I am on great terms with France, and have diplomats keeping it that way. I have a plan to leapfrog my way around Africa and slowly make it to India. I took exploration for my second group and had enough dip points to take quest for the new world immediately. Couldn't actually colonise anything though,luckily the 3rd idea in exploration, Overseas Exploration, gives +50% Colonial Range. Even then it was a case of 'so close but so far'. With the help of a level 1 advisor I was able to make it and establish my first colony in Arguin on the West African coast. Not the best place in the world and I had to station a large-ish stack there but it's something. While I was waiting for the colony I hired an explorer and sent him away. (I had to wait a bit for the 50 diplo points, as I tried to push ideas)
The reformation has been somewhat underwhelming, I decide to convert to the reformed faith, because 1) Despite good relations and lots of papal influence I've been unable to become controller 2) Reformed is underused compared to Protestant, probably because it doesn't have fantastic bonuses. Fervor is nice though.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)
#4382424 - 10/02/1701:38 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
West African colonies coming along nicely, I have army maintenance at full to deal with natives. Next step, the Congo.
As a result of my religious conversion (something I think was too easy for a Catholic theocracy) Gelre hates me, so I fabricate claims and wait until they get caught up in a war. Then boom. They hate me, but I'm significantly more powerful than them, so whatever.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4382434 - 10/02/1704:15 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
Good work. I very rarely have maintenance less than full, and as you mentioned once you go colonial you need to keep it on or the inmates take over the asylum.
I argued once at the Paradox forum that maintenance should tied to army tradition. A nation that maintains it's forces at full readiness should get increased AT I think.
No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4382696 - 10/03/1712:28 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
I would like that mechanic, even if it was just a few events.
For example 'Well Drilled' -Have a military parade +5 prestige -Drill harder! +10 tradition
I forgot to mention that I integrated Flanders, I also let those rebels in Gelre succeed, they defected one province to Munster. I actually sort of wanted this because it wasn't a Dutch culture province so it just saves me dip points on integration.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4383035 - 10/04/1709:06 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
Not sure why Spain wanted to do this, they don't like me and we have no mutual rivals.
France started a war to retake Charolais off Savoy, to my surprise they preformed a successful invasion of Britain but the left the target province alone. Seeing enemy warscore I decided to send 25k men down there. Since the Austrians outnumbered me I spent half my time attempting to outmanuever them, before joining up with reinforcements and kicking them out of the region. Sieged down Charolais and that was enough for France to demand peace. They didn't take anything. lol
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4383673 - 10/07/1708:35 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
The AI has a somewhat different idea of ugly borders than I do.
Netherlands declares independence.
It doesn't go to well, rather than reconquering them Spain decides to force convert the Dutch to Catholicism.
A few years later I get this event.
Of course I choose to support the rebels and not long after they enforce demands, the Dutch are Reformed again. Not sure what effect I had on this. (There were also some pesky Flemish and Dutch separatists who tried to siege some of my provinces)
Spain becomes Emperor
As usual the leader of the Protestant League does nothing...
Spain is the Emperor. There's an achievement for that
Haha. There really is an achievment for everything.
Originally Posted by DBond
Wait a second. How did the AI form Netherlands? Don't you hold some of the required provinces to form the Netherlands? What am I missing here?
They have cores on my land yes, as far as I can tell from looking at the events (http://www.eu4wiki.com/Burgundian_events#Netherlands_Declare_Independence.21) the Dutch revolt can instantly spawn the Netherlands in non-player territories. If I was playing as Spain, I'd get the usual events where province by province rebels.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4384901 - 10/14/1701:12 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
Making my move into India, via mission. I wasn't quite sure I could pull it off considering the size of the nations I'd be facing but I figured I had technological superiority (and an ok-ish general) so why not?
I sent over a 40k stack using my African colonies as a staging base (had to build about 30 transports) and sailed them up to the coast and declared war. As soon as my troops had landed I send the transports back to Africa to pick up a further 10k stack that I'd been using as a colonial garrison. I decided to leave my last 20k in Europe in case something untoward happened, and it did, some Flemish separatist rebels crossed the border and attempted to 'liberate' one of my provinces.
With a combined 50k men in India it wasn't too hard to seige and hold a few provinces near the landing zone and defend against a couple of half-hearted attacks. With about 30 or so warscore I peaced out, content with just the one mission province. (Portugal got Goa just after this screen was taken)
In a later second war I expanded towards Sind, taking some silk and spice.
About 1660 we land our first colonist in Australia, once again the Mamluks have been colonizing the East Indies.
Don't think I've ever seen this.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4384940 - 10/14/1712:37 PMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
Yes indeed. I would like to see whoever is Emperor actively stamping out the heresies. They lose so much IA to heretical princes. Rarely do they get more than two reforms passed. I noticed in one of your recent screenshots that there were just 3 electors, which also is a big problem. When I play as Emperor I actively pursue these nations, eliminating CoRs and well, doing Emperor stuff. The AI is terrible at it.
No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4385697 - 10/18/1709:34 PMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
They lose so much IA to heretical princes. I noticed in one of your recent screenshots that there were just 3 electors, which also is a big problem.
There's 4 now.
Yeah AI is sitting at nothing for decades now, most of the Empire is Reformed with a few Protestants and Catholics. Maybe it's just too complicated for the AI to understand along with it's regular goals?
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4385736 - 10/19/1703:23 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
Yeah, probably. But you'd think that paradox could program it so the Emperor would use a Religious Unity CB every now and again, and even better, actually demand that in the peace deal
When Austria is the Emperor, and also gets in on the Burgundian Inheritance, they are in a very powerful position to take this course of action. That makes them share borders with half of the HRE and you need the border I think to use that CB. I haven't played much lately, but it seems to me that more often than not the Reformation is too complete. Occasionally it would be nice to see a reasonably unified Catholic Europe. It's not like it never happens I suppose, when the CoRs just happen to fall in poor spots. But in the main I think the Reformation is too strong. I also think that any province that has managed to flip back to Catholic should be given the same religious zeal modifier that newly converted ones get.
No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4386066 - 10/21/1712:21 AMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
1667, it wasn't the first but it's still worth something. The fleet was actually meant for combat but I thought while they're out there in the Pacific, why not reveal some of the map. We only just made it home.
Australia 1670. Unfortunately the French arrived about the same time we did. Maybe a colonial war...
Since things are not looking too hot for France back home in Europe
Downside to taking Defender of the Faith. Third war against Sweden I've been called into. They hate me.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4386727 - 10/25/1707:40 PMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
Trapped Sweden's main stack in Britain while we run around sieging down their homes.
Not splitting stacks because there are still a decent number of hostile soldiers out there. Somewhere.
The Imperialism casus belli is something that helps keep the late game interesting when you are a great power. Declaring wars in which thousands of men die just to mess with other countries. In this case weakening the Emperor by force converting electors.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4387185 - 10/29/1712:36 PMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
My quest to rid the HRE of electors is going better than expected. Just down to Ulm.
As mentioned earlier Imperialism combined with great power options such as break alliance makes force converting countries quite easy (Diethmarshen later gave me some trouble as they split into Bremen and Verden who both became Catholic again thanks to rebels)
Ulm however is taking longer, they are too big to force convert (about 350 warscore) and no neighbour has cores to cede to so I have to break them up bit by bit, then wait for truces before individually converting each city-state/province.
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing
#4387679 - 11/01/1712:26 PMRe: Europa Universalis, why no love 'round here?
[Re: DBond]
After the split up (by me) and partial annexation of Ulm (not by me) only one Catholic elector remains, Wurzburg
After the longest 10 years in the world the truce expires and we can declare.
The balance of power, I didn't really need help by this point.
I did lose my long term ally Saxony. Only briefly though, we've stuck with each other since 1444. We have good relations and I paid off their debt a couple of times.
After a fairly straight forward war we enforce our rather simple demands. (Ravensburg declared war on Wurzburg near the end but had nothing to occupy)
To my disappointment pretty much nothing happens. I wasn't expecting the Empire to dissolve but at least a message or event would have been nice. I guess I'll have to dismantle the whole thing now
This is Bobby Rahal, thanks for playing the trial version of Microsoft's CART Precision Racing