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unmerged(82931)

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Aug 26, 2007
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  • Europa Universalis III
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Hello everyone. I was just recently able to get IN the other day and have been itching to start an aar with it.

I've never played an IN game before. As the title suggests I hope this to be a learning experience, both in the sense of my learning the new features and quirks of IN, and likely providing an example of what not to do with the many mistakes I will no doubt end up making. :)

I'll be playing the Mamluks. Why? Well, they're big enough that I can afford a couple of mistakes (while still having challenges like their tribal government and starting with quite a few low income provinces), and I noticed they only had one aar in the LibrAARy, which ended due to computer problems. Also, they'll take me further out of my comfort zone of playing mostly European factions.

I'll be playing on default settings, everything on "normal", and lucky nations on. No cheating, reloading, etc. I don't have any major goals yet. I may try to help (or conquer) the Ottomans, conquer Africa, or move east instead. Any suggestions are welcome. :)

Laslty, I must apologize to antracer of the AAR "A shot of tAQUILEIA... an [IN] learning AAR" fame. Seeing "learning" and "AAR" next to eachother gave me the idea for the horrible pun in my title. :eek:o

Anyway, time to start playing. :D

Goals:
-Unite all of Africa
-Unite all of Islam

Checklist for government change from Tribal, courtesy of Steckie:
- Earliest date 1517 (when they were conquered by the Ottomans in history)
- Control over Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem
- A ruler with 8 or more Administration
- Centralization up to the limit (the little red thing on the slider): done
- Control over the Red Sea (optional)
- Only allowed to go Theocracy (optional)
 
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Alright, the year is 1399 and the Mamluks control Egypt proper, the Levant, and Syria. To the west lie a number of small North African states, to the south the Christian nation of Ethiopia, and to the southeast the Arabian Peninsula is dominated by yet more small states.

Not all neighbors are so harmless, though. The Ottomans to the north are a major rival, and the Timurids to the east control a massive empire.

Something will have to be done about those two potential problems later, however. Matters of state have to be put in order first.

al-Nasr Faraj is the current leader of the country. Although only an adequate ruler, he has surrounded himself with capable advisors, including a great theologian that will help to convert any non-Sunni territories acquired, a man knowledgable in the most efficient ways of taxing the populace, and Jaqmaq Baibars, a legendary artist whose paintings comfort the populace.



Baibars suggest a new religious office for Egypt, that of Sheik ul-Islam. The man appointed to the post will ensure government of the nation is in accordance with religious law, giving the country greater stability but slightly increasing the costs of missionaries, as more bureaucracy is involved in ensuring the missionaries also act in accordance the Sheik's commandments.



Seeing that Egypt has no allies, al-Nasr sets about improving our diplomatic situation, seeking alliances with the states of North Africa and accepting an offer of alliance from the powerful Golden Horde, rulers of the northern steppes.



Political dealings taken care of it is decided look to increasing the prestige of the nation. For too long al-Nasr has suffered Hedjaz's control over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. When an attempt to get Hedjaz to cede the settlements peacably fails, war is declared.

Hedjaz's armies are crushed and chased down, to finally be wiped out completely in the Battle of Asir. With no other choice, they agree to cede all of their territories save their capital, Mecca. Medina at least is now safely in Egyptian hands.





al-Nasr's next action is to declare war on Ethiopia, who have been opressing the Muslims in the settlement of Massawa (my first real mission, excepting a fortification mission). It would not be the war that dominated the thoughts of the Mamluk leadership the next years, however. Ethiopia quickly capitulated.

Rather, it was a series of revolts rocking the nation that occupied them. They started when in Syria, where tales of succesful rebellions in the mighty Timurid Empire, and even the forming of a nation of Khorasan, awakened them to the hope of their own nation. The Syrian rebel's met immediate success, with Mamluk armies too far away to stop them from taking their home province. This encouraged dissidents everywhere. Lebanon, Ethiopian, and Hedjaz nationalists rose up against the Mamluks. Even Egypt was not safe, with small revolts in the hinterlands away from the Nile. Military costs sky rocketed as minting was required to raise enough soldiers to deal with the new threat.





After years of fighting the rebllions were put down and stability slowly returned to the nation. Al-Nasr had learned a lesson. The earlier war against Hedjaz had increased discontent among the populace, helping the rebels to gain the supplies and support they needed. From here on just causes would be needed for wars against Muslim powers. It was decided that the Mamluks would warn or guarantee most of their neighbors. It was only a matter of time before one became too aggressive and gave cause for war. In the meantime the Ethiopians would be the main target of Mamluk ambitions, as the people were only too happy to accept war against them, especially while they held lands inhabited by Muslims.



OOC: My first update. Sorry if I'm a little rusty, it's been a while since I've done an aar. :eek:o

Rebellions and keeping stab up seem to be serious business in IN, even more than NA. I was quite shocked to have 5 or so spring up at once. :wacko:

By the way, if anyone has any particular goals they'd like me to go for, I'd be glad to try. :)
 
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tribal successions? Is that some kind of nasty event I have to look forward to? :eek:

Welcome to IN! You're set for a schedule of 'round the clock rebellions.

When your ruler dies in a Tribal government, you start getting Pretender rebels that are out to take over your country and claim the throne. Keep an eye on the Timurids to see what I'm talking about, because Timur always dies within a short time of the game start. Good luck!

I love these learning AARs (like antracer's) because I'm still fairly new to this myself.
 
And to think I was worried the Mamluks would be too easy. :D

That explains why the Timurids were having so many rebel problems..

z2ei said:
Welcome to IN! You're set for a schedule of 'round the clock rebellions.

When your ruler dies in a Tribal government, you start getting Pretender rebels that are out to take over your country and claim the throne. Keep an eye on the Timurids to see what I'm talking about, because Timur always dies within a short time of the game start. Good luck!

I love these learning AARs (like antracer's) because I'm still fairly new to this myself.
 
Over the next couple years went on it seemed the great revolts of 1403 and 1404 had come to naught. Stability had returned to Egypt and the other Mamluk lands, an event credited by Al-Nasr to himself rather than the loyal Mamluk armies. As proof of the vitalness of his leadership in putting down the revolts, he liked to note that the Timurids, despite their great wealth and armies were not so fortunate dealing with their own rebels. Advisors who opined that perhaps Al-Nasr's many wars had overstretched the empire and exhausted the people's willingness to go along with his policies, thereby causing the revolts in the first place, tended to disappear, until only those who supported the ruler's interpretation of events remained.



Al-Nasr was of the opinion that war, particularly war against nonmuslims like the Ethiopians, brought the disparate peoples of his empire together, giving them a common foe. He proved to be right, in a sense. And so another war was declared against Ethiopia, a war that became known best for the speed and degree to which the hapless Christians capitulated.





Al-Nasr wasted no time in having his greatness proclaimed in the Mosques each Friday, as well as announcing that he would take the title of Khalifa, despite rumors that he spent most of the war drunk in his tent. This proved too much for both the people and the armies, who became unified just as the new "Caliph" had hoped, generals and peasants, nationalists and religious leaders, all united behind a single goal. The only hitch was that what uified them was their desire to kill him. Al-Nasr was found dead on the ground outside his room's window the next day, apparently as the result of some three different poisons, multiple stab wounds, and the fall itself. It is debated to this day which group of enemies got to him first.

After Al-Nasr's death a hush fell over the nation. The different groups who had conspired to get rid of him fell to arguing among themselves over his replacement. In the end Ahmad the Secondwas chose, a man whose inoffensiveness was matched only by his lack of capability in the duties required of a ruler, as a compromise candidate. The religious and peasant leaders compromised in letting him ascend the throne, and the army, Ahmad's chief partisans, compromised by not having the religious leaders and peasants killed, as was their plan if the debate dragged on too long for their liking.



Of course, as soon as those leaders, initially just happy to leave the meeting alive, returned home, they began preaching rebellion, and in 1408 the Mamluk Empire was again wracked with rebellions, each region offering up its own contender for Malik.





OOC: In this session I got to see a couple of the new features in IN. One was the religious decision allowing me to proclaim my leader Caliph if I could get 30 or more prestige, which has to be one of the coolest features ever. :D

Another was the Tribal Succession Crisis, which I apparently have to look forward to every time I get a new leader. :wacko: Although, in this case I can't blame them. A ruler with 3's for every ability? Bah!
 
Enewald I just about managed to get forts in the vast majority of my starting provinces, until I took most of Ethiopia in this last session. :wacko:

I maintain that the gold producing province I grabbed was worth it, though. ;)
 
Looking good so far - that succession crisis event is fun!

If you need a goal then surely Islamic unification is the objective, obviously converting any Shia you come across.

Mamluks were my favourite faction in EU2, haven't played them in EU3 - might have to change that soon.

*Subscribed*
 
You said you were open to suggestions and challenges so I have thought of one for you.
If you accept then your challenge is to conquer and colonise the whole of Africa, simply because I have never seen it before.
I would also like to add that I'm enjoying this AAR so far. Keep up the good work! :)
 
heya zim,

looks a very interesting game you are having so far, I have to confess i have not seen much from the mamluks thus far when playing SP. I would be interested to see whether the AI launches any crazy crusades in your direction!!!

Have you had a look at your missions much yet? Do you have the option to 'westernize'? That should be the top target of any nation in this situation I am guessing.

I would certainly back Gooseypictures dream of creating a Mamluk Africa if possible. Though colonising can be quite a burden particularly in Africa where pirates will have to be controlled in almost every province!!!

Anyway I have this bookmarked and will be reading on. Good luck :)
 
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to maintain ownership of all your starting provinces. Given the tribal succession crises, it's harder than it sounds.

-Pat
 
Enewald Lousy tribal successions. Wait util you see what they do to the Timurids and a couple other large tribal nations over the next few updates. :wacko:

Carinthium Can I do that? I haven't noticed anything in the rebel negotiation option for "Pretender" rebellions. :confused:

Beamed I was going to say no but after playing ahead a bit the tribal successions are starting to get very tedious. :(

PrawnStar It was pretty fun when I went through this first one. I've become less certain after a couple more (especially as they get bigger as the empire does). Combined with all but the most adept tribal leaders getting extra revolt risk (whenever they have less than 7 diplomacy, which is pretty much always so far) most of the next couple updates are battles against rebels occasionally broken up by some other events. :D

Uniting Islam is indeed a worthy goal. I'll give it a try.

GooseyPasture Thanks! Another good goal, and they overlap somewhat. I'll definately try to unite Africa.

Smowz Hey Smowz. No westernization mission listed. Maybe it shows up once I border a Latin country?

A Mamluks Africa it is (well, will be, I hope)!

pjcrowe Starting territories haven't been too bad, although getting any further than that...

Everyone, as mentioned I've played ahead a bit, with enough notes for several updates, which will be coming over the next couple days.

I have a couple questions. I've played ahead enough to have a couple tribal succession crises. As I get more territories they get much worse. I've also dealt with another penalty, although I haven't played IN to know whether it's exclusive to Tribal governments. That's the "incapable ruler" marker, giving a nasty penalty if any one of your ruler's traits is below 7 (+x revolt risk in all provinces, -20 max BB, and -33% tax income, for below 7 Dip, Mil, and Admin, respectively).

I can fight through both of these issues, but progress will be very slow (updates as well, as it takes progressively longer lengths of time just to quash all the rebellions as the Mamluk empire gets larger. I can only shudder at the thought of how it will be if I get so much as a third of Africa under my control).

My questions are 1. Is there a way to edit the save file or something equally simple that will allow me to change the Mamluks into, say, a despotic monarchy? and 2. If so, should I? Perhaps with some conditions attached (perhaps a certain date, or certain level of centralization).
 
I'm glad you've accepted my challenge
The key here is to get the northern african nations under your thumb before Castille/Portugal/Aragon try their luck.
Good luck. :rolleyes: