Is bankruptcy worth it?

[unmerged(61384)]

I was playing as brandenburg and went bankrupt so I could buy a manu very early in the game. It seemed like a good move, and I had no real problem living through the bankruptcy. However I knew as brandenburg that I would eventuallly have to mint for all the wars I was going to get in, so the inflation was kind of scary. Any advice or comments?

I was playing Ageep version.

Also does anyone have any advice on who I should war first to get a bit larger country>? Is it worth it to go after meckleburg even if they only have their cot for a few years? thanks

 

[SeedSnatcher]

You can survive going bankrupt early on, but later on, when you're bigger, you'll definitely feel it.

 

[unmerged(61727)]

Didn't know that going bankrupt had benefits.

 

[Incompetent]

I was playing as brandenburg and went bankrupt so I could buy a manu very early in the game. It seemed like a good move, and I had no real problem living through the bankruptcy. However I knew as brandenburg that I would eventuallly have to mint for all the wars I was going to get in, so the inflation was kind of scary. Any advice or comments?

I was playing Ageep version.

Also does anyone have any advice on who I should war first to get a bit larger country>? Is it worth it to go after meckleburg even if they only have their cot for a few years? thanks

Bankruptcy is better than getting annexed. It might also be worth it if you're presented with some amazing opportunity by events, such as a tag or tech group change, and bankruptcy is the only way you have a chance of pulling it off.

Apart from that, no it isn't worth it IMO. You got that manu some years earlier than you would otherwise, but you'll be paying the price in terms of inflation for as long as it takes you to zero your inflation (unless you get lucky with events, this will be only once you have Infra 5, have placed plenty of governors, and spend conservatively for at least 4 years per point of inflation).

How much of your total income comes from the manu you just built? If the answer is anything less than about 25%, it was a bad move. Even if it's more than that, it could still have been a bad idea if you had/were going to have opportunities to increase your income coming up (such as conquest or trade).

 

[unmerged(61384)]

Well I had about a 6 state country and about 6 vassals and I was only making about 65 ducats a year. So at that rate I woul dhave had to save for 10+ years to buy a manu. SHould I have done that instead?

 

[Incompetent]

Well I had about a 6 state country and about 6 vassals and I was only making about 65 ducats a year. So at that rate I woul dhave had to save for 10+ years to buy a manu. SHould I have done that instead?

6 provs + 6 vassals, and you were only making 65d per year? Do you mean census taxes of 65d per year, or 65d total income? If the former, yes, you should have just saved up, or if your army prevents you from saving up effectively with zero minting, then mint until you have the money. Minting 1 or 2 years to get a manu in that position is perfectly valid. If the latter, something has gone seriously wrong, because decent German provinces are worth about 20d per year even in the early game.

 

[Dspencer]

Going bankrupt as brandenburg is never necessary. You have so many oppurtunities to grow early in the game that by 1550's you should be a superpower, and by 1600 you should have more money than you know what to do with. I would recommend playing the long game rather than shooting for a manu asap. However, going bankrupt as byzantium is a little different as sometimes it's required.