The peasant/burgher tax dance, a known tactic?

[quantum_mechani]

Playing small nations, I'm always looking for ways to maximize income, and I hit upon this. Start by setting taxes to maximum, as peasant or burgher loyalty starts to fall, give them a shot of power. Eventually you will end up with 50/50 power between the burghers and peasants and very low cleric and noble loyalty. However, by swapping power back and forth only between these two classes, you can generate infinite loyalty from peasants and burghers while squeezing the most possible from them via taxes. In all, I would say income tends to be about 1/3 higher than using a more traditional strategy, in addition negative loyalty modifiers are mostly meaningless.

There are disadvantages of course, for instance your army composition is pretty much locked on one thing, and you suffer from quite a few minor rebellions. Still, it still seems a very potent strategy, particularly during peace time build up.

Another option is to get enough positive loyalty modifiers for nobles and clergy to keep them loyal as well even with the frequent peasant/burgher power swaps, though if you have to use sliders to do this it's less profitable.

[Boblof]

damn It would have been god to know that before I started my quest to bring back the old norse religion to the germanic peoples as the county of Ångermanland, took some years to get enough money to almost afford a campaign against Iceland =)

[Llywelyn]

Originally Posted by quantum_mechani

Playing small nations, I'm always looking for ways to maximize income, and I hit upon this. Start by setting taxes to maximum, as peasant or burgher loyalty starts to fall, give them a shot of power. Eventually you will end up with 50/50 power between the burghers and peasants and very low cleric and noble loyalty. However, by swapping power back and forth only between these two classes, you can generate infinite loyalty from peasants and burghers while squeezing the most possible from them via taxes. In all, I would say income tends to be about 1/3 higher than using a more traditional strategy, in addition negative loyalty modifiers are mostly meaningless.

*coexploitugh*

But you're right that the utter pointlessness of revolts is something that should be addressed in future patches.

Another option is to get enough positive loyalty modifiers for nobles and clergy to keep them loyal as well even with the frequent peasant/burgher power swaps, though if you have to use sliders to do this it's less profitable.

You could always just pump up the taxes to whatever loyalty modifiers you've already developed.

Still, good job with the gaming! wonder if it'll be something everyone will have to learn/ban in MP games...
j.

[Shuma]

Originally Posted by Llywelyn

*coexploitugh*

I've never used this tactic, i tax as much as the modifiers I have from buildings allow me without there being a loyalty drop.

But I wouldn't call the OP's tactic an exploit. Squeezing the peasants and burghers out of all their money, but keeping them satisfied by giving them "power" in their city or villages seems plausible to me.

[Llywelyn]

Originally Posted by Shuma

I've never used this tactic, i tax as much as the modifiers I have from buildings allow me without there being a loyalty drop.

But I wouldn't call the OP's tactic an exploit. Squeezing the peasants and burghers out of all their money, but keeping them satisfied by giving them "power" in their city or villages seems plausible to me.

The exploit is the idea that once they have 65% power, that they'll be happy when you drop it down to 35% to appease the other group and then raise it back to 65% (as if the king had ye olde pollesters who told him when his support among the burgher demographic had fallen to 45% instead of only 50%), over and over and over and over and over.

And the idea that this would be called anything but a republic, which would undermine your claims to sovereignty.

j.

[Shuma]

I see your point.. and it's a good one.

[performer]

Which effect has low / high loyality of the four groups, by the way?

[Nick B II]

Originally Posted by performer

Which effect has low / high loyality of the four groups, by the way?

The taxes you get from each group, and your army composition -- loyal groups pay their taxes and fight for you while disloyal groups dodge your taxes and stay away from the army.

You can also get rebellions. They're anoying, but not devestating, especially if you have high loyalty from the other groups and thus a large regiment.

Nick