Because the AI isn't really getting much better. And they are not penalties for being bigger, they are supposed to represent how insanely expensive it was for big empire to upkeep their armies and also fix the ridiculous issue which is what this thread was about: drowning in money by 1650, which is even more ridiculous.
Yes the AI got SIGNIFICANTLY better in the last few patches; you mean to tell me that AI's used to have a couple thousand ducats in the bank and now have a couple of TENS of thousands with all buildings fleshed out isn't better? They litterally have 1.5 to 3 times the troops they used to how is that not better?
I hear alot of desire for realism in this thread. We want realistic war costs, maintaining an empire cost; building upkeep etc... No you don't: If you do that you fight one war and then you'd be forced to pay back loans for 50 years or go bankrupt. Realistic war costs = no fun. You can argue that it might need to be more expensive, which for the record I would not, but realism is really not something to shoot for here not even close to it. Gameplay > Realistic history.
It might just be my weird perspective but I never run into 'too much money' issues. That is in large part due to the difficulty level; you don't need to set some amazing crazy goal like a world conquest to spend all your hard earned ducats. You just need to click options and bump up the difficulty slider. That's it you're done. I guarantee you'll spend your money. I can't even remember the last time I had enough money for 1 lvl 5 advisor let alone 3 let alone build some buildings. Unless it was a game where I
specifically set myself up to make crazy dosh; like own India trade-money dosh. Wars ARE expensive; you are almost constantly at 0 or close to 0 manpower so you have to use mercs; 1 rebellion of 20k; thats 600 ducats down the drain.
Look i'm not trying to sound elitist or anything but really if you want to see what it's like to not have money just try 1 game of very hard. Wars and ergo 'maintaining' an empire
will be twice to three times more expensive due to larger enemy armies and more agressive AI's.
The way I see it NEW player won't have too much money on normal. Experienced players do, i think almost noone who plays on very hard has too much money. Do we really want to make it harder for newer players to get into the game? Instead of just encouraging players to move to a higher difficulty setting? I think this something worth thinking about.
I can't for the life of me see how more expenses will make the game more fun but I might be proven wrong ofcourse.
Finally I realise i'm a minority position here I'm just raising the possibilty of moving to very hard in order to have something to spend your ducats on; without making it harder for newer players or excrutiating for very hard players; I mean we will adjust and cope like with loans and the more expensive mercs but one needs to ask if this is the direction we ought to be moving into. Making 'normal' the new very hard by constantly making war more expensive seems odd to me and then making very hard 'super mega ultra hard' Come to think of it I do like the sound of that. Still it might have unintended consequences: Making it a stare at the map untill you can afford 2 dudes with a stick to go hit 1 guy with a hammer instead of Sending legions of badass spacemarines against hordes of hapless enemies.
