As far as I can agree that strat economy needs tweaks, the bottom line are the long term effects of such changes. So I have few comments:
There is nothing wrong in well equipped armies. That makes the Strat battles fun, that is why people want to fight. Well equipped armies mean very decent XP. Well equipped armies require gold. Making economy too difficult will lead us to less interesting strat. This will be a negative result of any operation aiming in decrease of the income.
Also, there is nothing wrong in the fact that small clans can earn decent money jn trade. That allows for financing army equipment and upkeep. That allows them to start existing on the map.
I do not agree that holding the fiefs does not give you anything. The overall impression of Strat at the moment is that it became a very strategic game. You have few main clans/ factions occupying large areas. It is debatable whether the areas are or are not to large. At the same time holding control over fief allows for use of the S&D in the fiefs. And the control means active players who will react on the actual situation on the map. Holding the location gives you safe harbor for your troops. Holding locations IS important. THIS IS WHAT STRATEGUS IS ABOUT.
What is the problem of the strat at the moments is ability of large factions to stack armies. That makes situation on the map quite stagnant, although not very much stagnant. Note, that it is not impossible for a small group of guys with drive and dedication to carve out some space for themselves. Yes, it requires getting into deals with superpowers. Yes, it requires hard work. But it is doable. However large faction stacking armies lead us to to extensive disproportion between the large and small and even medium clans. At the sane time makes their situation more stable. Balancing of the game in that respect should be driven mainly by the factor of accessibility of the resources to the clans that do not own the land.
Do not get me wrong - I thing that the diversity on the map is a good thing we should have more factions here. But the size of the faction is out of control for developers. Alliances and agreements between factions are out of control for developers. AND THIS IS WHAT I LOVE IN THIS GAME. It is up to players how they want to arrange the relations. What should be controlled by devs is the size of area controlled by the faction. It should be roughly proportionate to the actual abilities of the clan, on many layers, starting form diplomatic abilities, ability to fill in the roster, logistics and organization, strategic vision, quality of actual players ending on activity of the players on Strats/crpg (ticks!!!). I do not see any reason why the small clan with 4 guys should hold more than one fief. If they are smart - it may actually work, even now. One fief is a good start to holding two fiefs and recruiting more players.. and so on. All big clans have been there and got the t-shirts "I am noob in strat".
The "invisible hand of the market" regulates the issue of the proportions of clan size to the area held on the map to some extent, but I believe the moves aimed in depriving clans from resources will do no good.
Instead, we should find a tools to force clans to fight. This is what this game is about. If the large clans fight, the small one can find the opportunity to place themselves on the map. The war will make large clans weaker. That will lead us to more active strat. And more XP to everyone
http://forum.meleegaming.com/strategus-general-discussion/in-the-next-strategus-make-economy-harder/Human psychology is crucial here. Once you get something, you don't want to lose it in the first place, and to expand in the second place. Unless for are forced to do so by pressure of other clans.
And war is expensive.
I also think that if chadz & Co are smart (and I have no doubts they are) they will tweak/ improve strat before the new game is released. It is crucial to keep this community alive and growing. That will draw more people to the new game. Crpg and strategus would be nothing without people.
