Some thoughts from my side and point of view.
Yes, I indeed have been hyperteching these latest years. When I entered this game as Burgundy, I entered my first serious western-power MP game with this competition and player material. Of course i've played a bunch of other games with similiar competition, however that was as eastern powers, mostly OE. So therefore I had never really hyperteched before this.
After gaining total control over Northern France, I realised that my southern competitor, with cores and smaller country but almost the same income would soon gain the upper hands in tech, which was something I couldnt accept. As most of you would propose; Yes I could war him, but however I realised that the consequenses(man thats hard to spell ) of this would had been defeat for Burgundy. I knew France had the biggest sympathises in Europe, especially among the Iberians(with Portugal being most anti-burgundy). Austria had openly stated their dissliking of burgundian possessions in germany. If I had attacked France, I risked getting war with Aragon, Portugal, Austria and even England. Then came the offer from Philip: Getting cores on very good provinces, while loosing some valuable ones but also giving the "dissadvantage" of gaelic brittany to France. I saw the very good potential of owned cores on wealthy Netherlands and probably the best piece of France, and how this could give me a great upper hand in teching with an established trade. I was right. After that my not going to war reasons was simply that I was largerly occupied elsewhere; Trade, converting, colonisation, exploring etc. etc. Believe me when I say that I dearly wanted to participate in the crusade, because of plain boreness. However realising that this could ruin my Ottoman relations, perhaps my most importat one, for a long future, I held back. Of course I could had joined on the Ottoman side, but again fearing to face a coalition I decided instead to continue internal matters. War with Austria was actually VERY close when they invaded Chimú. I was preparing to war Austria the next session. However before that session Hive suggest a partition, a pretty decent deal. As ALL my conversions had failed, the economy smaller then the Austrian, I chose to accept this deal.
So practicly, wether one would call it an "excuse" or not, all this time I didnt go to war, either fearing to fall behind in tech, economy or face a coalition which could reduce me to a size were I would not be able to face France 1v1 if it sometime had to be necessary. Looking afterwards, of course there have been places were I could and should had acted, and failed to see different relations. However, common as it is, it is easy to see your own "misstakes" afterwards. And as Slargos talked about, not being a certain percentage sure of my own success has held me back.
What other nations now wants is for Burgundy(and England too in this case), to just reduce its economy to not be able to advance faster then them in tech. Or maybe go to war more often. However, I must and will now finish what I have started and will of course have to take the consequenses of it.
Yes, I indeed have been hyperteching these latest years. When I entered this game as Burgundy, I entered my first serious western-power MP game with this competition and player material. Of course i've played a bunch of other games with similiar competition, however that was as eastern powers, mostly OE. So therefore I had never really hyperteched before this.
After gaining total control over Northern France, I realised that my southern competitor, with cores and smaller country but almost the same income would soon gain the upper hands in tech, which was something I couldnt accept. As most of you would propose; Yes I could war him, but however I realised that the consequenses(man thats hard to spell ) of this would had been defeat for Burgundy. I knew France had the biggest sympathises in Europe, especially among the Iberians(with Portugal being most anti-burgundy). Austria had openly stated their dissliking of burgundian possessions in germany. If I had attacked France, I risked getting war with Aragon, Portugal, Austria and even England. Then came the offer from Philip: Getting cores on very good provinces, while loosing some valuable ones but also giving the "dissadvantage" of gaelic brittany to France. I saw the very good potential of owned cores on wealthy Netherlands and probably the best piece of France, and how this could give me a great upper hand in teching with an established trade. I was right. After that my not going to war reasons was simply that I was largerly occupied elsewhere; Trade, converting, colonisation, exploring etc. etc. Believe me when I say that I dearly wanted to participate in the crusade, because of plain boreness. However realising that this could ruin my Ottoman relations, perhaps my most importat one, for a long future, I held back. Of course I could had joined on the Ottoman side, but again fearing to face a coalition I decided instead to continue internal matters. War with Austria was actually VERY close when they invaded Chimú. I was preparing to war Austria the next session. However before that session Hive suggest a partition, a pretty decent deal. As ALL my conversions had failed, the economy smaller then the Austrian, I chose to accept this deal.
So practicly, wether one would call it an "excuse" or not, all this time I didnt go to war, either fearing to fall behind in tech, economy or face a coalition which could reduce me to a size were I would not be able to face France 1v1 if it sometime had to be necessary. Looking afterwards, of course there have been places were I could and should had acted, and failed to see different relations. However, common as it is, it is easy to see your own "misstakes" afterwards. And as Slargos talked about, not being a certain percentage sure of my own success has held me back.
What other nations now wants is for Burgundy(and England too in this case), to just reduce its economy to not be able to advance faster then them in tech. Or maybe go to war more often. However, I must and will now finish what I have started and will of course have to take the consequenses of it.