Beginner Questions

[unmerged(18130)]

Hello all,

I bought this game recently, and so far pretty much enjoy it, but I've got a few questions about gameplay.

1) Can you raise/lower your taxes in any way?

2) I declared war on a country, but the nations in my military alliance didn't declare war as well... what's the deal with that?

3)How do you repay loans?

4)Finally, any good tips for a beginner who's quite overwhelmed by the relatively fast pace of the game?

By the way, I jumped immediately into the Grand Campaign after playing about half the tutorial... I wanted to hit the big one right away, but are there any 'beginner'campaign's besides the tutorial?

Thanks.

 

[Morpheus506]

1. You can raise war taxes while at war, and on the budget screen you can increase the amount of your income goes to the treasury.

2.You didn't click the message notifier that appears in the top right-hand corner of the screen. That's also where it asks you to pay back loans, support your own allies, receive peace offers, and other diplomatic stuff. Listen for a little fanfare thing, that'll help you notice when they pop up.

3. See above.

4. Slow down game speed (ctrl - )

No, the tutorial is the only real "beginner" scenario. You can play at the lower difficulty levels and aggressiveness levels, but aside from that, you just have to get used to it.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[unmerged(11600)]

Originally posted by Morpheus506
4. Slow down game speed (ctrl - )

That and make use of the <pause> button as needed.

-Pat

 

[Stonewall]

You can increase your tax revenues by promoting tax collectors and chief judgesin your provinces.

You can also incerase the tax rate....kind of. If you go to the investment slider screen, the one where you change how much money is being invested in the army, navy, infra, stability, and trade, you can look at the bottom slider labeled "treasury". If you keep move this slider to the right you will get money every month. Its soimetimes called minting money as it represents money bing diverted from research to the treasury. This is a good way to avoid having to take loans and for short term building projects. Be aware, however, that minting money will casue inflation, so use it cautiously.

The best way to make money is through trade. Make sure you're maxing out your 5 merchants in every Center of Trade you have access to. Sending 6 is a waste since you will just get competed out in a month or so, but 5 is sustainable over the long haul. This is where most of your money will come from.

 

[unmerged(18130)]

Hey, thanks for all the answers... they helped out quite a bit. But I've also got a couple more.

1) Is there anyway to reduce inflation? I know how to keep it down, but when it's up, how do you reduce it?

2) Do trade embargos affect a countries income from trade, or are they just a status?

Can't think of any more, but I probably will later... Thanks again for your help.

 

[Stonewall]

There are two ways to reduce inflation. (1) Wait for a random deflation event.
(2) Once you get infra level 5, you can appoint mayors. Each mayor you appoint reduces your inflation by 1%. So if you appoint 10 mayors, you will get a 10% inflation reduction.

Trade embargoes effect a couple of things. Example, you are England and have a CoT in London. You embargo France. France can no longer compete in any CoT's owned by England. In addition, France no longer recieves trade income from English provinces in any of their CoT's. So if you own Calais and Calais is part of the French CoT in Paris, they will no longer get trade revenue from Calais. Embargoes are well worth the stability cost, especially if you own lots of CoT's. Just be careful using them on countries that can kick your butt...it gives them a CB on you until you remove the trade ban.

 

[Brickie]

I think I've pretty much got the hang of it but a few questions are bugging me...

1) Do only certain provinces declare independence? As Spain, I've had Franche-Comte and luxembourg declare as Burgundy without a fight, but watched Jylland rebel against Lorraine (who won it in a war) and stay rebel for about 50 years without declaring independence. Ditto Kent and Wessex rebelling against france?

2) Is there any way of increasing your number of colonists (apart from ensuring you actually have a sea coast)?

3) A country I want on my side is in an alliance. All well and good, I wait until it expires, and as my finger descends on the pause button, they make another alliance or renew theirs. Is there any way out of the lightning-fast computer reflexes?

 

[unmerged(7347)]

Originally posted by Brickie
I think I've pretty much got the hang of it but a few questions are bugging me...

1) Do only certain provinces declare independence? As Spain, I've had Franche-Comte and luxembourg declare as Burgundy without a fight, but watched Jylland rebel against Lorraine (who won it in a war) and stay rebel for about 50 years without declaring independence. Ditto Kent and Wessex rebelling against france?

2) Is there any way of increasing your number of colonists (apart from ensuring you actually have a sea coast)?

3) A country I want on my side is in an alliance. All well and good, I wait until it expires, and as my finger descends on the pause button, they make another alliance or renew theirs. Is there any way out of the lightning-fast computer reflexes?

1) Yes and you can see which nations that can form by opening the revolt.txt file.

2) You can build one of those golden shipyards when your tech allows it, but you get the bonus if you have one, so no use building several if you are Spain for example. Although if you play another nation you could conquer the province which its located in and that way get an extra settler.

3) Paus some days before it expires and then paus every day 3-5 day the month the alliance expire and you should be able to get a gap, when the nation have no allies. (When it says it expires in, for example, January. It can expire either in the beginning, middle or the end of January so dont forget to check frequently that month...)

 

[Morpheus506]

Originally posted by Brickie
3) A country I want on my side is in an alliance. All well and good, I wait until it expires, and as my finger descends on the pause button, they make another alliance or renew theirs. Is there any way out of the lightning-fast computer reflexes?

My personal favorite way is to annex all their allies.

 

[JMDurron]

Originally posted by Stonewall

Trade embargoes effect a couple of things. Example, you are England and have a CoT in London. You embargo France. France can no longer compete in any CoT's owned by England. In addition, France no longer recieves trade income from English provinces in any of their CoT's. So if you own Calais and Calais is part of the French CoT in Paris, they will no longer get trade revenue from Calais. Embargoes are well worth the stability cost, especially if you own lots of CoT's. Just be careful using them on countries that can kick your butt...it gives them a CB on you until you remove the trade ban.

Also, with trade embargoes, you suffer a small penalty to your trade research when you impose one.

 

[Stonewall]

Originally posted by Brickie

2) Is there any way of increasing your number of colonists (apart from ensuring you actually have a sea coast)?

Using purely in-game mechanics, the best colonist ratio you can get is 3 per year. One from a shipyard, and 2 from being reformed. This is in addition to any colonial dynamism that the game gives you...this depends on what country you're playing.

If you want to edit the game files and give yourself more or less colonial dynamism, open up the colonist.csv file in a text editor and insert some colonists into you countries slot.

 

[unmerged(18130)]

Thanks Stonewall, that was very informational on trade embargoes. But just one more thing on them... are they any good if you don't have a CoT. And, how do you get CoT's in your country? Or do they just randomly shift every once in awhile?

 

[Morpheus506]

CoTs are programmed in to their locations. The only way to get them is to conquer or by random events that will plant them in rich provinces all over the place, but only one at a time. Conquest is the best method in my opinion.

 

[unmerged(11600)]

Emargoes will have an effect even if you don't own any CoTs. When calculating the target's income from a CoT that includes your provinces, those provinces' trade value will not be included in the total value of the CoT.

-Pat

 

[Stonewall]

Originally posted by JMDurron
Also, with trade embargoes, you suffer a small penalty to your trade research when you impose one.

You sure? Are you talking about your trade efficiency rating? I don't remember there being a penalty for these, but I could be totally wrong...

 

[Stonewall]

Originally posted by pjcrowe
Emargoes will have an effect even if you don't own any CoTs. When calculating the target's income from a CoT that includes your provinces, those provinces' trade value will not be included in the total value of the CoT.

-Pat

Exactly, so even though you don't own a Cot, you can hurt the one who does own it by embargoing them. Often times, your provinces, which previously gave money to your enemy's CoT will shift their allegience to another close by CoT. Its a subtle shift, but it can be very effective economic weapon.

 

[JMDurron]

Originally posted by Stonewall
You sure? Are you talking about your trade efficiency rating? I don't remember there being a penalty for these, but I could be totally wrong...

I'm fairly sure, I went into my research funding screen and found the following things displayed:

+ # - monarch rating
+ # - from budget
+ # - refineries (I think that's the trading one, haven't played in a few weeks)
- # - trade embargo

This was while I was putting a trade embargo on another nation. It did not appear as a result of the random event that puts a trade embargo on all other nations in your COT's.

 

[Stonewall]

Originally posted by JMDurron
I'm fairly sure, I went into my research funding screen and found the following things displayed:

+ # - monarch rating
+ # - from budget
+ # - refineries (I think that's the trading one, haven't played in a few weeks)
- # - trade embargo

This was while I was putting a trade embargo on another nation. It did not appear as a result of the random event that puts a trade embargo on all other nations in your COT's.

I never noticed this. Learn something new every day. How much of a penalty is it? One ducat per month per embargo, or is it more substantial?

 

[Brickie]

Don't talk to me about CoTs moving. I'm Spain, the dutch revolt happens, I fight well and they offer me Flanders and Zeeland. Woohoo. And then there's a new centre in Holland and Flanders only takes 38 a year from 4 provinces ... grrr

 

[Stonewall]

Originally posted by Brickie
Don't talk to me about CoTs moving. I'm Spain, the dutch revolt happens, I fight well and they offer me Flanders and Zeeland. Woohoo. And then there's a new centre in Holland and Flanders only takes 38 a year from 4 provinces ... grrr

If you're that upset about it, just annex Holland. After all, as Spain, it shouldn't be too much trouble.