Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (Full Version)

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Pistachio -> Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/11/2010 3:08:03 AM)

I like playing advanced economy, but can't seem to make enough money in either it or simple economy. I've already decided (perhaps prematurely, I admit) that turning on all the experts is a bad idea. The main trouble seems to be raising enough troops to contend with the AI (who always seems to have 180-200k troops in any given container) without bankrupting the treasury. I seem to build up well at first and then collapse. I like playing Russia but quickly run into trouble with revolts and with food shortages. If I spend money on development, I have no army; if I have an army, I can't pay for it....

This is rather a vague question, I know, but if anyone has suggestions, I'll be eager to hear them. If it sounds like a complaint, it's that I'm still learning and always feel like I'm herding cats trying to stay on top of all there is to do....[:)]



06 Maestro -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/11/2010 4:14:37 AM)

If playing as Russia, the highest priority (unless being invaded) is to reduce "waste". Russia has a 40% wastage rate-that really limits the Russian players options. Once wste is under control, then buildig barracks makes sense. Building arts can also help in winning the game, but if you are playing an 1800 + scenario, there is not much time for building arts-eliminate waste, build some barrcks and smash whoever.

Taxes need to be kept to the minimum to maximize production and moral gain. There is no point in building up a massive army that cannot be supplied in the event of a war-so don;t do it. At some point you will be able to begin a buildup in earnest-one that will hopefully take you to where you want to go.

About the advisers-never tried those much beyond a turn or two. I simply do not trust ais' with anything important.



Anthropoid -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/11/2010 4:40:53 AM)

Russia: pick out the provinces that are not particularly good for building other things. Forget how many you need to build in, but I believe it is about 15 or 20. Build 5 levels of courts in about that many. Waste will go down to zero. This will take a coupl years. As you get about half way through, shift more and more of your expenditures to other stuff (like military). Within about 3 years (IIRC) you can be at 0 percent waste.



Pistachio -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/13/2010 3:32:58 AM)

Ok! Taking you're advice to heart and am focusing on development first - esp. cutting waste - so building courts and a few banks, then farms and factories. Things are going a little better in the new game, it seems.

Thanks!



morganbj -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/13/2010 1:47:11 PM)

Be advised that playing Russia can be quite difficult. The 'poid gave you some good advice, but is hard to pull off sometimes when you've got Turks roaming around in those same provices that you need to develop.



Pistachio -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/19/2010 7:22:51 PM)

Yeah, I had a run-in with Johnny Turk.  Was able to win the war but going off to fight in Bessarabia allows other powers (Prussia, Austria) to swell up and become nuisances.  My economy is doing swell now but I still have no army - not in comparison to the powers I'm fighting against at this late stage of the game.  I have roughly 170k in 3 corps and 1 army and that's it!  I'm just not profiting enough each month (~20) to build up.  I have lots of gold at present, but again - very tight profit margin.  I'm sure it's possible to win as Russia, but yes VERY difficult!  I haven't found the way yet.[;)]



Anthropoid -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/19/2010 9:01:52 PM)

What I did was to go through the data file and see what the best provinces for each production were. Until I did that, and got the waste down to zero, Russia seemed like a basket case. After that, by about 1795 it was just getting boring cause I was mowing down all of Eastern Europe. I don't play on the high human handicap settings, but intermediate, i.e., Difficult. So it is definitely possible to turn Russia into a powerhouse.

Maybe should go back and finish that game some day . . .



06 Maestro -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/19/2010 9:48:32 PM)

Something else to keep in mind is if you do plan on building a huge army (which Russia can) the sooner you start, the cheaper it will be. Unit Cost Increase can really pile up quickly if you rush unit construction. IIRC, Russia has a UIC reduction rate of 100 per month. The actual reduction rate is less than half of that (40 for me currently)when it goes beyond the 100. You can easily hit an inflation rate of 30% in six months if you are forced to do a rapid build up due to war. With good management the added upkeep and food requirements can be kept at a low level thus being much cheaper in the long run.

So, what I'm suggesting is that you start building units as soon as you can. If you have attained 1000 moral you should easily be able to build an infantry division every other month and still work on courts.

Don't waste your textiles on fancy units until your required courts have been built and you have some barracks under way to increase experience.



Pistachio -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/21/2010 4:04:15 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

What I did was to go through the data file and see what the best provinces for each production were. Until I did that, and got the waste down to zero, Russia seemed like a basket case. After that, by about 1795 it was just getting boring cause I was mowing down all of Eastern Europe. I don't play on the high human handicap settings, but intermediate, i.e., Difficult. So it is definitely possible to turn Russia into a powerhouse.

Maybe should go back and finish that game some day . . .


Yeah, likewise. I'm playing with no bonus. And slowly I am getting better at this. Thanks to maestro for the good point about the unit cost increase - hadn't thought about steadily building up.



hruza -> RE: Learning the Dark Arts (trade) (4/21/2010 10:02:00 PM)

Garrison all your troops, it halves cost to maintain. Spread them across so you don't need any depot.

Rise your taxes. You have to compensate little bit with production of luxuries, spices and vine. But production is not problem for you. For now problem is money so consider it trading production for money.

Concentrate rest of your production at wool and textiles and trade later to anybody you can. English pay especially good price so sell to others only if English do not want anymore. Aranging trades can take few turns but at the end you should gain 100 and more gold from trade.

This should make you in to positive numbers.

Pick most productive provinces and start to develop them. For me those are Moscow, Perersburg, Kiev and few others. For beginning concentrate on developing courts to level 5 in as many provinces as possible and banks in provinces which make most income. There are some others besides tree I mentioned. In general I build banks in provinces which make more than 9-10 gold as each bank will increase it by 1. You should be able to build courts in 5-7 provinces at the same time. Start with those which are close to 5. Once your waste is down to zero, you can stop building courts. Built them to 5 in few more just to have reserve in case you will made some conquests.

If you manage to win some wars, use morale boost to lover feudalism. If you manage to press it really low, you can get some nice money from merchant ships.

Once waste is zero, develop provinces in resources they are good at. Russia can have very strong economy, it just have bit hard start.

At the beginning of standard scenario, there is always dilemma for Russian player: to help Austrians or not to help. I you decide to help, you have to send all your units to Viena (coordinating with Austrians) which will require few depots. You have to postpone development for duration of war as you will need all money you can get to support your armies in Austria. If you manage to defeat French however, which is possible if you will be able to hold Viena while defeating few French armies there, you can get some colonies and reparation money plus big morale boost which will get you in to much better shape economically. And you will prevent French to owergrow everybody at the start of game. You will not be able to take on them for some time so it can be handy.



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