How to Make Money in Barbarian Invasion

War and Diplomacy

• 1

  Conquer a city. Doing so will bring up a screen offering you three options.

• 2

  Choose "Occupy Settlement" to recover a small amount of gold from your conquest, but otherwise leave the city largely untouched. The city will produce money for you every turn through trade and taxation, but because the population is made up of recently conquered foes you will need to station a significant garrison there for some time to prevent rebellion, thus tying up valuable resources.

• 3

  Choose "Enslave Populace" to recover the same amount of gold as above, but also distribute a percentage of the conquered population to your own cities as slaves. This reduces the money you will recoup every turn from the conquered city, but the population growth in your own cities will increase the money recouped from them. From a long-term financial viewpoint, this is often the best option.

• 4

  Choose "Exterminate Populace" to ransack the city and kill most of its inhabitants. This will provide approximately seven times the amount of gold recovered from the other two options, but radically reduces the conquered city's ability to contribute to your budget on a turn-by-turn basis. This is only a good option if you are in dire need of money in the short term.

• 5

  Conquer coastal cities. Once pacified these will provide the greatest opportunities for trade with foreign powers. Cities on the Mediterranean will usually offer the most lucrative trade routes.

• 6

  Send diplomats to neighboring factions and have them negotiate trade agreements. These will provide significant income every turn. Be cautious in declaring war with a foreign faction, as the conflict will end all trade between you and them.

Domestic Policies

• 7

  Improve your cities. This is the key to making money in "Barbarian Invasion."

• 8

  Build and improve farms. Farms add a relatively small amount of income to your city every turn. Their main effect is to increase your city's population growth rate. A larger population provides a greater tax income, but high rates of population growth can cause problems later in the game due to civil unrest. In most cases you do not need to build farms beyond the basic improvements.

• 9

  Build roads. These are vital to trade both within your faction and with foreign powers. Upgrade from dirt to paved roads if your faction has the capability to do so, as these provide a 100 percent boost to land-based trade.

• 10

  Build the trader improvement, and all upgrades as they become available. The initial building and all upgrades each provide a cumulative 10 percent increase to trade income.

• 11

  Build ports and all upgrades as they become available in your coastal cities. Foreign sea trade can be one of your greatest income sources. The initial building and all upgrades each allow one sea-based trade route to be established. Note that enemies can blockade your ports, so if you are at war you must maintain a navy to ensure continued trade.