Having a tough time with money in Conclave in early start Count/Duke
- Thread starter jpinard
- Start date
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
I have no idea. I think the final sum depends on your revenue but it's always sizable (200-300 gold in my last game).
It can be, depending on the opportunity cost. It's almost never worth dismissing an option as "not worth it", because they are almost ALWAYS worth it, depending on the circumstances.
Obviously the demesne matters a lot, but if you up the centralisation and have emperor tier, you can still have 9-10 demesne with practically no stewardship. Still, the new default feudal tax is just stupid. Pre-Conclave, you would only have near a 1000 gold when you were playing a republic, or did nothing for decades, which is boring, or inherit.
In pre-Conclave feudal games I was like:
"Holy shit! I have 1000 gold! I'm so fucking rich! What should I spend it on?"
In my 2 post-Conclave (feudal) games I was like:
"Ok, I have just below 1000 gold, I should stop building shit. Hey, I can take the Build War Chest ambition again and complete it next month for even more income."
I sometimes miss the CK1 times, when you would start a war with 4k gold and it would be gone in a year because levy upkeep was BRUTAL. Wars should be a huge strain on the country, not a minor inconvenience
- 2
.png){kind=avatar}
If one worked on their demesne, even Pre-Conclave, making money as a feudal character wasn't hard. I was never really income poor after some work. Heck, I'm in the middle of a campaign were I started as the Count of Evreux and was making 10+ gold a month mostly off my demesne (didn't really have feudal vassals for a while) within 20 years. Not much has changed besides a minor starting tax for vassals which wasn't contributing much to my income.
However, I do agree that levies (mostly vassal levies) should cost more. Levies are cheap.
Levies should cost more, but vassal levies shouldn't cost a dime... the penalties for keeping your vassals levies raised should be increased though. There should really be an opportunity cost: your cash vs your vassal's opinion. Right now it's sort of neither.
Your levies aren't super expensive but it's definitely easy to go into negative income with them raised. Vassal levy opinion also raises like nobody's business as it stands. I just think levies in general need to cost more (vassal levies a bit more than the pittance they are and your own needs to be at least 25% more expensive).
10+/month sounds just about right. maybe 20-something when you had a republic vassal. Now compare that to the 30-40 I was consistently getting post-Conclave. 50+ when I had diplo focus queens.
What is your start date, kingdom size, and location? I'm not getting anything like you're saying early on. Also, how far into the game is it?
When I don't have armies raised I'm now making 8.5 gold per month. With my Desmense army raised though I lose -1 gold per month. It is very confusing when my games don't go nearly as people state in many threads here like "money is too easy", or especially how people are ,aniphoating councils. I have 5 people who owe me favors and I can't figure out a single thing I can use them for.
My Desmense limit is 6 right now when I have all my Stewardship stats combined at 40. Besides getting myself to central law which will give me +1 Desme limit, is there any other way to raise my Demense limit?
My Desmense limit is 6 right now when I have all my Stewardship stats combined at 40. Besides getting myself to central law which will give me +1 Desme limit, is there any other way to raise my Demense limit?
Going "up a level" in the feudal structure will give you more Demesne. If you're a single duke, becoming a "Grand Duke" (more than 1 Duchy title held) will grant you a +1 bonus too. Both Gavelkind laws give you +30% demesne. Besides Centralization, I think that's about it.
Oh, if you completely abolish the council's power you get +2 Demesne as well IIRC.
If he has 2 counties, it's fairly likely that you can plot revoke one of them. If not, just try to imprison him and revoke the titles. If your vassals don't like it, though-- once you have his counties, who will dare stand against you?
As far as raising money in general-- you can always build a war chest or use the business focus (which on the plus side might also bump your demesne limit up a notch). When your allies call you into wars, help them out to the extent that you can afford to do so-- ransoms can be a nice bit of extra cash flow. And speaking of ransoms, if you don't want to go the business focus route, try going with intrigue: when you spy on a character, you sometimes get an event to ambush and kidnap them. Snag one of your fellow dukes and you can raise a good bit of money. Another option, if I recall correctly, is your spymaster-- building a spy network somewhere gives you a chance to discover a corrupt noble, who you can bribe. (I think. I could be misremembering.)
Indeed, the few tech points it costs you long term are almost nothing compared to the massive head start in money you get.
- 1
Absolutely. Early advantages snowball fast. 300 gold in the first few years can go really far if used wisely. It's enough to win two or three wars you shouldn't be able to. Even with shattered retreats, you don't need to keep mercenaries around for a whole war-- the first two or three battles are often enough to get you the eventual win, then you can either disband them or throw them in a suicide assault at an enemy holding to soften them up for an easier regular siege. A few tech points here and there down the road are nice, but won't go nearly as far as an extra duchy or two in the early game.
I really haven't noticed a difference but then I don't build up city's for cash either!
My castles have always generated my cash for me! Castle towns are the first things I make in all of my castles and I upgrade them all asap.... yes initially this will put me behind in troop level compared to others but quickly it pay's dividend's as my generation of cash allows me to upgrade far faster then those around me!
Also Early in ever rulers life use the Business focus to get the trade route its great for money!
My castles have always generated my cash for me! Castle towns are the first things I make in all of my castles and I upgrade them all asap.... yes initially this will put me behind in troop level compared to others but quickly it pay's dividend's as my generation of cash allows me to upgrade far faster then those around me!
Also Early in ever rulers life use the Business focus to get the trade route its great for money!
Another thing you could try is getting on your liege's council and buying a favor from him to change his feudal laws to levy shifted. The favor will be expensive and if you plan on taking his kingdom/empire you may want to change it back but if you are likely to be stuck under him for some time a 10-20% increase in income will go a long way.
Hmmm, so far business focus has been pretty tough on me. I keep getting the "stressed" trait, usually within 2 years. I"m not aware of how changing focus to business creates a trade route. In fact I use business focus most of the time and I've never gotten a trade route. Any tips on getting rid of stressed on Conclave?
How do I see how much I'm losing to my liege?
Click the button underneath your portrait in the top left or press F1 and look at the bottom part of the window. That is your income and expenses overview. Liege tax will let you know how much your liege is taxing you. Also note, all of the figures that are there are yearly income/expenses not monthly.
Last edited:
Thanks. I'd been looking everywhere else it seems (ledger too). I wish they used just one standard. Income/Expenses per year or per month. I have to keep spending extra time to check the difference, and on some screens divide or multiply by 12 in my head.
Now I just wish I could figure this "being on Leige's council thing better". I don't understand why I can't ask for free favors, yet I keep getting requests for free favors with no money pocketed by other people.
Now I just wish I could figure this "being on Leige's council thing better". I don't understand why I can't ask for free favors, yet I keep getting requests for free favors with no money pocketed by other people.