HRE Meinwerk vs Aachen Calculation
Inspired by the discussion in my previous post, I decided to do a quick calculation to compare scenarios where Meinwerk is actually better than Aachen. The calculation is a simplification and relies on the following assumptions:
- You get every blacksmith technology, including the unique technologies in Meinwerk.
- An inspired Aachen worker in Feudal Age provides 10 extra resources per minute compared to an uninspired HRE worker. (The actual figures vary depending on resource but are close to this estimate.)
- You recruit 3 additional prelates from the Regnitz Cathedral to offset the absence of Aachen. If you include your starting prelate, this totals 4 prelates, which corresponds to the 31 farms you can ideally cover under Aachen's influence.
Thus, my assumption is that you age up to Castle Age, recruit 3 prelates from Regnitz, and then compare the resource savings from Meinwerk against the resource losses incurred from not having Aachen inspiring your workers during the interim.
Summary
Opting for Meinwerk and going Fast Castle or Semi-Fast Castle, combined with getting 3 prelates from Regnitz, results in greater resource savings compared to the resources "lost" from not having inspired Aachen workers. Aachen only becomes a better choice if you're committed to an extended Feudal.
In the Imperial, once your worker count is maxed out, you're effectively down 3 workers compared to having Aachen (since you need 3 extra prelates). But your spearmen, horsemen and knights are slightly better.