I’m playing as Sparta and currently field a navy of 100 ships, but they drain huge amounts of my income. At peace time, with raised taxes and lowered maintenance, I have a monthly income of +9.82, and 112% Research Efficiency.
-
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.
Unless you can invest into the military tech tree (there are some inventions to lower Navy Maintenance cost) or unlock naval Levantine and/or Punic military traditions (not sure whether they both have), your only choice is to dismiss some of your navy, if you already have set the navy maintenance to low in your economy tab.
Thanks. I’ve earned a lot of money from sacking cities, which offsets my low income (or negative income when I have Mercenaries). Anyway, I screwed up in the Sparta run (I waited too long, and Rome, its subject, Epirus, and the independent Antigonids are pretty much my only neighbours now, and I can’t compete), so I’m trying again as Rome. Last time I tried Rome I went for the Etruscans instead of the Samnites, and ran out of soldiers.
Aside from things reducing navy maintenance, I would personally set my focus on increasing my income. That is often the easier way to balance the books in IR and you have various means to do so. Beside teching in the direction of tax and trade modifiers, creating trade good surplusses and exporting is key. With Greek MTs you have access to slaves raids, which is a nice way to get the pops for more stuff to export (yes, currently being in a nice game with Opone - where I have restricted myself to one province and growing tall - I'm a bit biased here 
)
)- 2
Thanks!Aside from things reducing navy maintenance, I would personally set my focus on increasing my income. That is often the easier way to balance the books in IR and you have various means to do so. Beside teching in the direction of tax and trade modifiers, creating trade good surplusses and exporting is key. With Greek MTs you have access to slaves raids, which is a nice way to get the pops for more stuff to export (yes, currently being in a nice game with Opone - where I have restricted myself to one province and growing tall - I'm a bit biased here
Early game I avoid the cost of a navy by sticking with land wars until I have the income I need for a navy.
As Rome that means capturing Transalpine Gaul before Sicily and making the largest culture there integrated to keep them happy.
As Rome that means capturing Transalpine Gaul before Sicily and making the largest culture there integrated to keep them happy.
Thing is, in that run the Antigonids conquered Argos and Korinthide early on during the Diadochi war, and then Egypt took those territories near the end. When I had eliminated all other neighbours, Egypt was the only one left on the Peloponnese who I had to deal with. I built up my fleet and hired some naval mercs, and declared. My levies occupied the territories, and my navy (+ mercs) intercepted the invasion force, reducing it from 11,000 Troops and 63 ships to 5,000 Troops and 51 ships. The remaining invaders landed, but had lower morale than my larger, better commanded army on Hill territory, and was decimated, and my navy caught up with Egypt’s and stack wiped it (most of the Egyptian ships were badly damage from the first battle, and the ones left after that we’re Stack-Wiped).
Afterwards, my attempts to unite Greece hit a snag when I checked Egypt (still guaranteeing a few Greek Island states), and they had a navy of 82 ships. I never got to try against them though, because Rome made Epirus a Client State and the Epirus gobbled up Macedon. Between them, Epirus and Macedon controlled the rest of Mainland Greece, and almost immediately after the war ended (Macedon still controlling that Trident-looking Peninsula in the Macedonia region), Rome integrates Epirus. So me, playing as Sparta with 2 Attican territories, all of Laconia, Achaea, Arcadia, and Crete, did not stand a chance. Also, Epirus cut Thrace into thirds and ate the middle one while still fighting Macedon.
This is 530 AUC