The Historic Inevitabilty of Epic Failure

unmerged(58610)

Field Marshal

Jul 2, 2006

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• Mar 29, 2012

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• #281

Burgundy chose a really bad time to DoW with you fighting the Swiss. They're too big to vassilize, yet. A couple of provinces off Burgundy. A white peace with the Swiss would be a good result.

Yep putting the Horde to the sword is a good way to contain them.

 

U

unmerged(145182)

Second Lieutenant

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• Mar 30, 2012

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• #282

Never play DW but the provinces borders are sometimes a little bit weird... Lorraine spreading up to the Rhine river separating Sundgau from Elsass :blink: Is there a lot of that?

Clash the Swiss once for good and they'll stay neutral for the next 500 years... Then you can have a save place to keep for all the money you will steal in peace treaty.

 

Duke of Britain

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• Mar 30, 2012

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• #283

Zozo said:

Never play DW but the provinces borders are sometimes a little bit weird... Lorraine spreading up to the Rhine river separating Sundgau from Elsass :blink: Is there a lot of that?

Clash the Swiss once for good and they'll stay neutral for the next 500 years... Then you can have a save place to keep for all the money you will steal in peace treaty.

Click to expand...

DW Borders are prettier and more realistic than previous expansions


And maybe he should take 1 province from the Swiss so he can vassalize them on the next war?

 

PrawnStar

Alien Space Bat

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Feb 21, 2007

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• Mar 31, 2012

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• #284

No update today - I have to go and buy a new laptop after a cat, a cup of tea and a laptop incident lead to some unfortunate burning smells and a dead bit of kit.






















The good news - it was my partner's 'Rellies and Zynga' machine; the bad news, the replacement machine is pink.

 

unmerged(58610)

Field Marshal

Jul 2, 2006

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• #285

The sacrifices you make for the game, Prawnstar are truly amazing! Hope the cat was okay.

 

aldriq

Part Time Warp

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May 30, 2007

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• Mar 31, 2012

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• #286

Oh just get your partner an iPad, they don't come in pink but they are cat-proof.

 

MacDunne

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Dec 17, 2003

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• Mar 31, 2012

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• #287

Another interesting update. Great idea about shifting to Noble Republic so that there will be no chance for a regency council. Nothing like not able to declare war to derail the best laid plans.

Sorry about the laptop mess -- I guess the cat was hinting that it was time to upgrade

 

loki100

Field Marshal

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Jul 1, 2008

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• Mar 31, 2012

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• #288

aldriq said:

Oh just get your partner an iPad, ... but they are cat-proof.

Click to expand...

nah nothing is cat proof, one of mine sleeps on the keyboard and has managed to send skype messages in the past ...

 

aldriq

Part Time Warp

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• Mar 31, 2012

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• #289

loki100 said:

nah nothing is cat proof, one of mine sleeps on the keyboard and has managed to send skype messages in the past ...

Click to expand...

Not surprised... you just have to train them properly

 

unmerged(70585)

Second Lieutenant

Mar 3, 2007

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• #290

My favorite AAR writer is back in action. Excellent read so far, look forward to seeing how it goes.

Thank you for giving me something to do while rocking my new born back to sleep.

 

Madbadger

First Lieutenant

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Dec 20, 2006

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• Apr 1, 2012

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• #291

Hey, just found this a bit ago - then went and read 'Rebels without a Pause' first, and I'm still kind of stunned by it. I am glad that after a year of recovery you are able to enjoy doing a EU3 AAR again - I would probably still be having screaming nightmares filled with red and black banners after that . Good luck, I think you picked an interesting but just barely possible goal for this one.

 

PiriReis

Grand Admiral

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• Apr 1, 2012

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• #292

First I thought whats all the fuzz about this PrawnStar. After reading the AAR's. I understand it. To make the story short: you are very good

 

Last edited: Apr 2, 2012

morningSIDEr

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• Apr 1, 2012

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• #293

PrawnStar said:

I DOW the Mamluks to claim my core on Sinai along with Holy Wars against three other neighbours; Jellybabies

Click to expand...

A most deadly foe!

Continued good progress, I doubt Burgundy will prove much of a challenge, just make sure your tea supplies are well stocked!

 

Malurous

Field Marshal

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Jun 24, 2007

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• Apr 1, 2012

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• #294

That push into Ottoman territory and the GH border seems very appropriate - seeing how Bohemia is pushing into the Horde, you have to do something about it soon...

Looking pretty good currently as far as having Holy War targets available goes. Even while avoiding the Timurids you have some options.

 

Surt

Field Marshal

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Jan 29, 2003

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• Apr 2, 2012

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• #295

After the epic tribal struggle this must be a relieve for you

 

Franconian

Lt. General

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Oct 4, 2009

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• Apr 2, 2012

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• #296

I fear he is already bored

But luckily he already proved tenacious, so he will probably finish the ARR :>

 

PrawnStar

Alien Space Bat

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Feb 21, 2007

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• Apr 3, 2012

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• #297

FEEDBACK​

homy_dog34 - Bohemia is the Emperor but Burgundy is rich enough to be a problem on its own.

blsteen - Burgundy isn't allied to Bohemia so I'm only up against both if I attack.

Dewirix - Republics do allow high diplo leaders so as well as more burn there should be more boundary disputes. Also, legitimacy is no longer a concern and I can't get stuck with Regency councils

Trinitrotoluen - All good points, in fact I'm trying to avoid fighting Bohemia as I've realised just how many troops they have on interior lines

pyroclastic - Castile; well they make useful auxillaries if Aragon gets frisky but mainly because I need BB now so that I don't run out and Europe still isn't safe enough leave behind and charge for India.

sprites - Yeah, it's a problem and I need to deal with it now.

Taylor - The plan is the Horde first, there are ways and means.

Legolas - Castile boosts my position against Aragon and I need the BB.

zcar94 - Maybe, but I'm more likely to go overland to India (I'm crap with navies). I intend to find the sea route to India by settling my way there and letting discovery of adjacent provinces open the sea way. Ideally I'll be in Japan before anyone in Europe knows how to get there.

aldriq - Those Burgundian provinces are rich and populous. They pack a hell of a punch for their size and have you ever seen Burgundy without uber generals?

Chief Ragusa - Exactly my thinking white peace Swiss and hit Burgundy.

Zozo - No idea about the borders - I've never really minded as they're just a game play feature for me.

Duke of Britain - I think I want to leave the Swiss alone to contain Milan which is doing it's usual trick of blobbing across one of the richest parts of the map.

Chief Ragusa - Of course the cat was OK, just everything else covered in tea!

aldriq - Catproof - oh that's funny - my cats knock on the neighbour's back door when they want to sleep in his south facing attic room. PS Nice clip!

MacDunne - I've generally preferred republican governments in EU3, personal choice as much as anything.

loki100 - True, clever little things aren't they. Mine are great.

slokiller - Glad you like it, hope the little one is everything you want.

Madbadger - 'Rebels without a Pause' has taught me to relax about the occasional revolt - all I have to do is look at the screenshots and I suddenly feel much calmer knowing I don't have to do that again! I think this goal is just beyond reach but that's what makes it interesting.

PiriReis - Thank you but perhaps I just need to get out more The AARs are about challenges - I think any decent player should be able to take them on and have a good game once they realise it's possible. For example the forum used to be full of threads about the unplayability of the American tribes, now people just get told to try harder!

morningSIDEr - The trick with jellybabies is of course to bite their heads off. I get mental blocks around some words and just read then as something else so jalayirids/jellybabies also shopfitters/shoplifters.

Malurous - Stopping Bohemia getting on a roll against the Horde is the current goal. I suspect unchecked Bohemia would be up against Ming in under a century.

Surt - This is more stressful in some ways knowing I have to keep pushing forward even when the state of the empire screams consolidate.

Franconian - Alas life is more difficult now, I have less time and energy than when I wrote the other AARs - that's why I said in the first post I wouldn't be posting as often as usual. My job now revolves around projects, troubleshooting and corporate politics instead of just doing stuff the customer wants - still it's more fun and pays better - but the laptop comes home :sad:

 

PrawnStar

Alien Space Bat

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Feb 21, 2007

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• Apr 3, 2012

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• #298

CHAPTER THIRTEEN​

Well that’s quite annoying; with the Alliance CB I can’t claim my core in Liege so I’ll need a cunning plan.

Currently I’m at war with:

​

The Golden Horde

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Switzerland with allies Milan, Naxos, Salzburg and Genoa

​

Burgundy with allies Trier, Palatinate and Lithuania

All a bit awkward as I don’t have the troops available to fight all these wars.

A swift push into Switzerland seized a couple of provinces and outmanoeuvred the Swiss into attacking my Shock 5 general in the mountains. I forced a white peace by September. Burgundy had stormed half a dozen forts by that point and I had to use my North African rebel hunters to reclaim land. The war with Burgundy is a struggle but towards the end of 1482 I’ve trashed most of their troops even if I can’t make much headway on sieges yet.

December 1482 sees some new cores in North Africa.

That changes things.

Peace with Burgundy - August 1483

Two provinces at 6BB is not great but I really need to stop Burgundian invasions - particularly when I’m also fighting in high attrition areas. Isolating Bourgogne means they may relocate their capital and if so I should be able to grab my two cores in another war. Murcia cored earlier in the year so no BB reduction from an Embassy - I’m building a new one in Bulgaria.

A month later…

Drat.

The year ends with a Boundary dispute on Guyenne’s province of Toulouse. As soon as I get my war exhaustion down a bit…

March 1484 and I get a third NI with Gov’t 11. I take Church Attendance Duty. This cuts stab cost and increases Papal Influence (more Cardinals) and I think it helps restrict the Reformation in my lands - it opens up the cultural decision Gilded Iconography which trades tax for prestige, culture and conversion chance.

There’s some head scratching in November as TI separated Mali attacks.

Cherson defects - December 1484

I can’t settle the Crimea, inland Zap has the same problem so I swap out my theologian for a 2* colonial range guy - not great but it all helps. The Horde has around 60k in shot and that partially obscured Bohemian stack sees a lot of movement but has around 60 regiments as well. The war in the Horde lands is a very cagey affair of march and counter march as my 32,000 men protect my settlements. By October 1485 I force the Timurids to concede defeat by shipping in another 16,000 men from France. They’ll redeploy to the Horde front.

Overall I have 32,000 in the Ukraine fighting the Horde with another 16,000 on the way. There’s a final 16,000 stack in Paris with 10,000 in North Africa and 12,000 in the Red Sea possessions. It’s not enough but the economy isn’t strong.

The Ukraine - January 1486

Mali is peaced out as 1486 starts.

Soon after…

Annoying but they have no allies… at least for now. A swift(ish) assault takes their capital as August starts and they hand over their treasury and remaining cores on English lands. War exhaustion is over 7 and climbing due to attrition in the Horde lands so I need peace. I’ve also got rebel problems in Iberia - actually that‘s more a lack of garrison problem as I need the navy to get troops from France to Spain..

October and the Ottomans DOW.

I have no idea how this will pan out. Bohemia on my side is great news but my armies in theatre are up to their noses in Hordesmen. A week later the Khan dies; I know what happens next. The Ottomans accept white peace mid summer 1487 as they run into a never-ending stream of Bohemians. I want peace as my war exhaustion is up near eight and I have to maximise what I can grab while the TSC rages in the Horde.

Boundary dispute with Bohemia - because nothing says thank you like your land is mine.

Notice my armies are actually pulled back into my territory to prevent attrition inflicted war exhaustion and let my manpower pool recover. The TSC means the Horde isn’t really focused on me right now.

Ukraine Jan 1488

The Horde is down to barely 80,000 troops, I intend to continue my push. Ideally the Lithuanians will settle Minsk and seal the Bohemians off. Tricky for me as it means I’ll have to face the full weight of the Horde. BB has been dropping steadily so in September 1488 I diploannex Scotland.

January 1489 - Burgundy declares war.

Oh well.


BB is 7.85 / 34.93 falling at 2.20 a year.

 

Dauth

Wiki Mod

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Jan 30, 2011

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• Apr 3, 2012

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• #299

Another interesting update. I like the plan to close off the Bohemians. What percentage of your forcelimit are you at? Also since you keep getting DoW'd how many nations have a CB on you?

 

PrawnStar

Alien Space Bat

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Feb 21, 2007

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• Apr 3, 2012

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• #300

I'm nowhere near my force limit I just can't afford more troops - around half I think.

I'm getting DOWed by neighbours either on Reconquest or mission CBs and I suspect it's because I'm at war with the Horde.