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Hi all.

I just got this game and I'm playing it on my new PC. I've played the full campaigns on normal in Rome and Medieval 2 from start to finish without a great deal of difficulty once I got going, but this seems quite a bit more complicated than those games.

I'm playing as Britain and I've just conquered Georgia (at the request of the 13 colonies) and I've snatched Florida from Spain who declared war on one of my allies. I've also got 2 regions in India on the west coast. I'm struggling with my economy. I'm only getting about 2000 a turn and my armies and navies aren't really enough to hold other factions off. I'm dreading that someone's going to land a stack of units somewhere and I won't be able to defend.

Spain is quite intimidating as they're sailing Galleons all over the place which have around 7 times the firepower of my Sloops (the best thing I can build at the moment) How the hell did they get ships that powerful so early??

What do I do with these trade routes? (The 4 regions where you can set up trade posts. ) Do I need to send fleets to each one to guard them from pirates or what? I don't even have any trade posts. I remember I got some warning a few turns ago that one of them got raided but I've got no idea which it is.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Well first of all have you upgraded your road system? This can make a difference. And also How do your building of economical buildings go? Seek peace with Span and after some time ask for an alliance. keep said thing until your navies and armies are strong enough to deal with any treat. Also make sure to research all the stuff you can.
Your armed forces will only be as strong as your ability to back them with proper infrastructure and a solid economy

 Trondheim wrote:
Well first of all have you upgraded your road system? This can make a difference. And also How do your building of economical buildings go? Seek peace with Span and after some time ask for an alliance. keep said thing until your navies and armies are strong enough to deal with any treat. Also make sure to research all the stuff you can.
Your armed forces will only be as strong as your ability to back them with proper infrastructure and a solid economy

Yeah, that was a little oversight. I saw roads on the campaigns on the campaign map, so I thought I had roads, but apparently I did not. I'm building all the ecomonic upgrades I can... I've built a metal works, farms, plantations. Having to do research to get some of these is hindering this somewhat. I guess I should just hunker down and cross my fingers no one invades while my economy is getting better.

You think Spain (and the other factions I'm at war with) will accept a peace treaty? I've never managed to get a faction to do that, ever. I suppose you have to give them loads of money gifts to improve their disposition and I never bothered with that.

Can you also explain trade routes for me?

Well because its worth a try, sweeten the deal with some technology or other tings. Aye the ressearch can be somewhat bothersome at times but that is what you have gentelmen for, stick them in your university and speed it along. I always make sure to only engange in wars with lesser powers or other nations who are on their own. India and the Ottoman lands are good exampels of this.

The trade routes works in this way :
They run from your port to another port belonging to a country you are trading with. the bigger port you have and more often them you gain more profit. you can raid enemy lines for profit or block them for hindering enemy economy. Also maintain a good relationship with other large naval powers until you are strong enough to drive them from the sea or conquer their home ports.

As for roads even the basic road upgrade dose have huge benefits in the early game, while the later upgrades may prove crucial at certain points.

Do you have any idea when I'll be able to build the British equivalent to Galleons? There's a Spanish fleet of 7 parked off the coast of Scotland blocking one of my trade routes and I want to get rid of them. 350 firepower is bloody cheating. Best I've got are 5th rates I think, but I don't think they've got any more than 150. This is so unfair.

Spain starts with Galleons.

Diplomacy in TW games is pretty much broken, to the extent that I now ignore it except for trade treaties. but in your situation a ceasefire is worth a shot so you can get your trade flowing again. Have you set up any trade agreements with everyone you can?

Upgrading your infrastructure past a certain point isn't worth it if you are strapped for cash, they take a long time to pay for themselves. The basic building is fine although you want to keep upgrading farms and your capital's troop production buildings.

Concentrate your tech on getting a decent navy (at least 4th rates) and initially use it to guard your home trade port as if your port is blockaded your economy will be hit hard..

Once your port is safe build up an army in the colonies and start steamrolling Spain's holdings, they are usually weakly held. That will give you a lot of cash and weaken spain quite considerably. This should set you up to winning the game. Simply garrison your Indian and European regions, especially if they have forts which makes them all but impregnable.

When you get a chance blitz france...they only have 2 provinces at the beginning of the game

As Britain I leave the continent alone until I have a sizable foothold in the colonies. Once you have a presence on continental Europe it is much easier for the big boys to harass you. France will give you a lot of income but it also has huge borders which are hard to guard and you will probably see a lot of rebeliions.

I've started again, now that I have a feel for what I'm supposed to be doing. I've decided not to pick any fights with the main factions until I can afford to. I'm going to move into America and India first of all. It's difficult to expand because taking enemy provinces makes them really unhappy and I'm having to garrison units in them for ages to improve public order. I'm used to sacking or exterminating settlements in the other games so I don't have to do that. My inner genocidal tyrant is trying to escape!

I'm doing a short campaign first, but 50 years seems like a heck of a short time to control 25 regions... In Medieval 2 and Rome it really seemed like you had all the time in the world. This is a race against time...

For new provinces make them exempt from tax and station dragoons in them (they count as 2 units for peacekeeping) within about 10 turns or so they should them be law abiding citizens.

I would stay away from India until you are realtively strong, its quite difficult to establish yourself there due to rebellions and aggressive neighbours.

I'm no expert on military history, but didn't line infantry take it in turns to shoot? Like first rank fires then kneels down, reloads, and the second rank shoots over them? It looks stupid that the first rank of my infantry are the only ones shooting and the rest of them behind stand around like lemons. Limitations of the game, i guess?

Fire by rank and platoon firing are researchable, some units (like militia) don't use them though.

Palindrome wrote:
Fire by rank and platoon firing are researchable, some units (like militia) don't use them though.

Always with the research! Gonna have to get used to this...

"Ok lads, new orders just in from HQ back in Blighty. We've just figured out that the front rank can kneel down and fire, thereby allowing the second rank to fire in addition!"
"By jove, I am jolly glad to be serving under such genius leadership!"
"Three cheers for Blighty! Hip hip, horrah! Hip hip, horrah! Hip hip, horrah!"

---

"What are those British troops doing? We're taking at least double the amount of fire we used to take!"
"I believe they've developed new tactics; apparently their front ranks kneel down to fire, allowing their second ranks to add they own shots to the volley."
"Really? We must hurry to alert command of this! They must teach us how we can replicate this tactic!"

 Avatar 720 wrote:
"Ok lads, new orders just in from HQ back in Blighty. We've just figured out that the front rank can kneel down and fire, thereby allowing the second rank to fire in addition!"
"By jove, I am jolly glad to be serving under such genius leadership!"
"Three cheers for Blighty! Hip hip, horrah! Hip hip, horrah! Hip hip, horrah!"

---

"What are those British troops doing? We're taking at least double the amount of fire we used to take!"
"I believe they've developed new tactics; apparently their front ranks kneel down to fire, allowing their second ranks to add they own shots to the volley."
"Really? We must hurry to alert command of this! They must teach us how we can replicate this tactic!"

Yeah, it does seem that ridiculous.

It's like everyone in the military is at same intellectual level as Cletus from the Simpsons. It takes them about five minutes when you're assaulting a wall for them to realise that you actually have to throw the grappling hook.

Get the lastest version of the Darthmod. Lots of rebalances and added units. Allows you to set it to two, three, or four turns per year, greatly expanding the time you have. Gives you different campaigns including a "late" campaign from I think 1800 to 1850, which allows a few extra factions, like the US.

 Bromsy wrote:
Get the lastest version of the Darthmod. Lots of rebalances and added units. Allows you to set it to two, three, or four turns per year, greatly expanding the time you have. Gives you different campaigns including a "late" campaign from I think 1800 to 1850, which allows a few extra factions, like the US.

Thanks for that, I'll check it out. Looks really interesting.

Well I always find having economical power dose help with the conquest part, so hence I always make sure to upgrade my economical builds even if some people say its a unnecsasry thing to do. I however like having that extra amount of funds, and I agree with the colony taking over part. Beat Spain or other colonial powers over the head hard until they ask for mercy when taking them. India is less of a hassel I find since you already gott wo factions going at it there(The Muhagals and those other folks I dont remember the name of.)

Flood the trade theatres with merchant ships, make sure your navy is up to scratch to defend them, this tactic works best as the British.

Don't get too concern early on with raising your military technology past ring bayonets, you should focus more on social Technologies that allow for better plantations.

Naval technologies are also essential, especially when concerning GB. As GB you start off with a port capable of making fifth and fourth rates, you are for a time the only nation who can do this, so make the most of it.

Unlike previous games having large amounts of trade agreements are not really essential and i find that most of them end up getting blockaded and i use a lot of income, so choose your trade partners wisely.

If possible, join Austria in attacking France as this way you can move on France for a few turns before the Spanish join the fight. Using a good navy, you can block off the continental forces of France and Spain while stealing their colonies in America, Spain's colonies in Florida and the Carribean and veritable gold mines of resources so try and take them as soon as you can.

Hope some of this helps, its really a tactic for the British, with other nations i tend to merely build up my Armies and crush everyone in sight.

I have always prefered the land powers such as Prussia and Austria for some strange reason. For GB, you will need Naval and philsophic technologies the most. You will need division of labour and Classical Economics. Do as panda recomended. The economics of this game is simple, I can't imagine how someone can find it hard, I play Victoria 2, Pride of Nations and Crusader Kings 2. If you find this hard, I would not recomend some of the games I play. It just requires a bit of planning and common sense instead of just charging in like an idiot.