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unmerged(47003)

Captain
Jul 31, 2005
396
0
My rules:
Normal difficulty, everything default, except no lucky nations.

The goal:
To rule the world. I usually stop when I own most of Europe and have about 10 times the combined income of my next 5 rivals. I will try to reach that point with enough time left in the game for there to be a proper conquest of every single province.

Behold Connacht, October 14, 1399:

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TREMBLE!

Earlier in December, I finished up a very enjoyable WC with Provence with vanilla EU3 1.3 VH. Then on December 16th I bought NA, IN, and HT3. I have played a game as Portugal until 1465, a test game as Connacht until about 1435.

That's all my experience with NA, IN, and HT3. I expect a lot of surprises over the course of this game, especially when I get into the "virgin" territory after 1465!

I hope this AAR is a place with some lively discussions of the differences between older versions of EU3 and the new expansions!

For starters, as a personal rule, I will not inherit any other nations, except for through vassal-annex (which deservedly has received huge nerfs since my old vanilla EU3 AARs). This has more to do with my lack of knowledge about how to do it well than any judgment about this new aspect of the game. From what I have seen, the new dynasty dynamics seem really well done. I like the idea of a European history game where prestige and blood relations are fully as important as money.
 
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Someone said in a topic that someone should make a WC with an Irish OPM... is this the answer?

E: Duuude, your sig is full of WC AARs. Do you ever get bored?
 
1399-1401: Initial Moves

I didn't know someone else had suggested making an Irish WC AAR. It makes sense they would though, as I think Ireland is the easiest one province minor (OPM) to do a WC with, for reasons that will hopefully become apparent soon!

And no, I never get tired of the WC!

First order of business: queue up two mercenary infantry!

Second order of business: slider +1 to free trade (it starts at 0 for connacht). This generally improves my trade efficiency, merchant cost, and compete chance abroad.

Third order of business: insult all the other 1 province Irish One Province Minors: Tyrone, Leinster, and Munster.

Exactly one month later, I now have 3 infantry units and can DOW Leinster!

Leinster battle:
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After the Leinster army is destroyed, I DOW Munster.

Munster battle:
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With only 1 supply limit, I am paying 2.6 ducats per month to support my 3 measly infantry units. With the armies of Munster and Leinster destroyed, I disband one mercenary and reduce military spending to 0%. The other two infantry continue to seige.

Advisors:
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Exactly 1 year after the game starts, I pause, because all the AI advisors from other nations appear. There is one 5-star collector, one 4-star collector, one 3-star collector (trade efficiency.) I have to take out the my maximum number of loans to have hire them.

I can do only do 4 ducat loans with regular taxes, but I can do 5 ducat loans with war taxes! I'm so rich with war taxes!

Two events on pretty much the same day:

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The next day, I annex Leinster. Nice of them to give me 17 ducats before they went out!

Munster peace:
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My original plan was to annex Munster, but I forgot that infamy hurts the chances of success for my merchants. Instead of annexing, I accept their 37 ducats.

In retrospect, I should have just hired 1 merc and declared war on Leinster alone. The +2 infamy I got for declaring on Munster definitely hurt more than the ducats.

Thankfully though, my monarch is so illegitimate that my infamy is going down pretty fast. I can just see my king at the court of the other European monarchs:

Thurlough IV: "I'm such a badass! I just doubled the size of my country!"
Other European Monarchs whispering: "Who is this guy again?"

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Please, please don't hurt me England!

Then they insult me and relations go down by 50. Ugh! They seem to do it whenever relations get above 100, so instead I just try to keep relations at about 90. Also, I try to give them military access so they will get a -5 stab hit when they declare war.

They cancel it a few months later, souring relations quite a bit (-25?) and forcing me to spend more money on gifts.

Johan wasn't kidding when he said the AI is much improved in the expansion...
 
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This looks great so far. Keep up the good work!
 
1401-1411: Chrysalis

At the end of 1401, Connacht switches to being a despotic monarchy. Double magistrates, woot!

Then at the end of August of the next year we get our first domination of a market:

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Munster is being guaranteed by Brittany already and Tyrone by Brittany and England. No more conquests for a while. Sad day.

In 1403, we get a new Heir to the Throne... Brian with all 3's. Ugh!

In 1404, it's decision time!

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Yay for magistrates!

In 1405, loans come due.

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Thankfully, it's way easier to pay off 5 ducat loans with an income of ~9 than it would have been with an income of 0.8.

Then in 1406, we dominate our second market,

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In 1407, a new mission:

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Attack England? Not gonna happen for a few years I think.

Things go well for a few years, and at our highest point we had about 13 placed merchants. Then all the other countries get their first gov't tech, choose one of the trading National Idea's and our commerce is destroyed. Rather than spend money futilely, instead we elect to wait for infamy to go down and for us to get an NI of our own.

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Shrewd Commerce Practice is selected. Infamy is a mere 3.8% Traders of Connacht, it's time to show the world what you are made of!
 
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1411-1418: Trade Domination

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Our King, noooooooo...

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Well at least the regency council is alright. A 3/3/3 heir though?

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England is quite the expansionistic bastard. I wanted that country!

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Sweet! Too bad we are in a regency council though...

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Income is going up quite a bit! That Shrewd Commerce Practices (SCP) makes all the difference in the world.

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Poor Scotland! Well there goes one potential ally against England...

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Connacht dominates the top 5 COTs!

I haven't joined a trade league at all. Between my Trade Efficiency advisors and SCP, my traders are simply better than everyone else. Merchants seem to choose to compete with the merchant who they have the best chance with, so no one messes with my guys. The only thing that trade leagues would do is hinder my merchants from picking off the lowest-hanging fruit when I send merchants to a CoT.

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Oh what a glorious Monarch to lead Connacht...

Still, it potentially allows us to declare on Munster. The only problem is that Brittany is guaranteeing Munster and England is warning me. Brittany I can probably handle, but England definitely not. Time to wait for England to get embroiled in a war so they don't take advantage of the Cassus Belli!

I get another slider change in 1419--switching govt's added 10 years, so this is my 2nd change. I take another step toward Free Merchants.

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3rd highest? Not bad for a 2 province minor!
 
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Not bad at all! :eek:

We can only hope England doesn't get the Conquer Ireland Mission soon! :(
 
*Subscribes* - I'll be fascinated to see how this pans out.

I read your Yemen AAR three times - still couldn't manage to do it though.
 
1421-1429: And Then There Were Two

England is warning sweet little Connacht at this point. In 1422, I notice that England is involved in a war with France and Scotland. I DOW Munster and hope like hell England doesn't decide to join in.

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Brittany is guaranteeing Munster and does decide to join in. Before the war, I built a 6,000 man army to deter Brittany from landing troops. (This was a _hard_ lesson from my test game).

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England closes one front of the war. France isn't looking so hot these days!

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8.2 ducats per month for 6,000 troops? Seriously? Damn force limits!

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In 1424, Brittany offers a white peace. We get to disband all mercenaries, thank goodness.

Then,

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Six months after I annex Munster, England too is at peace. I'm very glad I took the window of opportunity when I did!

Connacht's traders continue to spread over the land. Who's the richest nation in Europe? Let's see.

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Woot!

Then I notice that I have no royal marriage with England. I wonder why...

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A regency for a 4 year old? That means England can't declare war for about 11 years, until she reaches her majority! There is dancing in the streets throughout Connacht.

One of my traders dies. I go to look for replacements and find this man.

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Tomas Lindschold? Connacht will appreciate you, unlike those mean old other Europeans.

The following January, Connacht hits trade level 7. (1430 is the year in which it is no longer ahead of time.) Which means...

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Norway generously provides military access, as does Castille.

In fourteen-thirty,
Connacht sailed the ocean . . . perty?
 
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Running away? ;)

Re the Yemen AAR - I was playing 1.3 - the problem was that I wasn't very good at the game. Having wasted much of the last few years going to work I have at least managed to improve my gaming skillz since then.
 
Hmm... England seems lucky, even without the modifier. ;)

This is probably due to a weakened France. I predict you losing your lands in Ireland and moving to the New world.