Wow. Just wow.
Russian EmpireValue | Old | New |
Income | 245 | 70 |
Infrastructure | 4 | 2 |
Industry | 3 | 4 |
Army | 900,000 | 300,000 |
Small ships | 35 | 25 |
It was military expenditure that dominated Russia’s state finances. During the eighteenth century, the army and navy consistently accounted for more than half of the Russian state’s spending and, at times, more than 60 per cent of the budget was devoted to military Expenditure- in 1861, 90 million roubles!
In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars. Russia had so large a standing army, that it took more than half of their annual budget to pay for it. And they were also afraid to disband it, for the massive demand generated by their army propped up their economy.
It makes absolutely no sense at all to reduce both Russia's income (1/4 of what it was originally!!) and the army (1/3!! of what it was). If the game wasn't aiming for realism, and for balance (which it isn't even now), we should have been told from the start. Not 2 days before turn change, after people have been drafting their orders for days, for 600,000 troops who have suddenly vanished. Now it's basically a kick in the crotch, for Russia, and quite likely the Qing and the Japanese (hadn't saved their earlier values).
Pardon my french, but frankly this change really pisses me off.