• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

mjj55409

Sergeant
83 Badges
Oct 28, 2009
83
10
  • Crusader Kings II: Charlemagne
  • Cities: Skylines - After Dark
  • Cities: Skylines - Snowfall
  • Europa Universalis IV: Mare Nostrum
  • Europa Universalis IV: Res Publica
  • Heir to the Throne
  • Hearts of Iron III
  • For the Motherland
  • Europa Universalis IV: Wealth of Nations
  • Europa Universalis IV: Conquest of Paradise
  • Europa Universalis IV: Art of War
  • Crusader Kings II
  • Divine Wind
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis III
  • Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam
  • Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham
  • Crusader Kings II: The Republic
  • Crusader Kings II: Rajas of India
  • Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods
  • Crusader Kings II: Legacy of Rome
  • Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor
  • Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet
  • Crusader Kings II: Reapers Due
  • Europa Universalis IV: Rights of Man
  • Stellaris: Galaxy Edition
  • Stellaris: Digital Anniversary Edition
  • Stellaris: Leviathans Story Pack
  • Cities: Skylines - Natural Disasters
  • Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory
  • Crusader Kings II: Monks and Mystics
  • Stellaris: Humanoids Species Pack
  • Cities: Skylines - Mass Transit
  • Europa Universalis IV: Mandate of Heaven
  • Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn
  • Surviving Mars
  • Stellaris: Galaxy Edition
  • Cities: Skylines - Green Cities
  • Crusader Kings II: Conclave
  • Hearts of Iron IV: Expansion Pass
  • Crusader Kings II: Horse Lords
  • Europa Universalis IV: Common Sense
  • Crusader Kings II: Way of Life
  • Mount & Blade: Warband
  • Europa Universalis IV: El Dorado
  • Stellaris: Nemesis
  • 500k Club
  • Victoria 2
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
I've played a lot of EU3, but this is my first foray into the world of Victoria, never having played V1. I've always intended to write an AAR, but for one reason or another I never found the time to do so.

When I first picked up V2 last week, I was going through the forums trying to figure out just how to get started in this massive game. I came across OHGamer's V2 Beta AAR: France 1836 - A Learning the Game AAR. This was just what I need to break through the initial learning curve. That AAR, as a beta AAR, didn't last very long, but it is a very good starting point for the newbie.

So I'm greatly indebted to OHGamer. And in that vein, I'm using France for this AAR. You will see some similarities in the start, but historical vagaries will necessitate divergent paths.
 
France, 1836 -- A Beginning

France in 1836 has a pretty robust economy. I am able to set both education and administrative spending to 70% and I raise military spending to the maximum 75%.

I set both National Focus points to encourage capitalists in Dijon and Marseilles.

923201015737pm.png



On the diplomatic front, since France starts with the Papal States already in the SOI, I like the idea of focusing on another chunk of the Italian peninsula and securing my direct neighbor Switzerland.

923201022811pm.png

923201022749pm.png


The rest of 1836 is relatively quiet. In the East, Great Britain goes to war with Burma over Rangoon. Then, in December 1836, the Age of Liberalism hits France, nudging the Upper House of Parliament slightly more liberal for 1837.

923201020106pm.png


923201020132pm.png
 
France at the start is in a prime position to expand into North Africa. The coast of Algeria is already secured, and there is a good sized standing army in place.

The plan for Northern Africa is two-fold: annex the rest of Algeria and add either Morocco or Tunis to the French SOI. Morocco is already being treated as a pull toy between Great Britain and Spain. I'd rather keep Great Britain on my good side for as long as possible, so I'll focus on Tunis. The Ottomans are already involved there, but I should be able to out maneuver them.

923201033453pm.png


The war effort in Algeria got a kick start when this happened in mid January.

923201034316pm.png


So France was stirred into action and declared war on the same day.

923201034512pm.png


Now 20 infamy points right off the bat is a rather steep price, but the provinces in question are potentially lucrative and if I don't take them, someone else will.

The leader-less Algerian army was no match for the French forces. War was declared on January 15th, and by the first week of February, the Algerian forces were wiped out. Now it was a matter of settling in and occupying the provinces.

923201034620pm.png


On December 15th, exactly 12 months after war was declared, Algeria was absorbed into the French Empire.

923201040958pm.png
 
Tres bien! France is always a good time. A word of caution that you probably already know, though - if you sphere Tunis or Morocco, you can't declare war on them later. I think this is supposed to represent them being client states, but depending on your colonization designs, it can be a pit of a pain. Looking forward to seeing how your Italian ambitions turn out!
 
Tres bien! France is always a good time. A word of caution that you probably already know, though - if you sphere Tunis or Morocco, you can't declare war on them later. I think this is supposed to represent them being client states, but depending on your colonization designs, it can be a pit of a pain. Looking forward to seeing how your Italian ambitions turn out!

Thanks everyone for the comments. One of the things I love about V2 so far is that it is not all war and conquest. The diplomacy game is amazing. And part of this is experimentation. But my plan for Italy is simply to turn those nations into staunch allies (and defenders) of France.
 
So with 20 infamy points spent right out of the gate, we will need to turn our attention to non-military matters, at least for a few years. First, a quick picture of our newly acquired territories.

924201084301am.png


In a few years, I will shift one of our National Focus points to promoting immigration to Algeria.

And look at this:

924201085054am.png


The Dutch war against Belgium that the English joined resulted in the acquisition of Dutch Guayana for the British. Looks like we have a new South American neighbor.

The next couple of years are relatively quiet. Prussia and Austria get involved what will be the first of many "brother" wars.

We successfully add Two Sicilies to our SOI, and are winning the battle in Tunis.

924201085646am.png


And the French are slowly becoming more Liberal.

924201090119am.png
 
France, 1840 -- The Liberals Are Stirring

1840 ushers in the first election season for France. The political debates are underway, with the results to be announced in July. I try to nudge the country towards Pluralism and Laissez Faire without causing too much militancy.

The election results were a commanding victory for the conservatives, but the liberals had a better showing than I anticipated.

9242010110719am.png


However the coming of spring in Paris reveals a potentially disturbing situation developing.

9242010110028am.png


A large number of artisans, who seemingly can't make ends meet, are becomingly increasingly active French Reactionaries. In response, I beef up the the Royal Guard in the capital.

9242010110313am.png


In October, the lid blows off the pot in Paris, but the three rebel brigades are no match for the Royal Guard.

9242010111019am.png


1840 also marks our discovery of High Pressure Steam Engines, and our new pursuit -- Clean Coal. I intend to keep France ahead of the industrial curve.

9242010110423am.png


Finally, I am able to secure Tunis away from the grubby hands of the Ottmans.

9242010111956am.png
 
.....
1840 also marks our discovery of High Pressure Steam Engines, and our new pursuit -- Clean Coal. I intend to keep France ahead of the industrial curve.

I would suggest the next-gen of railroads instead, it gives you something like +10% productivity in all provinces that have it. Also, "medicine" becomes extremely important if/when you are fighting overseas.

good luck!
 
Thanks everyone for the comments. One of the things I love about V2 so far is that it is not all war and conquest. The diplomacy game is amazing. And part of this is experimentation. But my plan for Italy is simply to turn those nations into staunch allies (and defenders) of France.

Indeed - the fact that you feel immersed in the lives of your pops, the gears of statehood... It makes this one of the best games I've ever played. And I like that you're not thinking of just conquering everything within reach. Chances are that you'll be able to create a pretty interesting world! It looks like your artisan classes are failing at finding something to sell - not surprising given that France produces lots of goods from RGO's. If you've got plenty of cash and state capitalism or interventionism, I can second railroads as a wonderful investment - but can also second clean coal, the benefits of which are immediate and universal, unlike railroads which need time and investment.

But hey, Tunis is yours, the army is strong, and your people are full of the spirit of spring!... Which can be a pain, but I'm sure you'll manage. :)
 
1840 ended with this news:

926201090601am.png


Really Austria? You feel the need to cut little Morocco down to size? I'll be watching this.

1841 was more liberal stirrings and minor rebel outbreaks. In January, 1842, the folks awaking in the sleepy port of Pondicherry on the Eastern coast of British Madras, were met with a glorious sight.

926201091153am.png


A French naval fleet carrying two Army divisions. What were they doing here? As it happened, it was just a minor stopping point for organizational and leadership assignment purposes. Their final destination:

926201091454am.png


The Mekong Delta. The British have been very active in Indochina, pushing further into Burma. They will eventually set their sights on Siam. Like North Africa, if France wants a presence in Asia, she should act quickly. So on March 28, 1842, war was declared on the Dai Nam. France's intention was to secure the region of Vinhlong as a colonial concession, with it's main prize, the port of Saigon.

926201092013am.png


At first, the French met no resistance. Cambodia, a puppet of Dai Nam, did not move its army out of Cambodia. So by January, 1843, France had control of the regions of Haitan, Vinhlong, and Saigon. The Dai Nam had withdrawn to the mountains of Dong Quai, north of Saigon. There they dug in, and waited for the French.

926201092714am.png


The French were outnumbered and at a terrain disadvantage, but were much better organized and equipped. The battle lasted for 15 days as the French battered the Dai Nam with artillery. When the Dai Nam army finally retreated to the north, they had suffered heavy losses.

926201093218am.png


The French pursued the Dai Nam northward until the remnants of the Dai Nam army finally surrendered to the French in Tourane in March of 1843.

926201093509am.png


With the French occupying the southern provinces and the devastation of their army complete, the Dai Nam were ready for peace.

926201093725am.png


******

In research and development news, French scientists were making breakthroughs in coal technology having discovered clean coal. In the meantime, they were working on the new breech loading rifles.

On the diplomatic front, France was able to add Luxembourg to her sphere of influence and was active in Columbia and Haiti for an added presence in the Americas.
 
The European situation in 1845. Nothing too surprising. Spain has grabbed a large chunk of Morocco.

926201051256pm.png


The Asian situation. Notice that Great Britain has succeeded in annexing Burma completely.

926201051331pm.png


The elections of 1845 brought more liberals into the Upper House even though the conservative Republicains remain the ruling party.

926201051405pm.png


The time leading up to the elections was one of the more volatile periods post-revolution. Rebels had amassed 21000 (7 brigades worth) in Paris. The Royal Guard squashed that rebellion in two weeks of street fighting, but 21000 dead citizens is a sorry situation in any regard.

That may have been the fatal blow for the revolutionaries too. In late August 1845, we get the End of the Revolution event.

926201052235pm.png


Notice the militancy number in this next image. It was 3.54 at the time of the Paris uprising, 1.19 just after the elections, and now, after August, .28.

926201052815pm.png


Early in 1846, France succeeds at bring Columbia into her sphere of influence, opening a period of further involvement in South America for France.
 
Whoa; Militancy really plummeted. Is that all from the Liberalism events? Or are their still disgruntled artisans in there, somewhere (they seem to show up in every good game or two)? Those 21,000 are pretty depressing, especially since it aligned so well with the End of Revolution event. :(

France's colonial empire is looking incredibly nice, however. With solid sphere choices, good research (the Guard is one of my favorite units!), and a timely intervention into Vinhlong, it seems like you've got a lot of choices to play around with. Where to next? Wherever it is, Britain's borders are a bit too mobile for my liking. :D
 
Whoa; Militancy really plummeted. Is that all from the Liberalism events? Or are their still disgruntled artisans in there, somewhere (they seem to show up in every good game or two)? Those 21,000 are pretty depressing, especially since it aligned so well with the End of Revolution event. :(

France's colonial empire is looking incredibly nice, however. With solid sphere choices, good research (the Guard is one of my favorite units!), and a timely intervention into Vinhlong, it seems like you've got a lot of choices to play around with. Where to next? Wherever it is, Britain's borders are a bit too mobile for my liking. :D

I've noticed, with France at least, the the End of Liberalism event will drop militancy a great deal. And I pushed these elections towards the liberal side to appease the militant pops.
 
Viva la France!:) Make Napoleon proud and dominate Europe once again!:D
 
Even with all the action in Cochin China, French diplomats were kept busy in South America. In June of 1845 they put the finishing touches on a treaty with Columbia, bringing that nation into France's SOI and formalizing a military alliance. Columbia didn't wait long to put that alliance into action. In Spring 1846, Columbia declared war on Brazil over a territorial dispute in the Amazons.

930201082227am.png


Great Britain had taken over Dutch Guyana in an earlier war, inserting themselves as French neighbors in South America. In response, France felt the need to expand her own South America holdings, as a hedge against the British. So a French fleet is sent from Marseilles to the French port of Cayenne carrying an army division whose objective would be to then move south, into Brazil.

930201082549am.png


The Brazilian army was mired deep in the Amazon jungle, fighting the Colombian forces. So the French army met no resistance, marching south and east, occupying Brazilian provinces.

930201083111am.png


The French motive then became clear. The price of peace for Brazil was the state of Para, which would effectively double the French presence in South America.

930201082752am.png


Finally, in May 1847, after nearly 9 months of being in country, the French met the Brazilian army in the Manaus.

930201083206am.png


The French were at an extreme disadvantage fighting in the jungles of the far eastern fringes of the Amazon, but their technical and leadership superiority proved too great for Brazil.

930201083333am.png


Fighting continued through December 1847, when with the army defeated and all of Para occupied, Brazil relented.

930201083522am.png

930201083745am.png
 
1850 Overview

An image heavy update to give you a picture of the state of the world and of France in 1850.

You saw above the map of South American after the Franco-Brazilian War. Here is Europe and Asia. Austria and Spain are the countries with the rebel problems. For Spain, this will be an ongoing story.

9302010121207pm.png


9302010121244pm.png


The ranked country list. Spain is just about to knock Belgium from Great Power status.

930201030051pm.png


The French Population overview.

930201030229pm.png


French Industry.

930201025933pm.png


930201030146pm.png


Government and budget.

930201030209pm.png


930201030251pm.png