Children of the Sun - a Cuzco MEIOU AAR

[Malurous]

Ok, color me dumb or unobservant, your choice. I just noticed that Tlacopan has, like Tenochtitlan, had Blessings of God since the beginning and I had completely missed that, only noticing when I took a look at their infamy stats a while ago and then checked their history file. No need to wonder anymore how they can afford those armies...

I was going to make the joke that the "blue on the edge of the map" was called Quito, but you've pre-empted that by annexing them.

Hehe, eliminating potential jokes - that's what I aim for when I play!

Now the diplomatic game becomes even more important. How long before you could tech to the point you can build boats?

Indeed it does. The sad thing about that is the fact that no matter what I do, there's still an element of luck involved...

Unfortunately, the ability to build ships is tied to tech group research speed so before I'm able to westernize I can't get any, ever. I believe the mechanism is hard-coded, and although MEIOU has tweaked the tech groups to allow shipbuilding for Africans with sufficient tech, New World still has no such luck.

I do in fact have sufficient tech: the units are technically available in the military screen for instance, I just can't build them.

Huh, so the first goal has been achieved. South America is the nice shade of green. Congrats! Looking up North now....

I'm confident enough to accept the congrats at this point even though Aymara and Mapuche still do exist down south.

[FinnishFish]

New brilliant idea when Eu arrives !!!

Pretend to be Spanish or atleast Russians

[Fireaxe888]

Have you cored in any provinces yet? Also, why can't you attack mesoamerica? No fleets for tribals?

[Chief Ragusa]

hanks for the explanation -not that you owed me any. If you want to run some tests on the mod at some time after you've finished this AAR, fine. The game is supposed to be fun and what you descibe -revolts, events and more and more events and revolts doesn't sound like fun to me. So be as "selfish" as you wish.

If you get a country in a PU that is Blessed by God, does that rub off on Cuzco, too? My guess would be no, but I can hope. Any way to get the Blessings of God for Cuzco?

I'll keep my fingers crossed for a PU and then an inheritance.

[Malurous]

New brilliant idea when Eu arrives !!!

Pretend to be Spanish or atleast Russians

That sounds a bit dangerous - if they get the sense that I might be Christian then they could have a case when they're upset at me for being unchristian.

Have you cored in any provinces yet? Also, why can't you attack mesoamerica? No fleets for tribals?

Glad to see another commenter, you seem to have a keen core timer sense - the first ones will be seen in the next update.

Close enough: no fleets for New World tech group.

hanks for the explanation -not that you owed me any. If you want to run some tests on the mod at some time after you've finished this AAR, fine. The game is supposed to be fun and what you descibe -revolts, events and more and more events and revolts doesn't sound like fun to me. So be as "selfish" as you wish.

Heh yes, that's how I see it too. You made me begin to wonder about the specifics so I went through the files a bit... Oh, and I do tend to ramble sometimes.

If you get a country in a PU that is Blessed by God, does that rub off on Cuzco, too? My guess would be no, but I can hope. Any way to get the Blessings of God for Cuzco?

No it doesn't, I guess it's a bad thing if anything as it makes matching the military more difficult. BoG should be available for any country in the game but I'm not sure how to get it as some of the triggers seem vague to me. There certainly isn't a surefire way, but traditional good playing seems to be a start...

I'll keep my fingers crossed for a PU and then an inheritance.

Thanks, me too!

[Fireaxe888]

The "laughing stock of Europe" event would be even more hilarious in a random map mod

[FinnishFish]

The "laughing stock of Europe" event would be even more hilarious in a random map mod

I some how agree whit you : )

[Boris ze Spider]

Darn that unchristian behaving inti

[aldriq]

No need to wait for the Europeans to come and call you unchristian...

[FinnishFish]

New idea !!!

Wait for protestant reformation and then say to the Spanish
that your one province German minor

[Malurous]

Update is imminent!

The "laughing stock of Europe" event would be even more hilarious in a random map mod

Hehe yeah, it would be even more nonsensical... Not that it wasn't nonsensical enough in this situation.

Darn that unchristian behaving inti

No need to wait for the Europeans to come and call you unchristian...

True, true... Perhaps it's only good to know in advance how they view Cuzco!

New idea !!!

Wait for protestant reformation and then say to the Spanish
that your one province German minor

I think they might figure it out when they notice Cuzco has 40+ provinces. Hmm, I wonder if they'd believe that it's one province that's very big...

[Malurous]

Chapter Fourteen
1406-1415

In June 1407, Central America is starting to look quite worrying:



Chichen Itza has been divided between Tlacopan and Tenochtitlan, with the latter annexing the Maya power. Mixtecalt is an OPM now, having lost all of its eastern lands to Uxmal and most of the western part to Tenochtitlan, while Tenochtitlan has OPM'd Acolhua, which was then vassalized by Tlacopan.

Entering the region before the Europeans come is starting to look like a pipe dream at this point. But things take a different turn soon after: Tenochtitlan loses the Blessings of God!

* * *

Predictably, Quito's annexation leads to more rebels - in fact, we get Quito nationalists just two days after they're annexed. And I must say that the rebel battles of this chapter and the next one are unbelievable: I've probably never had such rotten luck before when it comes to dice rolls and terrain penalties. So combined with lots of rebels, things are somewhat interesting on that front...

I recruit another general in March 1406, 2 fire, 3 shock Marcavilca Colla-Topa. My generals have been nothing to write home about lately - my last high tradition recruits weren't good, and now my tradition isn't that great anymore as I can't get enough of it to replace dead generals.



After a quiet year, we reach Government tech 7 in March 1407. Research continues in the same category.

I see no reason to wait further, so war is declared on Aymara in April. Unfortunately, Mapuche joins in.



Military maintenance needs to be cranked up for this war as I'm also having rebel trouble.

Aymara is the war leader so I let Mapuche's 6000 men siege Chiletico while Colla-Topa slaughters Aymara's 3000 in a couple of battles. I move a second army to their province and assault with 23000 men, but fail.

A second assault fails in October - those have to be brave, brave five men.



Obviously, we win an assault very quickly as November arrives. Peace is signed for Aymara's remaining province.



Eight down, one to go.

I suppose someone didn't like that annexation as just thirteen days later an earthquake slaughters 70 % of the population of Tumbes. The rich gold province is left with only 1500 inhabitants, and more are expected to die in the following chaos. The earth is against us, I've certainly noticed that so far.

In April 1408, let's take a look at pie!



The reason I'm showing this now is the core/non-core ratio. That's as ugly as it's going to get as my acquisitions start coring very soon. Also of interest are the cultures - we'll see how many I can get accepted.

So indeed, a month later the first bunch cores:



This makes the Cuzco economy quite strong as I get a net gain of 60 ducats without minting (at 70 % military maintenance) - for now.

General Colla-Topa dies in January 1409 after under three years of service. I have to recruit more even though my tradition is starting to be quite sad. For some reason, two new guys from 30-something tradition are no worse than what I've had lately:



General Tucuycuyche's maneuver will make a huge difference in eliminating stacks, while Quizo continues his family's tendency for good shock.

Only nine days later, Tupac Yupanqui dies peacefully after a long and successful reign.



That's a solid enough history entry in my mind.

The notorious Huayna Capac rises to the throne. I decide to take a loan in order to have a huge celebration (a good choice in real life too!), gaining legitimacy and prestige.



He has the Tough Soldier trait (we get +2 % land force limits modifier - not a big effect but we lose Tupac Yupanqui's prestige and diplomats penalties).

The dynasty also appears to be safe with another Huayna Capac (7/7/5) waiting in the wings.

We go over the infamy limit for a couple of months with Huayna Capac's lower limit, but escape with one +15 RR province event.

In June, disaster strikes as Shipibo is nuked back to stone age:



Or, to be exact, enough people die in another volcanic eruption that Shipibo downgrades into a colony! Yagua also sees small casualties. I'm beginning to wonder if any Cuzco people will stay alive long enough for Europeans to show up...

The economy is also looking quite a bit weaker than just a year ago: I need lots of cash for Central American bribes now (I eventually come very close to getting a PU with Tlaxcala, but close doesn't help), and the colonial upkeep hurts. I consider letting Shipibo die, but in the long run I won't have anything else to use my cash on in the coming decades, so I pay the upkeep. To compensate, military maintenance goes from 70 % to 63 %.

Happy news intervene in March 1411.



Shipibo continues having problems in April: this time it has fortification issues (seems that the colony was allowed to keep a level 1 fort). As I learnt last time, establishing a bureau of engineers is a good way to handle this. The damage is again repaired in months.

In July, interesting news come from Central America: Tlacopan is broken, with Acolhua getting their original western lands.



However, Acolhua is Tlacopan's vassal and they're able to annex less than three years later, so the only big change here for Tlacopan is a capital move.

March 1412 has some serious rebel trouble as another Quito nationalist stack rises in Quito when I've chased a weak stack there and am facing -6 terrain penalty.

I pull back with heavy casualties and attack again in May, hit mountains again and retreat again. This is repeated in August. All other armies are fighting rebels elsewhere, so in Quito, rebels are able to win a siege for the first time.

This is made "hilarious" by several southern rebels who get 0 or -2 terrain penalties on the offense every single time despite attacking provinces that are more mountainous than Quito. Thank heavens I run into this kind of luck now instead of earlier when there were still challengers in South America.

Fortunately my luck changes after this: my southern armies manage to destroy some of the local stacks so they can reinforce the north, and Quito is easy to reclaim as the rebels leave for Pasto while Quito's garrison is still weak. After one mountains -> retreat round in Pasto, I'm finally able to get decent conditions and beat the rebels.

Meanwhile, we get a freebie tech:



This is good as I'll eventually need Trade for colonists. I haven't invested in it.

Cochabamba gets cultural assimilation, so sadly this happens in the beginning of 1413:



A lot of our money has been going to the coffers of Central American powers, so we need to get cash to repay the huge celebration loan. The question is how.

The answer? War taxes!



This happens in April.

I also mint for the first time what I can without more inflation.

The first battle goes fine:



Mapuche responds by persecuting Intis in August. Smart choice if they like that as they won't have opportunities much longer. The refugees come to Huanuco this time.

February 1414 sees the loan come due. I'm able to repay it, even though I don't have much of a margin.

After one more inconsequential battle in Bio Bio, a third battle in March gives us an opportunity to chase as Quizo is able to slaughter nearly half of the Mapuche army.

By June, Mapuche is under siege and without armies.

In November, we get another nonsense event:



"Fleet"? "Navy"? Maybe the game is trying to taunt me for not being able to build ships.

While waiting for the sieges to finish, Tupiza cores (that's the first province I took from Aymara). I also fight rebels a lot.

In February 1415, I get everyone's favorite event.



I have to take the penalties as it simply costs too much (something in the 400-500 ducat range) - I wouldn't be able to repay a loan of that magnitude.

The sieges are finally done in May and Mapuche is annexed. After nearly 60 years of relentless campaigning, all of the South American tribes have now been conquered by Cuzco.

[FinnishFish]

I think they might figure it out when they notice Cuzco has 40+ provinces. Hmm, I wonder if they'd believe that it's one province that's very big...

Cmon when did Europeans have more brain than money

I can only see one provincer minor

[Chief Ragusa]

Volcano eruptions introduce the Incas to colonies. At that rate of growth the province will be a city in 64 years. Perhaps you'll get natives who assimilate.

A few hardy seaman would be a more appropriate event for you. A +15 RR just for going over infamy is harsh. As if you didn't have enough rebels to be going on with.

Central America appears to be in the final stages of consolidation. At which point do you cut your losses and stop trying for a PU? Thus far, it's a case of so near yet so far. Keep going, Tlacopan will be yours.

[Dewirix]

Looks like it's watching, waiting and smacking down rebels for the forseeable future. Losing Shipibo as a city is annoying, but at least it wasn't one of the gold or diamond producing provinces.

Tenochtitlan losing the Blessings of God is really big news. Now you'll stand a much better chance in Central America even if you only manage to snag a minor.

I counted 25 provinces added to the empire under Tupac Yupanqui - that will make for some nice coring in the coming decades.

[TonyJoe]

Congratulations on achieving tribal unity. It really sucks that you can't build any ships to voyage up north but at least you'll be cored and (semi) stable when the Euros arrive.

[Kipsnif]

I just wonder... How are you ever going to get to central America if you can't build ships??

Can you almost westernise to something that isn't western or something?

[morningSIDEr]

Very well done having defeated all other nations in South America, rebel whacking should be a bit of a chore now. Nonetheless, the reign of Huayna Capac I looks very promising, hopefully he continues with his hedonistic ways.

I felt sorry for the battered Aymara army though.

So, 700 ferocity 2 natives is what did them in. Right.

However, you should never underestimate natives!

[Kolonel]

Now there's a pretty map.
Well done!

[PrawnStar]

Excellent stuff - presumably as you core and the rebel problems die away you'll be in amuch stronger financial position.

How much cultural assimilation goes on in this mod - can you culturally unify those provinces at all? (you've had two provinces so far IIRC).