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Is there actually any more local territory you can take which won't make you border scary Europeans? (other than more Egypt, obviously)

Oman.

Roughly how long is it until the truce with Egypt runs out? I think you should try to take as much of it as you can before you westernise (in what, 5 or 6 years time?) before taking on the Ottomans again.
 
Really terrific stuff; I've liked your past AARs, and the idea of trying Sokoto is so bizarre that I can't say no to this one :)
 
Excellent! I never would have contemplated taking an unciv past the infamy limit, especially not in such an audacious manner! This is as original as it is entertaining! :)
 
I've got to agree with Selzro on this one. I've never yet gone past the infamy limit in Victoria 2, and doing it so soon with so small and backward a state is an extremely gutsy move. The one problem I foresee is that it will become difficult to expand in Africa after a certain point because bordering on any European Great Power will bring about an instant containment war.

Once the 1870s roll around you'll start to see colonisation edging towards your borders too. I predict that by the 1880s at the latest you'll be tangling with the UK or France, so here's hoping you can get ready in time.
 
Once the 1870s roll around you'll start to see colonisation edging towards your borders too. I predict that by the 1880s at the latest you'll be tangling with the UK or France, so here's hoping you can get ready in time.

I'd say both, and if he's unlucky the NGF too!

One of the things I like most about this AAR is that it's got balls of steel, pink steel. You kinda know that some big British blob is lurking around the corner ready to squash poor, audacious Sokoto sooner or later. There's a real fear that Sokoto might suffer defeat, unlike most AARs which show countries going from strength to strength. That makes it even more sweeter if/when it succeeds.
 
I hope Sokoto manages to westernise and thereby participate in colonisation; if Sokot lands are contiguous, you have a lifeline against European colonialism. No pesky Brits can come and kill the Caliphate!

I'd say both, and if he's unlucky the NGF too!

One of the things I like most about this AAR is that it's got balls of steel, pink steel. You kinda know that some big British blob is lurking around the corner ready to squash poor, audacious Sokoto sooner or later. There's a real fear that Sokoto might suffer defeat, unlike most AARs which show countries going from strength to strength. That makes it even more sweeter if/when it succeeds.
I'm incredibly guilty of only writing successful AARs, though that could change soon. If it's pink steel rather than wood, Sokoto has a chance. I don't expect the Europeans will come to care much about Sokot Yemen and Egypt.

It might actually be in Sokoto's interest not to build the Suez Canal to prevent eased movement of European fleets into the Red Sea and thereby to Sokot Yemen or Egypt. Any Sokot naval forces could be concentrated in Bab-el-Mandeb to effectively close off the colonies in wartime, or at least, until the 1st Reserve Squadron arrives.
 
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Love the sarcastic humor :rofl: keep it up!
 
Thank you profusely for the replies!

loki100 - Things went surprisingly well. I was just lucky the Ottomans didn't land more men or I would have been in real trouble! Far too many of my men were stranded on the Arabian peninsula and the Ottoman navy blocked my ships from acting.

thekinguter - I should have taken Tripoli from the Ottomans but I was too scared to push my luck with them hence my accepting white peace! Regarding the victory over Ethiopia, as I said to NapoleonComple, it was nothing more than luck which won the day. I was ready to pull out as I'd lost so many men, far more than Ethiopia, I can only assume having a better general (huzzah for incompetence!) and my use of infantry rather than Ethiopia's use of irregulars won the day.

Rabid - As Tanzhang so rightly identified apart from Egypt Oman are still available for conquest. And they were soon dealt with as this update shows!

cosmeIII - Thank you for the kind words (your bribe is en route!).

NapoleonComple - Exactly so! As I've said to loki I was once again lucky though, if they had landed more brigades they could have all too easily defeated me.

Tanzhang (譚張) - The truce with Egypt is running out shortly, I should be able to nab some land with them soon and fully intend on doing so! As you say it is a good move to secure more full provinces from them prior to westernisation as land from Egypt is only going to be colonies after westernisation after all.

Caezaire - You are quite right, competence clearly doesn't work in Sokoto!

Avindian - Many thanks for the kind words (your bribe is in the post!).

Selzro - Thank you profusely for the kind words (a bribe is on the way!).

yacno - A great many thanks (a bribe is on way to you!).

Dewirix - Thank you for the kind words (yet another bribe is en route to you!). Truly there are few nations you can risk going over the infamy limit with in V2 but thanks to Sokoto's position at the start of the game she is one of the few. Since you can pick and choose your own borders provided I remain careful, which I haven't been thus far, things should go okay. Hopefully anyway!

You are quite right with regards to the gradual encroachment of European powers into Africa, it is something I am worried about but I hope to be ready in time (I'll likely be caught wholly unprepared and swiftly annexed of course!).

Tanzhang (譚張) - Many thanks for the kind words (your bribe is in the post!). You are quite right, this can all go pear shaped very quickly, I'll just have to be far more careful with my borders in future (unlike with Egypt...)! I remain terrified of Britain annexing either Oranje or Zulu but it is when colonisation gets into full swing that things should really pick up.

ncm - That is the hope! With westernisation, which draws near despite my generals alarming habit of dying in droves (they seem determined to drop my military score below 50) I'll try to colonise and consolidate my lands which should give me a decent chance against any European power. You make a good point regarding the Suez Canal, one which I hadn't considered. Perhaps refraining from building it would be best. Although frankly I'll likely be defeated long before it becomes an option anyway!

MastahCheef117 - A great many thanks for the kind words (your bribe is en route!).

Once again a happy new year to everyone! I hope everyone has a great 2012. I had just about recovered from some rather exuberant hogmanay celebrations when my football team, Hearts, beat our derby rivals Hibs yesterday (trounced them in fact). I had to celebrate such a victory, so I'm still a little worse for wear after the festive season!

The following update is a short one (huzzah, less of my drivel!) as I wanted to also include the promised overview of Sokoto after the last fourteen years.
 
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Chapter Eight - Omanhandled​

With the war against the Ottomans now at an end, the Sokot government are quick to realise something.

UP8-1.jpg

Non-stop warfare and horrifically high taxes are not good when it comes to keeping your nation happy, war exhaustion beginning to rise considerably. The situation deteriorating so much that rebel factions even begin daring to create hymns.

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Thankfully the government has an easy way of staving of any potential rebellion, General Kabe quickly appeasing the nation with more of his stirring poetry.

These rebellious poets always raise my ire,
For I am beginning to tire,
Of writing yet more inspired verse,
The situation is becoming worse.

The next poet who so dares,
To write a hymn I do swear,
Will have to deal with the whole Sokot army,
I mean this most sincerely as I have had more than enough of this nonsense and if there are any more hymns the upstart poet responsible will be punished because poets daring to challenge my ability are turning me quite barmy.

Sadly though not even Kabe's brilliant poetry is enough to console Sokoto as terrible news greets the nation, the peerless tactician Rumfa passing away.

UP8-3.jpg

Victor only recently against the Ottomans, and too against Ethiopia, the loss of this titan is a bitter blow. It is unlikely Sokoto will ever again witness another general with the innovation, daring and ability to create complex strategies such as the vaunted 'Just Throw Everyone Forward' tactic.

Having recently lost Sokoto's most able general and with war exhaustion still high, rebellion remaining a real possibility, the Sokot government make the only possible choice in the circumstances. The diplomats are sent forth.

UP8-4.jpg

Several months later the diplomats return looking wet and bedraggled. Unsurprisingly the Sokot ship they were assigned sank on the return journey from Oman. Surprisingly the diplomats had expected this after their trip to Abu Dhabi, as they brought a small rowing boat with them on the trip to Oman. Unfortunately for the well prepared dipomats there was one small thing they overlooked. The rowing boat was Sokot made.

With the death of Rumfa the Sokot government quickly realise it is unlikely to recruit another general of his calibre and thus the policy of 'Encouraging Officers' to join the Sokot army is finally brought to an end.

UP8-5.jpg

Instead the government begin a process of 'Encouraging Bureaucrats' in Mocambique. Intent as they are on gaining enough bureaucrats in the province so as to be able to promote the colony to a full Sokot state, with the many advantages this will bring to Mocambique. Advantages such as having to pay much higher taxes, suffer from hugely increased administrative incompetence and the forced wearing of pink.

The Sokot government is left in confusion in January 1849, at first thinking a patriotic society in Sokoto had brought about the downfall of the Ottomans.

UP8-6.jpg

Reading the reports more carefully it becomes clear that the Ottomans humbling at the hands of Sokoto has caused them such international embarrassment that they have lost their position as a great power. This the fate likely to befall any nation losing to a pink clad horde led by shockingly incompetent leaders.

Sokoto's ever swelling band of academics, swelling due to the constant conquest and kidnapping of said academics from their defeated homelands, complete the research into the Rights of Man.

UP8-7.jpg

Now no citizen in Sokoto is left in any doubt that if poor they have no rights and should look forward to a life of misery. If rich, they can do as they wish and enjoy a life of plenty. This eminently fair. Research is immediately begun into the Publishing Industry, the Sokot goverment keen on developing a free press within Sokoto with the first entirely censorship free newspaper, available to all and written solely by the government. Liberty thy name is Sokoto.

War with Oman finally ends with her annexation.

UP8-8.jpg

This an impressive victory for Sokoto over an entirely defenceless nation crushed within a mere eight months. Sadly despite Oman having no standing army many brave Sokot soldiers suffered horrific injuries whilst besieging her. Horrific injuries such as paper cuts caused by their reading books in an effort to pass the time during terror filled siege duty
 
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1836 to 1850 - An Overview​

As promised an overview of Sokoto after the last fourteen years of incompetence, mayhem, incompetence, warfare and yet more incompetence.

In what can only be a great source of worry for the world the as yet uncivilized nation of Sokoto is already ranked amongst the great powers.

O1-1.jpg

This due primarily to her unsurprisingly high prestige. Any nation which equips their officers with pink uniforms and goes on to win battle after battle whilst losing the bulk of her troops in said battles will always enjoy glory unbounded.

Sokoto has also become one of the largest and most populous country's in the world.

O1-2.jpg

Constant conquest and the attraction of a pink uniform to women bringing about this considerable growth.

Despite Sokoto's growth the government has kept to a policy of only recruiting the most useless of potential officers, this leaving Sokoto with an unrivalled number of bumbling fools to lead her men.

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The most recent recruit, Daud Rumfa, an indifferent priest wholly unsuited to leading a religious service nevermind leading men into battle, showing that the policy continues to bear fruit.

The last fourteen years have witnessed a considerable change in Sokot politics.

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Increasingly the Upper House has become more and more liberal over the years. The members of the house, predominantly consisting of the rich, growing ever more concerned about the lack of rights for the poor in Sokoto and the lack of democracy in the nation as a whole. Being benevolent men only wishing the best for the nation, they are intent on bringing about liberal reform.

Rumours that the actual reason for this increased support for liberal reform is due to rich members becoming ever more fearful of an increasingly rebellious population ready to lynch them clearly scurrilous lies.

Sokoto's income has increased rapidly over the years however so too have her expenses.

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The Sokoto finance minister has nonetheless been highly commended for his handling of the situation as he has intelligently kept funding for education low in favour of defence spending. This an excellent policy as uneducated youths will always find a job within the Sokot army. Usually as officers. Thankfully too Sokoto's primary rival, the Ottomans, still remain the primary borrower from the Sokoto National Bank.

Mercifully Sokoto's primary culture, that of Hausa, is actually a minority within the nation.

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African Minor the actual majority culture. This giving some hope to those conquered by Sokoto that the inept Hausa may one day be replaced by the African Minor.

Technologically Sokoto has experienced considerable change.

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Numerous new technologies having been researched during the last fourteen years as Sokoto's innovative strategy of 'Conquer Your Way To A Better Literacy Rate' continues to prove effective.

On the world stage little has changed beyond Britain's meddling in Asia where she has annexed Tibet.

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Apart from this only the horrifically unjustifiable expansionism of France, Spain and the Netherlands into northern Africa stands out. The cruel European nations having crushed the poor nations of Tunis, Algeria and Morocco, Morocco still holding on with a sole province. These unwarranted conquests wholly despicable. Quite unlike Sokoto's expansion which has come about via a number of, uhm, pre-emptive 'defensive' wars and is thus completely justified.

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Having terrified and bemused the world in equal measure over the last fourteen years one can only wonder, and fear, what Sokot incompetence will achieve over the next decade.
 
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Hmm... looks like a race to gobble up as much of Egypt as possible before the Ottomans devour them.

Also... do you border Britain in the south?! :eek:

Of course your pre-emptive defensive wars are justified. After all, the Romans conducted pre-emptive warfare, and everyone knows that nobody called their wars unjust?

(Of course, Rome generally only asked them for their opinion while they quivered under nearby hedges while the Roman army marched past.)
 
European imperialist expansion into the poor, innocent countries of Africa?!

Sokoto must not stand for this!, its diplomats should tell them to stop their expansionist ways or the peace loving nation of pink clothing shall smithe them... in an extremely silent whisper and then then quickly come back home and hope for a infamy drop in the next few years thanks to these words. Which they can then use for the integration of these defenceless states for the sole sake of expansion , I mean, for protection against these horrible warmongers!
 
British Sakhalin?!

I must congratulate you on being brave enough to break the infamy limit so early, and with such incompetent poets.
 
Doesn't all your provinces reach statehood once you westernize regardless of bureaucrats and culture

Not if you used a "place in the sun" CB, which he did against the Portuguese.

Why isn't your education slider at 100%?! As for the Suez canal, I'd definitely build it if someone else is also in a position to build it.
 
well its good to see that even if your officers are incompetent your state poets remain quite without peers anywhere.

Laying aside the humour and general 'balls to the wall' approach to this AAR, as in the earlier batch of comments, it does have that impending car-crash element that makes it rather compulsive viewing.
 
Research is immediately begun into the Publishing Industry, the Sokot goverment keen on developing a free press within Sokoto with the first entirely censorship free newspaper, available to all and written solely by the government.

That's not what "Publishing Industry" mean!

It has nothingto do with books!