless you let it sit for a while in the treasury

Late in the game, the gold to be made from AI tech trades can get insane & it does tend to accumulate. But upgrades feature heavily in my strategy & upgrading 60 or so units usually takes care of that nicely Or rushing half a dozen factories will do the trick.

kk

 

[zenmonkey12]

Its interesting then, I thought I have been doing something wrong. I have seen some games posted here (usually screenies) of treasury totals in the thousands and I remember reading something about players having half a million or more gold.....

 

[ookababa]

i normally have no gold in my treasury soat least your doing better than me

 

[GamezRule]

Generally I like to keep at least 500 in my treasury just in case...

 

[Aabraxan]

Well, Snarkhunter, you've got me there. You can't cash-rush things, especially big stuff, like armies, unless you save up some gold. zenmonkey, it is possible to put lots of gold in the treasury, but it's really hard to do at lower levels. (I don't know what level you play at.) Up until Monarch or Emperor, the AI just doesn't make enough gold for you to profit much.

ookababa, welcome to CFC!

 

[Snarkhunter]

Well, Snarkhunter, you've got me there. You can't cash-rush things, especially big stuff, like armies, unless you save up some gold. zenmonkey, it is possible to put lots of gold in the treasury, but it's really hard to do at lower levels. (I don't know what level you play at.) Up until Monarch or Emperor, the AI just doesn't make enough gold for you to profit much.

ookababa, welcome to CFC!

I take the main point, though, which is that if you don't ever use the gold, it doesn't do much for you. I like to think of it as a reserve weapon, but one in which you need to pull the trigger sooner or later. In an emergency, you can bribe an AI into an alliance, but the few times I've tried this it seems to me that they renege even quicker than usual. I've also bought techs with it for insane amounts in the IA & ModA, but giving the AI large amounts of gold for either of the above reasons makes me a little queasy--gives them the reserve weapon then. . . so I usually work up another trade real soon to get it right back

In the AA I've started getting a lot free-er about spending it, at least until I get strong to everyone; otherwise the AI just demands it of you & you either give in or get trapped into wars you didn't plan.

kk

 

[Fiddlin Nero]

If playing an archepelego map, it sure is nice to have a cash fund for rushing some transports at cities with big corruption. Most games I like to build up a cash reserve before going to war, 2000, 5000 and no worries at all if I have 10000. Of course this rarely happens until late Industrial or early Modern Age. It's nice to cash rush harbors and Temples to get connectivity and cultural borders sealed up too. Most times when I have a good cusion I will cash rush a Barracks just because I'm lazy and want to stay on the same screen as my front line to send units to a city for healing up.

 

[Raliuven]

zenmonkey - I think this was hinted around but never directly said. Just in case you don't know - if you have Wallstreet, 1000 gp in your bank results in the maximum payout of 50gpt (5% return). Having more in your bank does not net you a gain via Wallstreet. I personally float between 500-1000gp until Wallstreet, then don't drop below 1000gp after that. I try to keep 500gp in my treasury at a minimum, but I will go as low as necessary if there is something that is really needed. As much as my RL pennypinching ways prevents me from buying any game not on the $10.00 rack, in Civ money isn't worth much if it isn't spent expanding your empire.

 

[Delphi456]

Here are a couple of ways to use money so the AI can't demand:

1. Buy workers from the AI. In the AA they cost ~114 g on a huge pangea. A little more if you give gpt.

2. Establish embassies. This improves AI attitude towards you, so they will (theoretically) demand less often.