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CyberEagle

Second Lieutenant
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Aug 9, 2011
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Inspired by all those discussions about trading leagues; be warned that I don't have much experience with what I'm doing here and that this is my first AAR

Mod used: Death and Taxes
House Rules and Goals: War, while it will happen, is mainly a way to claim Centers of Trade, weaken Threats and disable the other Leagues, instead of forging a huge (physical) empire. Yet, I plan to rush to other continents, pick some choice lands and help the other powers trade their valuable goods back to europe, when possible. Beyond that, I'm trying to show some "logical" or "roleplayish" behavior for my choice of nation, even if I throw actual history past the starting point out of the window.


It's a really short first session. I'm more or less trying out if that style of game is interesting to write about and, since my native language isn't actually english, my writing style itself is up to the task - my self esteem has suffered for... various reasons not fitting for this forum in the last few days and I want to be sure that it works and that there's interest., before serously investing myself in it So i'd like some honest critique. Would of course make longer posts later on.
 
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The Hanseatic League
hanseaticleague.jpg

While having influence over much of northern europes trade, the Hansas origins lie in an trade alliance between the Free Imperial Cities of Lübeck and Hamburg (and appearantly Bremen, somehow), subject only to the Emperor himself - those who manage to establish themself here are granted independence of their former liege by law. Those who fail, well, they will serve as fine stepping stones and workforces on the way to dominance over europes economy. But the chance for greatness is there, for those with luck and skill. Truly, we are an advanced and enlightened society.

It is 1356, and our represantative, Gottschalk Warendorp, looks with an worried expression towards Nürenberg, where Emperor Charles the IV just issued a bull confirming mainly the power of the Prince Electors of the Empire but, much more reason to worry, outlawing our way of forging alliances with inumerable other cities to protect our interests against greater powers. To make matters worse, we wield (in Europa Universalis, at least) much less power over the Northsea, then the Baltic.
Yet, times are changing and as war, too, changes, it becomes increasingly clear that it isn't a divine mandate that shapes the world, no... it's money. Geld regiert die Welt.

Act 1

mission1.png

As the year starts, it becomes increasingly clear that there's huge demands for simple foodstuff and grain - and who should provide, if not we, the Merchants of the Hansa? Thus, we send an offer for Poland to join our League, followed by a promise to make their surplus grain to money, as long as the price is right. They happily agree, of course. Other nations don't show such enlightened reactions to our attempts to negotiate deals with them.

Mission2.png

Worrisome, indeed. Maybe it's punishment for refusing most of the unlawful and useless offers of alliances by the Empires minor princes and Dukes? But they would only draw us into wars, unprofitable wars, without having the power our rich lands allow us to have ourselves.Yet, there's worse stuff to take care of. Attempts to increase our taxation have led to rather unforseen results A man named Reinhard Boetefur marches towards Bremen, citing some obscure law by which he rightfully should have control over the city... and there isn't, yet, enough money in the Hansas coffers to finance an army quite the size of his. The smart thing to do would be to let Bremen suffer until the taxes have yielded the needed money. But the smart thing isn't the right answer to insulting what one of Europes oldest guild of traders stands for - thus, massive amounts of money are secretly taken out of circulation to finance equiping the lower classes with weapons.
What followed was a glorious thing: Statthalter Warendorp, not resting for a single moment, saved the League two ways at once, writing letters to formalize the membership of variosus nations already heavily trading through Lübeck, not from his office, but while on the march, saving us from his own mistakes. Even the traitors could see his rightousness and ran after something that could barely be called a battle, despite having a slight numerical advantage.
[There would be another image here, but dear CyberEagle overwrote it. Oops]
After finding a new avenue of profit and reaching an agreement over it...
Mission3.png


...things are finaly starting to look better for the Hansa. Our grip over the trade in the east and middle of europe is steadily tightening and it will soon be time to worry about what to do about the Trade in Antwerpen, Paris and London without upsetting the Balance of Power, or, more likely, being horribly crushed. But before, it's time to look closer to our home a last time...
endsession1.jpg


Not much happening so far, but on the other hand, it was awfully short. Should I continue with this? Looking back at the post, it could propably do with more text per image.
 
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Subscribed. I know what you mean about wanting more text per image but generally the image already tells part of the story. You just need to have your own spin to that story.
 
Hmm. It looks like Denmark took some land from Sweden, implying the personal union has been broken and the two are now enemies. Perhaps you can use that to your advantage, if you so choose.

I'm not too familiar with trade leagues myself, but prestige, relations, and more should be a consideration in who are members in your trade league. Spend gold to make gold, that's what I say. Good luck :) .
 
Yeah, there's no Kalmar Union. Lithuania's still Pagan and for some reason, none of the Leagues actualy start with members.
As for membership? It's a simple diplomatic option. Since it implies that they should be trading through your centers of trade, instead of simply the closest one, most of western europe sadly doesn't have much interest in joining, since the major powers there already have their own COTs.

I want to play a bit longer before making a proper update, but in the meantime some info on my chosen faction.
Yes, I said faction. While the mechanics treat them that way, the Hansa differs from Novgorod and Venice in that they are truly an union of traders, not a nation.
Sliders.jpg

The Hanseatic League, like every Merchant Republic, starts heavily Mercantilistic, something I intend to keep that way, because it's the "logical" thing to do for an organisation soley existing to help its merchants. Another similiarity it shares with its Rivals are the high focus on its fleet and on fighting on the defensive - it might not have the nearly untouchable Capital of the Most Serene Republic, but two of its three starting provinces have a Level 2 Fort.
What makes it different from Genoa, Venice and Novgorod, though, is a liiiitle bit more Centralisation (about one step. I've made another one already, though), slightly more free subjects and significantly more Innovativeness. This combination, on top of the generous Trade Income means, that, even while Minting as much as i can without incuring Inflation, I'll propably always be ahead of my time. With a starting land forcelimit of ten, the Hansa is also perfectly capable of defending itself for a while or bullying other german minors. Not that I plan to do so, no, more interesting enemies are Denmark, for an unique Trade Income Modifier and the other Merchant Republics, because I alway have an Casus Belli against them, because they are competition for League Members and because tgheir Centers of Trade are pretty rich. The problem here, however, is, that I lack the Manpower for extended warfare.

Back to playing the game!
 
Theres a new update to D&T which brings back the horde mechanic and lots of other changes, my old savegame seems to be working fine apart from the GH been stomped from all the auto wars.

The HRE has been made a bit more practical ie thurniga was given bamberg, koln got nassau while hesse got frankfurt also the hansa lost bremen to oldenburg.

This AAR looks good it will be interesting to see where you take it
 
I decided that, unless extraordinary stuff happens it might be best to make it one post per ruler in the future. Do you agree or does the resulting shortness seem problematic?
Act... 1.5: Second Term of Gottschalk Warendorp. Or: Another whole lot of not much beyond diplomacy.


As plans on how to dealt with Denmarks Sound Toll are forged in the Hansa, King Ludwig II von Wittelsback, Monarch of Brandenburg sets his own Plans and Ambitions into Motion, relentlessly assaulting Pommerania, until he gains control of the City of Stettin. The Emperor shows his true colours, something we expected ever since he limited our power, and backs this ambition. Barely finished with his lates conquest, Ludwig II declares war on Denmark. It looks like our chance to wrest control of the Sound from the Danes has finaly come, but...

BrandenburgsAmbition.jpg


... the new, untrained Brandenburgian fleet is promptly annihilated, causing the war to come to a standstill that just hurts Brandenburgs Trade a tiny little bit, all while old guarantees and oaths of mutual support in the northern end of europe are renewed. As the major powers still sneer at our attempts to forge alliances with them and the Hansa can't stand alone against the combined might of Scandinavia.
Oh well. If we can't get control of the baltic trade by the sword, then we'll have to use coins and honeyed words to at least make it easier for us, while building our forces and biding our time.

At least this has the unintended, but not unwelcome sideffect of the Danes believing us to their friends. Well, we might want something completely different out of them in the long-term, but we take any help from truly powerful people we can get.

While we thus strengthen our power to wage traditional war, we do something similiar in a different form on the western end of the Holy Roman Empire, for we are trying to get the few remaining nations not yet into a Trade League to sign up with us, instead of the bloated Genoese League. This mad scramble for economical inflience has a very pleasurable sideffect, though.

CentersofTrade1.jpg


The trade around France, Burgundy and England suffers from the lack of interest from the empire. The markets in Paris, especialy, are on the verge of collapse and once this happens, the Hansa will be more than happy to allow them to sell their goods in Lübeck.

Mission4.png

But for now, we shall get more wealth to flow into said City.

While we do so, Portugal and Aragon somehow end up in a pointless war with Burgund that ends in the latter being utterly crushed before the Iberians pull back.
Aisde from that, Europe is peaceful, for now. However, Genoa continues to gather influence while both they and Venice forbid our merchants from establishing trade there. Well, it's not like they are used to trade outside our protection. Still, conflict draws closer. Maybe we will wage it at swordpoint, maybe we will destroy their influence from the inside out.

EndSession2.jpg

Red with black stripes=Genoa
Blue with Black Stripes=Venice
Turquoise with wite stripes=Hansa


Uh. We might wait four years for this, though.
 
Quality leadership there

If you move your national focus to hamburg/bremen and the lubeck COT is large enough +800 even better would be +1200, there is a good chance a second COT will be created.

Just be sure to be able to move your NF back to your captial for the Gov tech 10 decision
 
Maybe I'll learn how to do it better?
If I have problems now I just annex the guilty party.:laugh:
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