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    Economy & Trade 101

    Understanding income sources, marketplaces, trade routes, and RGOs to build a thriving economy.

    Income Sources

    Tax Base

    From provinces based on control and development

    Increases via: Control improvements, stability, development clicks

    Trade Income

    Multiplied by crown power percentage

    Increases via: Crown power, trade capacity, marketplaces

    Production (RGOs)

    Resource Gathering Operations produce trade goods

    Increases via: Building RGOs in high-value provinces

    Estate Taxation

    Estates earn income and pay taxes to the crown

    Increases via: High estate satisfaction, tax rate adjustments

    Opening Economy Strategy (First 10 Years)

    Critical Priorities

    Your economic setup in the first 10 years determines the entire campaign

    1. Spam Marketplaces Everywhere

    Marketplaces provide 100% profit and increase trade capacity. Build in capital FIRST (highest base tax), then all other provinces. This is the single best investment.

    2. Build Roads in Every Province

    Roads provide proximity cost -20% (increases control dramatically) plus market access and movement speed. Build systematically from capital outward.

    3. Prioritize Lumber Mills First

    Lumber is a construction input—excess lumber in the market makes ALL other buildings cheaper to construct. Always build lumber mills before other RGOs.

    4. Check Market Demand Tab Monthly

    Economy → Market → Demand shows shortages (fruit, grain, etc.). Build RGOs for goods in high demand. Food surplus generates extra income from sales.

    5. Manage Sliders for Maximum Growth

    Court Support MAXIMUM (rush 100 stability), Stability Cost MAXIMUM, Diplomatic MINIMUM (no subjects early), Army Maintenance MINIMUM (using levies). This generates ~13-20 extra ducats/month.

    Building Priority Sequence

    1. 1

      Marketplaces (Capital First)

      100% profit + increased trade capacity. Absolute priority.

    2. 2

      Roads (All Provinces)

      Proximity cost -20% = massive control increases (10-15 control per province)

    3. 3

      RGOs: Lumber Mills

      Lumber makes other buildings cheaper. Always prioritize lumber first.

    4. 4

      RGOs: Market Demand

      Build RGOs for goods showing shortages in market demand tab

    5. 5

      Guilds (When Missing Inputs)

      Build guilds when construction is blocked by missing goods

    6. 6

      Special Buildings (Late Game)

      Royal Court (+10% crown power), universities, special production buildings

    Common Economic Mistakes

    • ✗Hoarding ducats instead of investing: The 1,300 starting ducats should be immediately spent on marketplaces, not saved
    • ✗Ignoring control percentage: A province at 20% control wastes 80% of its tax/manpower—roads and stability fix this
    • ✗Not building roads early: Roads provide proximity cost -20% which translates to +10-15 control per province
    • ✗Skipping lumber mills: Lumber shortage makes all construction 50%+ more expensive—always build lumber first
    • ✗Low crown power: 23% crown power means you only get 23% of trade value—rush king as general (+25%)
    • ✗Building RGOs during Black Death recovery: RGOs need pops to operate—focus on infrastructure (roads, marketplaces) instead

    Understanding Economic Mechanics

    Related Topics

    Government & Estates

    Learn parliament, stability, and estate management

    Read Guide

    Population & Culture

    Understand promotion, conversion, and assimilation

    Read Guide