Episode 8: missed opportunities, rebels and frustration
I am pleased to start this episode with some good news.
An ADM 6 regency! We can finally Westernise! YAAAAY!!! But first, let's take a look on how to Westernise.
First, you need the correct slider settings, at least -2 Centralisation/Decentralisation and at least -3 Innovative/Narrowiminded. In previous episodes I've shown an effective way to obtain this. Take Patron of the Arts to get
Architectural Developments and use your slider movement opportunities to move towards Centralisation.
Second, your need a good monarch, having a ADM score of 6 or higher. Sadly, there is little you can do to influence that, other than making ADM 5 or lower monarch generals and let them engage in combat so that they die quicker. Mainly you'll have to be patient.
Third, you need a stability of 3. This isn't so important for the first Westernisation step, but as the Westernisation decision lowers stability by 5, it is the main hindrance for enacting the next Westernisation steps.
Fourth, you need to border a nation of a higher tech group.There are several strategies to accomplish this requirement:
- Wait until an AI nation of a higher tech level obtains a neighbouring province.
The problem with this approach is that you have no control. I prefer to be in control as much as possible, leaving as little to change as possible. Also, it could take a long time until some European country decides to grab some neighbouring territory. Not really an option.
- Conquer a province that borders a nation of a higher tech level.
A good strategy in many cases, as it can be quite easy to do so, especially if European nations have conquered/colonized next to weak RotW states that you can easily beat. However, as I can't get the Temple faction in power yet, this is not an option for the moment.
- Colonize a province that borders a nation of a higher tech level.
Again, works well in a lot of situations, if a suitable province is within colonization range. But again, without the help of the Eunuchs we cannot colonize. Besides, no suitable province is within range for quite some time, and I want to Westernise now.
- Sell a province of your own to a nation of a higher tech level.
And here we have the winner. The option to sell provinces is always possible when at peace. This option has basically no requirements, as opposed to all the other options. Perhaps that's why some people consider this a bit gamey, but for Ming it's basically the only option.
So that's why I wanted to explore Europe. In order to Westernise, I need to sell a province to a Western tech level nation. Of course I can wait until the AI decides to mosey towards me, but I want to control when I can Westernise. It's too important to leave it to chance. Westernisation is easily important enough that I am willing to use a National Idea slot to contact Europe so that I can Westernise quicker.
The fifth requirement for Westernisation is that you need to be 25 or more combined levels behind the neighbouring nation. This too can only be solved by being patient. Luckily, we are already more than 25 levels behind the Western nations. Having only 40% research speed hurts.
I decide to sell a province to Holland. Basically you can take any Western nation, but I prefer smaller weaker countries. I chose Holland because it feels historical to grant them a trading post which aids in the spread of western weapons and tech and because I am a Hollander
So I try to sell Xiamen to Holland for zero ducats. I haven't build anything in Xiamen as I knew from the start that I had to sell a province and I chose Xiamen for this. Basically any coastal province works, but I would advise against selling a high income province, as you won't be able to develop this province for a long time. The chance of Holland accepting is "very unlikely", so I expect quite some rejections, but at some point they'll accept.
As expected, they reject the first offer. Apparantly our Regency Council is considered to be quite feminine, by the way. Anyway, I continue sending diplomat after diplomat with sale offers.
And Holland rejects. Again, And Again, And yet again. They reject, they say no, they shake their heads, again and again.
They reject our sale FOR FIVE YEARS! Only after 5 years, in 1532 they finally accept our offer! I've never had this much difficulty selling a province. Lady Luck was clearly not with me on this day.
This poses quite a bit of a problem. We only had 12 years regency and after that Zhengde would seize the throne and prevent us from Westernization with his inadequate ADM 5. We have lost 5 of these years to sell the province. The missed opportunity here is that I should have sold the province beforehand, so that I could immediately Westernise. Oh well, we live and learn.
(By the way, in 1529 we had another domestic slider move which I used to move towards Free Trade).
So we Westernise to the Muslim tech group. And there was much rejoicing. This tech group offers a considerable improvement compared to the Chinese group. The -5 stability hit means that we lose the Mandate of Heaven.
We now have -50% tax, a +50% stability cost from "Mandate of Heaven Lost", a -20 ducats/month stability investment penalty from the same and a +50% stability cost from "Western Influences". In short, it's difficult to regain stability, and we need a +3 stability to Westernise again, to Oriental. With about 20 months per stab point during "Mandate of Heaven Lost" and about 10 months/stability while having the Mandate of Heaven, this will take some time.
But sadly, we are only at stability 1 when Zhengde takes over from our beloved regency, halting Westernisation for now. Luckily his heir Longwu II has ADM 6, DIP 8 and MIL 8, so we have to hope that Zhengde kicks the bucket quickly.
However, other problems arise. The dutch have problems holding onto Xiamen. With Nationalism, intolerance towards heathens and low Legitimacy, the revolt risk in Xiamen is sky high. The province is too far from Holland's other territory for reinforcements to be shipped in. And as the rebels are patriots friendly to us, we cannot engage them. You will also notice that Zhengde is put to work in the army. The only way to get dispensation from conscription to have a ADM of 6 or higher, so he's out of luck.
Also, in 1538 and 1541 we get extra magistrates from
Examinations, which are put to good use to build some more workshops.
In 1541, Xiamen defects back to use, including the freedom fighters that made this wonderful thing happen. Grrr. I start trying to sell Xiamen back to Holland. Better news arrives in the same year: we are now able to build Universities.
I like building Universities more than the other manufactories. Unlike in EU2, there is no monetary benefit of building different kinds of manufactories: the price rises 20% with each manufactory, no matter the type. Universities have an advantage over other kinds of manufactory because of
the class of XXX, that gives a magistrate or +10% cultural tradition with a mean time to happen of 300 years per university (240 years at stability 3). Also, during war there is the
XXX speech, which gives either 1 or 3 magistrates with a mean time to happen of 125 years. Magistrates are very useful in Divine Wind, so I grab any opportunity to get more. Last but not least, the Government tech tree is very good, so extra investment there is always a good thing.
I build about a dozen universities until money runs out. My rule of thumb is to build manufactories until they cost about 3000 ducats, as it takes about 50 years for a manufactory to return an investment of 3000. I think that I can use the money for better purposes if it takes more than 50 years to earn the investment back.
We manage to convince Holland to take Xiamen back in 1542, with only a year of negotiation. If only it was this quick the first time!
The year 1544: after almost one and a half century, the Eunuch return to power! As the influence from sliders becomes more and more balanced, it will become easier and easier for other faction to rise to power. Because Zhengde has DIP 7 against ADM 5, the Eunuchs are able to regain pole position.
I immediately send colonists to Taiwan and Guam. In all my exitement, I initially forget to send out merchants, but in a few years Ming's traders are sent to more Centres of Trade. In Divine Wind you can now only trade in CoTs within trade range, so many profitable CoTs (read: European ones) areen't available to me. Another nice feature of this expansion.
In 1545 we are treated with a faction influence event, a Eunuch one, which offers a welcome change of scenario after all those Bureaucrat events.
Eunuch offers his service is a basic strengten/weaken event, with the choice between +5/-5 influence and some extra's, a redundant statesman in this case. As I like having the Eunuchs in power for some more, I strengthen them.
Zhengde did what was expected of him, die early. In 1545, after 8 years of ruling, he buys the farm, leaving the Empire in the capable hands of Longwu II (ADM 6) and his heir Jiajing (ADM 7). Complete Westernisation is within our grasp!
Stats
From the stats it's noticable that I didn't build any army buildings, but built workshops and universities and expanded trade. We gained Taiwan and Guam but "lost" Xiamen. The gained troops are the defected freedom fighters from Xiamen.
All with all a good reign, I think.
Code:
The regency (1527-1537) and reign (1537-1545) of Zhengde Ming (total 1527-1545)
Current value Change during reign Change since 1399
Provinces 57 +1 (+1.8%) +3 (+5.6%)
Yearly income 2117 ducats +225 ducats (+11.9%) +1279 ducats (+152.6%)
Yearly income/province 37.1 ducats +3.3 ducats (+9.8%) +21.6 ducats (+139.4%)
Inflation 1.7% 0.8% 1.7%
Maximum manpower 125K +3K (+2.5%) +40K (+47.0%)
Army (inf/cav/art) 52 regiments (42/10/0) +8 (+18.2%) +13 (+33.3%)
Navy (B/S/g/t) 51 ships (38/0/0/13) 0 +2 (+4.1%)
Next episode: horsing around