Problem with Russia

[unmerged(45151)]

I am not necessarily a newbie at EU 2 vanilla but I have not been a student of the game by any means. I have a problem playing Russia for the first time. It is about 1580 or so and I have finally subdued the Horde, vassalized Novgorod and Trebizond which is really the owner of Asia minor. I have dipannexed Georgia and Kazak and Suzhal (sp). So I think I am ok. But! My infantry cost 26 ducats a pop and they cannot fight even rebels effectively. I am investing almost everything in armies. But I am far behind. Is there relief? What should I do? My economy is OK. But at this rate, I will never be able to tackle Poland in the near future in order to expand (once I dip annex Trebizond and Novgorod). HELP!

Thanks.

 

[unmerged(45151)]

I guess I am posting a reply to my own thread! (Don't laugh, I am new). I must have gone terribly wrong somewhere. I am reading comments by you guys about Russia and, as in history, Russia should have the capacity to produce lots of infantry cheaply. I must have made bad choices in order to avoid losses in stability. I was smart enough (maybe not) to realize I had to adjust sliders toward quantity whenever I can. But what else should I be doing?

 

[unmerged(15337)]

Even with high quality and naval settings there is no way your infantry should cost that much. Did you get hit with a lot of inflation? And what are your techs now?

 

[DPM128]

your troops should be rediculouly cheap, since you lose more then half in attrition because most of your wars will be fought with mr winter. You have to keep replenishing you loses. besides, with russia you have so much manpower you can easily have the biggest army and overrun everybody with numbers.


aristocracy, land, quantity, serfdom. moving towards those will decrease spending on infantry and calvary drastically, but wont help you miss the time of troubles or improve morale. It could also be related to your inflation(i think), making your troops and everything else cost more. if you have opposing sliders then they both will cost more but will have better morale(except land), so battles will be easier.


I have a game as russia right now and i am at 4 and 8/9 for cost, so you really did mess up somewhere.

 

[Ciçatrix]

Your problem is inflation. Click on one of the right hand side buttons near your shield in the top corner of the screen, at the bottom of one of these screens, your inflation should be displayed. The number is the percentage that things cost more, so you earn the same, but everything costs more (including technology). To avoid such high inflation, go to the budget window, and drag the "to trasury" slider to the left, you will earn less per month, but you won't end up with such a high inflation which can ruin any game.

 

[DPM128]

i actually think he may have went bankrupt, since his armies suck so much. especially as russia its so easy to take loans and not be able to pay them back because your so poor and you have to go to war so often.

 

[DSYoungEsq]

I am not necessarily a newbie at EU 2 vanilla but I have not been a student of the game by any means. I have a problem playing Russia for the first time. It is about 1580 or so and I have finally subdued the Horde, vassalized Novgorod and Trebizond which is really the owner of Asia minor. I have dipannexed Georgia and Kazak and Suzhal (sp). So I think I am ok. But! My infantry cost 26 ducats a pop and they cannot fight even rebels effectively. I am investing almost everything in armies. But I am far behind. Is there relief? What should I do? My economy is OK. But at this rate, I will never be able to tackle Poland in the near future in order to expand (once I dip annex Trebizond and Novgorod). HELP!

Thanks.

One of two things is likely true:

1. You have massive inflation.

2. You have poorly set domestic policy sliders.


If the former, you are really in trouble until you gain Infrastructure 5 and can promote mayors to governors, causing steady deflation. This will take a long while. Go on a colonial spree instead down the Siberian corridor to the Pacific, which should reduce your need for inflationary spending and let you develop in peace. Make an alliance with a strong power to help you out.

If the latter, you need to start moving towards domestic policy settings that reduce the cost of infantry. Russia lags behind in tech always, because of being in the orthodox tech group, so you need cheap troops that you can throw away. Move toward serfdom, land, offensive and then quantity.

As for Poland, your ability to beat them is not dependent upon tech levels, really. With all AI countries, the formula is simple: do not engage in head-to-head fighting unless you have a tech advantage and good leaders. Instead, let the AI alliance send all its troops to one province to besiege it (they almost ALWAYS will do this). Then send three armies of your own to besiege three enemy provinces. You will quickly outperform the AI in winning provinces through siege, without the need to rebuild armies after expensive battle defeats.

 

[unmerged(45151)]

Thanks for the response. I am feeling more depressed than ever now but this will be a challenge.

I did go bankrupt I think three times. Let me tell you my settings

Aristocracy and Decentralization are all over all the way toward these two
Narrowmindedness is almost completely set there
slightly more toward offensive doctrine
completely mercantilist
more land than navy
more quality than quanity (this is how I originally realized I really screwed up)
100% serfdom


OK, my inflation is 231%!
Land 4
Navy 2
Inrastructure and Trade are both worse than anyones

I may not be much of a Russian Czar, But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Last Night

 

[pgroves]

Thanks for the response. I am feeling more depressed than ever now but this will be a challenge.

I did go bankrupt I think three times.

Three times!?! Why? How?

Let me tell you my settings

Aristocracy and Decentralization are all over all the way toward these two
Narrowmindedness is almost completely set there
slightly more toward offensive doctrine
completely mercantilist
more land than navy
more quality than quanity (this is how I originally realized I really screwed up)
100% serfdom


OK, my inflation is 231%!

With inflation that high my advice would be to quit and start again! Try never to let inflation go above 20%, preferably less. Don't mint money (i.e. keep taxes slider all the way to the right, or ar worst 10-15%) this causes inflation, pay for troop costs from the annual taxes. Build tax collectors asap to get more tax. Keep troop maintenance costs to 50% when not at war (big savings here), research infrastructure as a priorioty to improve tax base

Avoid loans if possible - they don't cause inflation in themselves, but you may have to mint money to pay the loans (and there's the risk of bankruptcy if you have too many loans and you can't pay them. Hope this helps!

Paul

 

[unmerged(45151)]

What does this mean "Keep tax sliders all the way to the right" I am playing vanilla, or the game as it came from the store..LOL. Where is that

I need to get a good instruction book.

And how did I let inflation get that high in the first place.

Surely there must be a way to get it under control.

I cannot yet build tax collectors I don't think

 

[Waffen9999]

At 231% you can't recover that much inflation. Just either edit it out in the game files or start over. I'd say probably start over. By 1580 as Russia I'm usually all the way to the Pacific with most of Siberia colonised and Poland subdued. >events faring well of course<

 

[pgroves]

What does this mean "Keep tax sliders all the way to the right"

Sorry, I meant left

I am playing vanilla, or the game as it came from the store..LOL. Where is that

Click the "budgeting" icon (the coin icon near the top left of the screen) to get to the page where you can set you research priorities etc., taxation is the bottom slider, move it as far left as you can afford to - getting a negative am ount of money each month is acceptable if you can pay your troop/loan costs with the annual census tax. BTW don't forget to reduce naval & troop maintenance to 50% in peacetime! This is vital!

I need to get a good instruction book.

And how did I let inflation get that high in the first place.

Surely there must be a way to get it under control.

See above info. and my previous post and avoid loans where possible, don't take out war taxes either (1% inflation increase each time). Another very important tip - don't have more troops than your support limit, otherwise upkeep costs will be very, very expensive

hth

Paul

 

[DPM128]

Thanks for the response. I am feeling more depressed than ever now but this will be a challenge.

I did go bankrupt I think three times. Let me tell you my settings

Aristocracy and Decentralization are all over all the way toward these two
Narrowmindedness is almost completely set there
slightly more toward offensive doctrine
completely mercantilist
more land than navy
more quality than quanity (this is how I originally realized I really screwed up)
100% serfdom


OK, my inflation is 231%!
Land 4
Navy 2
Inrastructure and Trade are both worse than anyones

I may not be much of a Russian Czar, But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Last Night

yea, as russia it is so easy early on if you arent very experienced to go bankrupt, if you take out loans it is VERY hard to repay them without minting(tax all the way right). all of this is early on of course. Groves already explained the majority of it. As moscowy early on(if you started in 1419) i generally let the other russian minors attack me instead of me declaring war on them, its the only way i can pace myself. only concentrate on infastructure and trade early on. You will fall behind militarily no matter waht because of your tech, if you get a better inf and trade, you can catch up later.


you really should d/l the patch and beta patch, as it balances the game and improves gameplay drastically, it is better to do this now instead of letting yourself learn to play an unpatched game.


as russia/moscowy i generally try to move my sliders to...

Aristocracy - better diplo(not that important as russia, cheap calvary)

Centralized - better tech, i usually do this first, otherwise you will get way behind

narrowminded - early ill try to get it to the middle, later ill move to the left though for colonizing

nuetral off/def - it really doesnt matter, faster seige may be better here though as russia, sooner you get the province, less attrition

merc early/free late - cheap trading early then colonizing late

land - increased moral and cheaper army, youll hardly ever need to fight at sea, i only use my ships late in the game to discover lands the AI hasnt

quantity - cheaper units

serfdom - cheaper again


you really do need cheaper units, because you will lose about double or more to attrition compared to fighting because of mr winter

What does this mean "Keep tax sliders all the way to the right" I am playing vanilla, or the game as it came from the store..LOL. Where is that

I need to get a good instruction book.

And how did I let inflation get that high in the first place.

Surely there must be a way to get it under control.

I cannot yet build tax collectors I don't think

tax collectors comes with infra 1, you should get this as russia in about 1 1/2 years, get this first and build these or you will never get off the ground.


the FAQ section is a very good instruction booklet, here are a few links...


http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=113590


http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48891


http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32706


this may be the best source for newbies, its a full game as france, but its full of info

http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?t=194932

 

[DSYoungEsq]

Polyglot, you need to take a quick gander at two sources of information.

The first is the Economy FAQ in the FAQ forum. It answers a lot of questions on how to stay within a budget.

Second is Fodoron's Beginner's Guide to EU2. Just run a search for any post by Fodoron; his sig has a link to the guide. I'm too lazy to do it for ya, I'm afraid.

 

[Ciçatrix]

Second is Fodoron's Beginner's Guide to EU2. Just run a search for any post by Fodoron; his sig has a link to the guide. I'm too lazy to do it for ya, I'm afraid.

Well, i'm not lazy, here is a direct link:
Fodron's beginner's guide to eu2

 

[unmerged(45151)]

Thanks everyone. I am not really new. But I am realizing that playing France, England, Austria, and Brandenberg you can make mistakes and still do well. With Russia, I just became far too fearful of instability and made terrible decisions.

Thanks guys.

P.S. I did start over using your advice. Much better.

 

[DPM128]

Thanks everyone. I am not really new. But I am realizing that playing France, England, Austria, and Brandenberg you can make mistakes and still do well. With Russia, I just became far too fearful of instability and made terrible decisions.

Thanks guys.

P.S. I did start over using your advice. Much better.

yea, your right, russia i believe is on of the harder ones at the beginning if your not sure what to do. but is alot of fun once you get big and catch up in tech. Then you can usually just slaughter everybody to your west and expand at will to the east. But it does take awhile to get to that point, about 200 years or so. keep us updated on your progress....

 

[unmerged(45151)]

Started Over.

I started over. I figured if Democrats and Republicans in USA can agree that inflation is bad, then 251% Russian inflation must suck. So, I unplugged the machine.

I am now back at around 1580, very centralized, very land and offense oriented, leaning in the middle of quality and quantity, serfdom high and narrowminded to get my colonists and I am doing well.

I own I have dip annexed TVER Suzhal, Vlad, Novgorod, Georgia, Ryazan and the whole area is red except the one province of Golden Horde which will fall when i choose.

Lots fo rebellions but manageable.

Figured out my forces beat rebellions down better with a little cavalry and cannon mixed in.

LIthuania (now Poland) is a big juicy target waiting to be attacked in about 40 years or so.

You guys are right. Don't mint, live within your means, dont get too high BB, focus early on trade and infrastructure and later the army advances come.

What am I missing? Never played a full Russian game before.

In my game, Austria is a LITTLE WHITE BLOB and cannot deal with revolutions. Poland is foe to the west. Sweden up north. Down south, Nogai and others are divided and in the Balkans, Hungary (separated from Austria) and a whole host of byzantine oriented provinces like Serbia and Byzantium are future coalitions and dipannexes waiting to happen.

Thanks for everything.

Moving sliders was new to me.

 

[DPM128]

good job, your on your way to victory im guessing, as any of the major powers, once you get past the very begining, its easy sailing. as russia, expand as fast as you can east toward the pacific, keep a watch on your BB though if you dont have cores on thier provinces.



also, get to infastructure 5 and trade 4 as fast as possible, once there youll be rolling in the dough, now switch to land and you will catch up really fast to sweden and poland. dont expand westward until you catch up, as early on you may be as much as 2 CRT's behind them. once you catch up switch back to inf or trade to bring in even more money. once that starts taking to long to research, go back to land. maybe even throw in some naval if everything else takes to long. but its not really all that important as russia.

 

[unmerged(45151)]

Thanks. Yeah, I am not a big fan of a russian navy. I play England a lot and I have had my fill of Navy