I'm really liking this patch. The AI actually gets busy.

This is 1704 in my Wichita game. (Map was revealed to me after converting to Catholicism via decision, didn't know that could happen)

Europe, with bizarre Castille - Aragon swap. Also successful Netherlands and Austria


Empires


Unsuccessful reformation.


Interestingly Gaeldom (Blue above England) has not actually replaced Scotland, they live on in Puerto Rico.

Yeah, that's awesome. Look at Venice, never saw them get some of the boot.

Is that Leinster in Ireland? How have they survived I wonder?

Not sure, probably got released from Ireland, which you can see the remnants of in the top right of the island. Ireland has cores on Northern England/Wales so they must have had some success.

I've been having some really good back and forth wars with colonial powers as I expand into Mexico.

You're right about that reformation. Was there a League War?

I've tried to get started several times over the past few days. I can't find the inspiration I need. I did begin one game as Ulster to see if I could get Luck of the Irish and that lasted about 15 years before England rofl-stomped me.

I started another game as Scotland to get Auld Alliance Reversed or whatever it is (start as Scotland and have France as a vassal) but England allied or vassalized most of Ireland. I was able to grab Ulster just before England declared on them. But I have no border or sea tile to any other province that England does not control meaning I cannot fabricate. Meaning my only three options are to DoW England (nope) a no-CB war against an Irish minor (nope) or wait until Imperialism in 200 years

The real kicker was that England ceeded Maine so there was no early England-France war which would have been my best shot.

I need inspiration.

League war? I've no idea sorry, I didn't get to see Europe until 1700. Sounds like your Ulster run went about as well as my Leinster run from a patch or two ago!

In 1742 this happened. The first revolution I've seen in 1000+ hours!



Great Consul Love Grip

Revolutions were common at one stage like 2 years ago. They changed something that made them rare. I haven't seen one in a long time.

There is an achievement for crushing a revolution and I got it. I think I was Germany and Portugal went rev. I had to siege my way through France, then Spain and then Portugal. It was epic, but I was freakin' Germany, so...

http://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.p...salis-why-no-love-round-here#Post4136839

Are there still big penalties for allowing a revolutionary state to exist on your continent?

Oh wait, Europe isn't your continent in this run right?

So I'm feeling at a loss of what to do in the mid-game. I've put a claim in on the Portugese throne thinking I may be able to take them diplomatically, but other than that I'm just colonizing and keeping an eye on the neighbors. The decisions/missions are kinda weak right now, nothing to really pursue.

I'd like to do something with France, we were allies until recently now I'm -200 to them (I think the reformation did that). Here's a few screenies. What do you guys do in the mid-game?

*Will update post tomorrow when not so tired*

Empire of Corn



Actually played through to 1821. I managed to get great power status about 1790 and I was in the process of losing it to the Netherlands but my GP status didn't expire until June 1821, just after the game finishes anyway.
Near the end I actually had some serious drama and could have lost a lot. I'd taken defender of the faith (which can only be called in on your own continent) however in answering the call to war against British Columbia to help my ally Haiti, the USA and Netherlands decided they wanted some of my land. No problem I thought and moved my armies up North at which point the British fleet arrives, all 98 of them. I'd recalled my trade fleets, they dropped off about 60k soldiers near Texas and started sieging their way North.
After beating back the Americans my armies had taken quite a beating and were in no place to fight back. As I'm trying to reorganise, California (Independent since 1700) declares war. Oh great. I keep sieging down American provinces in the hopes of getting a decent peace out deal (Which I do) but shortly after have about 30k men stackwiped by the British as I get cornered trying to bring my armies back out of exile in the USA.
I manage to get a couple of bloody victories against the Brits since I still have superior numbers and a pretty good general but large swathes of land are being occupied. I offer cash, trade and provinces just to peace out as fast as possible, then spend the last 15 years of the game watching truce timers and rapidly reconquering the lands one by one.

Managed it by 1818.

Interestingly this was the first game where I researched all 32 military techs. Probably because being a native who never put much into development I had quite a surplus.

I'm not sure if it was a native thing but I had a lot of trouble getting any absolutism or admin efficiency...

For me I always have some sort of goal. When I first begin a new run I usually plan out some sort of early, mid and late game goal. I think this is also why achievement hunting appeals to me. It gives me something to work toward. As long as I have a goal I am fine. As soon as I don't I usually start a new run

During peace time I still feel I have plenty to do. Much of it is just spent 'checking'. Checking standing armies, manpower, trade power. Who is fighting a war? What is the war goal? Who is winning? What has been colonized, what hasn't? Whose pirates are those? I mean I could go on and on, but that's what I do.

I am always plotting something. And I feel compelled to check everything even remotely related. I attempt to analyze every eventuality. It's rather abstract and difficult to write out.

But the bottom line is I always need a goal. One of my most recurring is to own Constantinople. In every game I play I see if it's feasible to own. Sometimes it's rather absurd. Like as Brunei I am not going to try and take it (probably).

SDE, that's the most blobby blob-fest I ever did see.

I knew things were going to be interesting the moment Saxony got the Burgundian Inheritance. I feel like I have accidentally loaded some sort of opposite day patch. Crippled England, successful Novgorod, Hohenzollern's ruling half of Europe...

DBond, I remember you complaining about disappointing league wars, what do you think of this WW0?

Spain is in on the Protestant side?

I predict a million casualties

950,000 actually.



Having a protestant empire really shakes things up, unusual small nations being elected (such as Diethmarshen), Prussia forming and a wedge being driven between the Catholic powers.

Also global trade spawned in Beijing but Ming is unable to embrace any institutions for some reason (I can't see Asia yet) and most of the world is 200% behind on tech...

Well the 17th century has been rather dull, not much for little Iceland to do other than try to get a colonist to Africa. This has been quite important as I am rather desperate for land, since my Colonial Nation, Vinland, has been nothing but trouble with an army 90% the size of mine and I've been shuttling troops back and forth between Vinland and Africa to deal with rebels (see Icelandic Niger down in the corner)

Got a rather cool middle east going on though.



Edit: Attached some pics of the Far East.

Yes, that's a nice balance of power in the middle east. Interesting to see Alodia actually prosper.

Not for long though.

So what does everyone think of Administrative ideas?

You get, according to the wiki,
1 -25% Mercenary Cost
2 -25% Core-Creation Cost
3 -25% Mercenary Maintenance
4 -1 Interest Per Annum
5 +25 Available Mercenaries
6 +1 Possible Advisors
7 -10% Administrative Technology Cost
Completion +5 Number Of States

Which seems quite useful in the early and mid game but sort of pointless to take once you're rich and strong. Mercs and loans can make a huge difference in a tight war and if nothing else you can out-spam your enemies. The extra advisor does nothing for me, as I can't say I've ever really been wanting for an extra. Same for states, while ever since Mandate of Heaven the number of states you can run has been reduced, I'm just not expanding at such a rate I run out. Maybe it's a problem for more aggressive players.

I've talked about it before, and to read the Paradox boards you'd think Administrative is the best IG in the game. I rarely take it. Core-cost reduction is great of course, but I never use mercs or loans, and I just feel like it's a poor choice for me when the opportunity cost is considered.

Matter of fact, it's rare when I've taken more than two Admin groups. Humanist is a good one for me, and so is Religious. The rest, I rarely take.

Interesting, I love religious and humanist too, though if given the choice I'd go religious 9 times out of 10.
While I'm not a huge merc user, I do recruit some almost every war, to help with seiges, bulk up a battered army or compensate for a mediocre general.

Well I've had no internet for a week. Glad to see I haven't missed anything

I was playing a Mamluks - Arabia game and I wanted to convert to Christian, I conquered some Miaphysites in the Ethiopia region and sent a missionary with no maintenance to trigger a rebellion, I let them break the country but they didn't convert me, they just crippled my economy. Any way to do this or are Muslims nations unable to switch faiths?