Quick questions / Quick answers Thread

[Avindian]

I'm fairly new to Victoria and was wondering how Spheres work in this game? And can you annex countries diplomatically without war or historical events? Say I'm GB and want to annex all those little puppet indian states, or as Prussia annex the other German States, how would I go about doing that? And how do I increase my colonial life rating? And if I wanted to take over egypt how would I do that? Increase relations, get them in sphere, then decrease relations then attack? Seems kind of tedious. Thanks for any future replies.

That's a lot of questions, I'll do my best.

Spheres -- A country in your sphere of influence provides a certain amount of its economic strength to yours, in addition to being your allies. How much strength depends on your investments.
Annexing countries -- In the specific circumstances you mention, you can add India to the UK via the decision "Empress of India" and the periodic event "Doctrine of Lapse." For Germany, any country of German culture in your sphere will be added when you enact the decision "Three Hurrahs!" In most case, however, war is required.
Colonial Life Rating -- Two techs and an invention -- Prophylaxis against Malaria (invention under Medicine), Machine Guns, and National & Imperialism all make it easier to colonize.
Egypt -- If you sphere a country you cannot attack them. Thus, if you want to conquer Egypt, just use the appropriate war goal.

[Alkarin]

Okay thanks. I continued with my game as GB and I got the Empress of India event yet I still have a bunch of satellite/puppet states in india, and it seems I stopped getting the Doctrine of Lapse movements since the Empress one was enacted.
Also how do I go about having a revolution? I know the the movement will become militarized but then what. Just let them beat you? And what defines them defeating you? Is it occupying the capital for a certain amount of time or something or..? Also is there a way to decrease the chances of gaining infamy from justifying a war? And thanks for the reply.

[GeneralLunar]

How do I remove the war truce time in Victoria II?

[xenon5]

Are satellite and puppets the same thing?

If not, which casus belli do I need to use in order to get another country to release a satellite?

[tamius23]

Are satellite and puppets the same thing?

Yes.

How do I remove the war truce time in Victoria II?

Find BASE_TRUCE_TIME in common/defines.lua and replace it with whatever you like (it's 60 by default).

[Lord Finnish]

Is there any way to annex puppet and substates (preferably without war)? In one game I am Mexico and have Guatemala as puppet, and in another I am trying to civilize as China but would want my provinces back from the warlords.

EDIT: Another question. I was as Mexico, a Great Power, attacking China. I was allied with UK at 200 relations, who were also fighting a separate war with China. Our war goals were entirely different. However when China gave up to the UK the latter instantly joined their alliance and started sieging my cities! What the hell? Why would the UK abandon their decades-old alliance and start helping this destitute 3rd world pigsty defend Formosa? Suffice it to say I switched tags to UK and offered myself the war goals I wanted. I had exceeded the required War Score but UK AI obviously didn't give up the Chinese lands I wanted so I had to cheat..

[Avindian]

Is there any way to annex puppet and substates (preferably without war)? In one game I am Mexico and have Guatemala as puppet, and in another I am trying to civilize as China but would want my provinces back from the warlords.

EDIT: Another question. I was as Mexico, a Great Power, attacking China. I was allied with UK at 200 relations, who were also fighting a separate war with China. Our war goals were entirely different. However when China gave up to the UK the latter instantly joined their alliance and started sieging my cities! What the hell? Why would the UK abandon their decades-old alliance and start helping this destitute 3rd world pigsty defend Formosa? Suffice it to say I switched tags to UK and offered myself the war goals I wanted. I had exceeded the required War Score but UK AI obviously didn't give up the Chinese lands I wanted so I had to cheat..

For China, I thought (I've never played China so I can't confirm) there was a decision that lets you annex the substates at some point. However, you can not normally annex puppets, unless it's in the process of forming another country (Germany, Italy) or possibly for Doctrine of Lapse as the UK.

For your China problem as Mexico, it could very well be that the UK had a Friendly status with China, which permitted intervention. Make sure you leave pop ups on for the AI dissolving alliances. It's WAD, in short.

[JCFast]

Is there an easy way to annex whole of India as the UK?

[moldeh]

Is there an easy way to annex whole of India as the UK?

If they rebel, then yes.

[Gomissar]

Is there a Greater Germany in AHD? I can't see any german cores in Austria, nor any decisions about Greater Germany. Just formed German Empire, btw (all north states+french one+Bavaria).

[moldeh]

Is there a Greater Germany in AHD? I can't see any german cores in Austria, nor any decisions about Greater Germany. Just formed German Empire, btw (all north states+french one+Bavaria).

Use any CB to attack Austria and occupy them fully. Wait until they lose their GP status (low prestige & no industry & no military) and then add the 'add to sphere' wargoal. End the war and form Germany. Austria is yours and cored.

[Ryasyr]

Ive SOIed Texas as the U.S. Allied them, and even helped them stave off the Mexican threat why wont they do the statehood decision?

And yes before you ask my relations are 200 with them.

[Gomissar]

Use any CB to attack Austria and occupy them fully. Wait until they lose their GP status (low prestige & no industry & no military) and then add the 'add to sphere' wargoal. End the war and form Germany. Austria is yours and cored.

Err. Added Austria, nothing happens.
Edit: Oh, I guess I made a big mistake. Looks like you can only unify Austria and Prussia as Austria.

[MrTrt]

you must do it BEFORE you form Germany. Keep them in yout sphere and they will eventualy ask for anexation, but they'll likely recover GP status before that.

[moldeh]

you must do it BEFORE you form Germany. Keep them in yout sphere and they will eventualy ask for anexation, but they'll likely recover GP status before that.

This. What I said was 'End the war and form Germany'. You can do it afterwards, but it's highly probable that they'll recover their GP status before that happens, just like MrTrT said.

[Lord Finnish]

I tend to play small countries, like Columbia and USCA, and I have a problem with industries. I start out rather well, I almost always let Capitalists do the work while I invest in their projects. Starts out fine and well but every time, every damn time around 1860 my industries collapse. They suddenly start needing huge amounts of subsidies and when I stop giving them money they die out leaving tens of thousands unemployed. What's up with that? And always around 1890 my industry comes back to life and I can produce virtually anything. Why is that? Does getting sphered kill my factories or what, I thought I'd have a bit of head start to resource since I'm usually in top 12.

Also, what's up with Artisans? When I industrialize my artisans lose all their money and even at 0% tax they can't afford any of their needs.

[Granatenwerfer]

I tend to play small countries, like Columbia and USCA, and I have a problem with industries. I start out rather well, I almost always let Capitalists do the work while I invest in their projects. Starts out fine and well but every time, every damn time around 1860 my industries collapse. They suddenly start needing huge amounts of subsidies and when I stop giving them money they die out leaving tens of thousands unemployed. What's up with that? And always around 1890 my industry comes back to life and I can produce virtually anything. Why is that? Does getting sphered kill my factories or what, I thought I'd have a bit of head start to resource since I'm usually in top 12.

Also, what's up with Artisans? When I industrialize my artisans lose all their money and even at 0% tax they can't afford any of their needs.

It is not easy to make a diagnose form the distance. Important is to find out what the reason is. Please, hoover your mouse over the factories (there are 3 different points to get information IIRC) in the factory build screen and report it here. It may be that some goods needed for the factories are not available on the world market.

What about the demand for your produced goods? Do you sell all your produced goods in your home country? Try to cover the demand for your nation and for common market, only. It is difficult to get into competiton with GP nations; if goods are not sold on the world market they are put to the trash can what is bad for your economy, because you do not earn enough to cover the cost for producing goods. Hence your factories have to dismiss workers.

Please reduce tariffs to zero and set the stockpile slider to 100% to avoid getting problems from here.

[draenn]

Until 1960, are you in the sphere of influence of a GP ?

[Lord Finnish]

Yes I am almost always sphered by someone. I tend to pick nations that don't gain GP status until at the turn of the century.

Now I am playing as Brazil.
To be honest I'm not very familiar with how the economy works. Tariffs were at 9% for most time but didn't help when I lowered them to 0%. I know that South America doesn't produce coal so that definitely hampered my industry, and I suppose I industrialized way too quickly (first factories around 1840). However once I got the few Coal provinces in Africa and got my GP status (thus sending the French away) my economy skyrocketed and I could open all factories at huge profit. I guess the country that has Sphered you has priority on your produced goods over your own factories?

I guess a small civilized nation just shouldn't industrialize until the world market can supply small nations as well?

[Jaol]

Do the promote industry X National Focuses have an effect on artisan production?