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Jan 20, 2000
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Knight AAR: The great Crusade.

With La Valette as main commander of the Knight Army, Knights start to prepare war for the conquest of holy Land from Mameluks (and their allies Poland).
The strategy will be as follow:
La vallette in Egypt with the main army
Second Army in Lebannon.
Those two army are 30k men.
In januar 1551, the war begin, and La Vallette start to storm egypt nearly unopposed, while the Lebanon army walk on Syria. In Turkey, Mameluks help by polish are more stronger and start to besiege Hungarian province.
September: Jerusalem has fall to La Valette and Acre follow.
Februar 1552: with all army under his command, La Valette has crush the last Mameluks forces in Turkey. Mameluks accept their annexion.
In the north, Polish continue to fight. In 8 months La Valette is transferred from Turkey to Poland with 10k. But in december 1552, he suffer a major defeat against Pöland and must flee with only 1000 men left.
During the next 3 years, the war against Poland will rage between my allies and Poland. At the end, Poland is obliged to cede Podolia and Podlasia to Papal States.
Poland take a revenge one year later by annecting Teutonics Knights.
In 1556, with the wealth of Mameluks now in my realm, Venice agreed to become a vassal of Knights, thus gaining the right to trade in Alexandria in place of mine merchants (I didn't have time and money to invest there).
Now Knights start to concentrate forces to attack the mighty Persia, but in 1561, Nubia, Crimea and Irak profiting from the weakness of army in Egypt decide to attack. If their army begin the war with sucees occupying two provinces, the intervention through the desert of La Valette, give the final victory to knights after 3 years of war, and a lot of men dead in the desert. A the end of war, a seaborne invasion destroyed Crimea. Those three countries are annexed in 1562.
In Mars 1562, Papal States declare war on Tuscany, but Hungary and Venise don't follow. This move will have dire consequences as my diplomats forgot to retied alliance with Hungary. This big country create a new alliance with Austria. A moment of inatention has made me loose the best ally...

In april 1563, I decide to go for Persia. While La Valette storm the south of Persia, Persia storm the north of Turkey.
In November, a new nation arise: Netherland.
In july 1564, I agree a peace with Persia taking from it 2 provinces. I missed the possibility to annex them.

In 1565, revolts start to happened in some province due to the long war exhaustion (Knights are still at war with Papal States), but in 1566 a peace is signed: Tuscany take Emilia from Papal States.
The same year, Venice agreed to become a Knight territory. By this diplomatical annexion, Knights are reinforce by 100k men, 40 ships, a wealthy COT in Venice, and the Ragusa's Arsenal.
In 1567, Knights start to Christianise the province in Egypt. This movement will continue with each possible muslims province (even if the main provincces will remains muslims due to the high population).

1568: Tuscany enter in my alliance with Papal States.

1570: La Valette died, a great loss for knights.

1573: Bohemia is annexed by Austria. This country allied with Hungary start to become a mighty one, but as they are catholics, Knights keep good relations with them.

1575: Knights go again against Persia. After a long war (7 years) and a lot of battle, and Siege, Persia fall to the power of Knights.

Now the strategy of Knights will change: they will begin a vast crusade with objective the elimination of all muslims governement.
To confirm this, Knights become Counter Reform and vote laws saying that Protestants and Calvinist are heretics. However, muslims and orthodox (the main base of the population) is tolerated and has the right to continue their religion.

1586: Knights have from their own mind without the intervention os state, decide to fortified Rhodes: bastions, walls, artillery, are reinforced beyond the imaginable. Rhodes is now a mighty Fortress, and no one in Europe can said how this fortress could be besiege . Even knights them self can't not reproduced such a fortress in their other province.

1588: Georgia join alliance, this will help into fighting muslims states like Astrakhan, goldeb horde, or Kazan.

1589: Cyrenaica is annexed.
1589: In France, the old Burgondians Duchy made secession and become independant ( Franche Comte and Luxembourg)
War against Tripoli and Oman.After some difficulties against Oman due to their strong fleet, both countries are annexed in 1593.

1595: War against Aden and Turkey. Aden is annexed in 1596
1597: Turkey agreed peace with Knights ceding their last European province: Rumelia (Istambul can't be annexed, as they are a major country). Much more, I take their maps.

1598: War agianst Astrakhan, who is annexed in 1600.
The same year, Georgie accept to become a Vassal.


Now Knights stand firmly on middle east and will continue the annexion of muslims minors.

In other countries:
France has lost Bearn, Guyenne, and Gascogne to Spain but has gained Flandres, Hainaut, Artois.
England has lost two provinces to Scotland, but has started to build a great colonial empire in America and India.
Spaind has lost most of his norther province (only the province Holland remains Sapnish) but has take most of South and Central America.
Portugal has pacifically annex Hansa (?), and extand a colonial empire in Brazil, Africa, and Indonesia.
Sweden has mauled Danmark which keep only 2 norvegians provinces and Copenhagen.
Poland has lost a lot of province to Hungary, but has gain teutonics one.
Russia is now blocked by poland, Sweden and Knights.
Turkey is reduced to his capital and some trading post in east Africa.
Netherland have arise and start a colonial empire.

Currently major alliances:
- Netherland, Morocco, Sweden, Hessen, England
- Hungary, Naples, Portugal, Austria, Brandenburg
- France, Scotland
- Knights, Georgia, Tuscany, Papal States.

In the last hundred years, Knights loses have been:
750k men (more than 425k from attrition)
5k cavalry and 117 canons.
60 Ships have sunk.

The current Knight army is : 200k men and canons. 180 ships in mediteranean and indian ocean.

Victory point:
Spain: 2299
Knights: 1392
France: 1096
Portugal: 928
Sweden: 661
China: 596
England: 578
 
Christian, how many times do we have to explain the screenshot situation with you?


Sarges, what difficulty level did you play this game at?


Sapura
 
Hmm I'm beginning to have serious questions about the game's AI. Don't get me wrong I'm sure Sarges is an excellent player but as he has said in the first post: 'Difficulty level is Very hard, and AI is furious.' Well, Knight of Saint John conquering almost the entire Middle East? Venice as vassals? Flame me if you want to, but it does sound a lil all too easy. Any comments on the AI, anyone?
 
I agree with what tuna said. When I read the Papal States AAR where it conquered most of Italy and north africa, I became very concerned about AI and play balance. However, I believe those accomplishments were realistically possible although highly unlikely.

It is quite a different matter when a tiny, insignificant island conquers the entire middle east. This AAR has been very entertaining, but I hope I'm not of the minority opinion when I say that in terms of realism, it has gone way past highly unlikely to the point of absurdity. I'd say it's about as realistic as Iceland conquering the United States. :(

Don't misunderstand me. I fully support historical flexibility in the game, within reason! :eek:
 
Sapura:
Difficulty level is very hard.

About AI:
No the AI is not weak (even if it seems). In fact, I used every tactics and tricks that I have learn in 6 months beta testing. Currently, Target team is working on finely tuning AI to avoid such things. It is most probably that you couldn't reproduce such a thing with the final version.
 
It sure look fantastic, but could it be done with any other country or is it only possible with the Knights. To me it looks like, that only the Knight can be able to do this, based on their location and the impact of war and religion on the diplomacy part of the game. Using the same strategy on the mainland would surly be suicide. Against a country of the same religion as youself, it would also anger all other of that religion making it nearly impossible to get trustworthy allies. Beta-tester please tell me if I have gotten this right.
 
Originally posted by Escalus:
Beta-tester please tell me if I have gotten this right.

Right. With Knight, I have done better than with Turkey. The important thing here is that all other majors powers are catholic or protestants, and so doesn't care with what happened with muslims nations. Playing such a way give me only penalties with muslims world and as my first victim has been Turkey, no one was standing against me after that. The important point here is that both the religion position and geographical (most of muslims country are between the see and Terra incognita), allow such a strategy: block your potential ennemy with only a little army placed in the strategical position, while the rest storm where you want.
Another important thing, is that I suffer very few bad events (for example, I don't suffer civil war wich could burn the whole empire in some years).
Finaly, the position of Rhodes as a Capital is unique, and so I don't suffer from effect of having my capital pillaging.
 
Wow!

What seems odd to me is that no power in Europe seems particularly concerned about the Knights rise to power. Even if the Knights are annexing and converting the infidels, I would expect the other great powers of Europe to become jealous and nervous. Suddenly, there is another great power on the scene that could possibly overwhelm them all. While the European powers may talk about the need for Christian brotherhood, in practice their first priority was protecting their own power base.
 
BTW, do countries hold grudges in EU? If you stab another country in the back either by attacking it while it is busy elsewhere, will that country make you a priority target of its wrath? That might be one realistic way to help stop smaller countries from getting too uppity (though they should be able to overcome once in a while).
 
I have to comment one thing here which could perhaps easy the suffering of those afraid of game inbalance...

In the latest Beta Patch there was an error in the aggresion level of one Major Power... Turkey... If the patch hadn't had that error the Ottomans would have leached their might against Sarges' Knights after he had taken his first Ottoman province. He would have experienced hell...

Still I think there will be possible for a small nation as the Knights to beat a Major Power in the long run. But the prerequisite is that you build up its power and economy by conquering weak minors...

/Greven
 
Originally posted by Greven:
In the latest Beta Patch there was an error in the aggresion level of one Major Power... Turkey... /Greven

The level Furious for AI is also perhaps not the best to see what AI can done. If you play with a more payfully AI, you have less possibility to backstab AI, and their armies are less exhausted when coming at war with you.
 
Originally posted by Greven:
I have to comment one thing here which could perhaps easy the suffering of those afraid of game inbalance...

In the latest Beta Patch there was an error in the aggresion level of one Major Power... Turkey... If the patch hadn't had that error the Ottomans would have leached their might against Sarges' Knights after he had taken his first Ottoman province. He would have experienced hell...

Still I think there will be possible for a small nation as the Knights to beat a Major Power in the long run. But the prerequisite is that you build up its power and economy by conquering weak minors...

/Greven

This is a breath of fresh air. It is absolutely amazing to find a game with beta testers of such high quality and, even more, a company that actually listens to the beta testers on fundamental game problems and makes changes. Bravo!

As for the Knights, another possible check on small countries is to make it very difficult for them to become the head of an alliance. I find it somewhat hard to believe that the Knights could get larger powers to be their lackeys and that those powers would remain lackeys if they did not get the vast majority of the spoils.
 
Still I think there will be possible for a small nation as the Knights to beat a Major Power in the long run. But the prerequisite is that you build up its power and economy by conquering weak minors...


There are always ways around that .. it's always good (if playing a minor) to build up your fortresses to their maximum levels asap. When a major power declares war on you deny them field battles, unless you have a technological advantage .. then once they're busy bleeding themselves on the walls of your fortified cities sally in with all muskets blazin'

Sapura - the Blazer.
 
ok, I have one question, maybe I'm dumb or something, but who are knights?
does this refer to the Teutonic Knights?

------------------
THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE HETMAN POLSKI.
 
There is a big difference between the Knights of St. John (Rhodes) and the Teutonic Knights (Prussia and Livonia). Both were crusading orders (holy military organizations established to protect the Holy Land) but took different paths after the fall of Palestine. From what I read, the Knights of St. John were content at fighting the Islamic powers (with some success). On the other hand, the Teutonic Knights focused not only on converting the peoples of Eastern Europe but also building their own power base and territory, often through ruthless and non-Christian behavior. By the start of EU, the Teutonic Knights resemble more of a secular than a sacred state.

Here's some links for you:

Knights of St. John

Teutonic Knights