Part the Fourth - The Bricklayer’s Interlude
You guys have provided excellent commentary and feedback to this AAR. You’ll find my responses to them above.
In these, there seemed to be a general theme regarding literacy and the population. Because of this, I will talk about those two items to begin with (this is totally not a ploy to distract from the continuance of the waiting game).
<Metaphor time>
If Prussia’s Population is like a Brick House, Iceland is like a Brick.
(an illustration of the metaphor to assist)
</Metaphor time>
Let’s Compare the two populations, circa 1836, the start of the game:
For those of you who need something more specific, here follows:
Germany Iceland
Farmers 2070000 13125
Labourers 997080 -
Soldiers 87167 -
Craftsmen 10725 -
Slaves - -
Subtotal 3164972 13125
Artisans 290100 750
Bureaucrats 14970 -
Clergymen 33037 100
Clerks 954 -
Officers 3623 -
Subtotal 342684 850
Aristrocrats 44780 -
Capitalists 113 -
Subtotal 44893 -
Total 3552549 13975
Strictly speaking, this metaphor does not carry through (there is only 254.2 Icelands in Prussia, while there is about 9000 -1100 bricks in a house), but one cannot throw a house, while they can brick. Likewise, the brick in itself is breakable and malleable in a manner, while in the house the brick is reinforced by all other bricks which make up the wall. Iceland is a solitary brick, which allows us to handle it differently then we would the house of Prussia (the metaphor makes it more likely that Prussia is a small shed, or maybe a retaining wall of some sort).
With a huge country like Prussia, one needs to affect the country in large way to get anything done. This is why it is suggested in many guides that one begins by placing clergymen in their biggest population, in order to get the most promotions, and this is true in many respects. With Iceland, one finds that they can use these tactics, but in a different way.
I began the game increasing the rate of pop growth and the number of clergymen. These expand the total size of the culture group, and the literacy amount, both of which are desired. Once the literacy is sufficiently high, it will help when I colonize and my literacy drops as I have new, populations with very little population. It will also help with the rate of assimilation. However, the increase rate of literacy is very slow, which while historically accurate as you may have noticed is rather painful to observe. I have only increased a total of 2 and a bit percent in the last 11 years while my population as a whole has increased 6%. The way to encourage the growth in literacy would be via the appropriate tech chain (Social Thought). Unfortunately, this will have to wait until after I have the needed techs for colonization (Machine Guns, Nationalism and Imperialism, and Raider Group Doctrine) have been achieved.
Another thing which these small pops allow me to do is to make the state more efficient. I run a country which at the moment does not waste money needlessly to support a population of soldiers, nor does it support craftsmen for what would be inefficient factories. This allows me to make much more money, and not have to fool around with trying to meet the needs of a fully diversified country.
All in all, I hope that Iceland is a good enough Brick for me lay the foundation of an empire on.
(Although it’s really like making the brick nice and shiny, and then placing it in the middle of an unclaimed plot. You hope that everyone else thinks that someone actually has the rights to build on the land.)
If anyone has any thoughts on how Iceland’s position is unique, especially with regards to the population, please respond. Otherwise, please respond anyways. As always, I love the feedback and advice.