Originally posted by minimax
thank you very much Graymane for the translation!
I played Portugal in my first EU games as I thought it would be easier than other countries and I have been looking for Portuguese AAR. Having Bartolomeu Diaz doubling the Cape of Good Hope is just great!
But I think that when playing Portugal, you just keep your eyes on the sea and forget about Europe: you are a mouse and you dont go playing with the tomcats. If there's an alliance to seek, it's Spain and you do whatever they want. You just dont mind about losing Tangiers (I did not bother reinforcing it). The only thing of interest is the road to India and to a lesser extent Brazil. The must-do is funding research in Trade Level which coupled with a lot of trading posts will earn you a LOT of money
Sorry, but I'm not of the same opinion. Portugal has possibilities of expanding in Europe, too. In the game I am currently playing (the same that I've posted my Indian performance in portuguese, upwards), I have always had RM with lots of european countries, not only the majors but such minors as pommerania, Brandenburg, Baden, etc. When, in the late 1500's my allied Pommerania went on a war against a Brandenburg-Hannover-Saxony-Hessen-Hanseatic League alliance and asked me to join (her ever-allied, +200 always), I arrived with a 50k army and annexed Hanseatic League, starting the Portuguese North-European Empire. Next, to assure I would not be attacked, I improved my relations with all my neighbours and vassalized Pommerannia. Well, in the next 60 years I have vassalized and diplo-annexed them, getting a few provinces from netherlands due to a war, I've received Cologne by Inheritance... and,. most of all, my domination of the indias is total, the CoT of Cochin is valued at 3054, with my monopoly... currently i'm improving my relations with Danmarck, Baden and Thuringhen.
As you see, Portugal can and may be a continetal strong force, not afraid of some dummy tomcats...