Apologies if this has already been discussed, please feel free to redirect this to the appropriate thread if needed.
During a recent Aztec playthrough I had perhaps naively expected to encounter relatively small conquistador units through the early part of the 16th c., whose strategy would primarily be focused on tech, religious (psych warfare), disease, intrigue and frequent demands for tribute. Instead we merely encounter brute force, with Spain and Portugal fielding continental-sized armies (80k units) supported by armada-sized fleets that are completely unstoppable. The result resembles something more like a Mongol invasion with none of the insidious mechanics that historically drove the demise of the American cultures.
Having read through the first two El Dorado DD's, the changes in native religion look like a great first step in capturing some of the historical flavor of the region, but more is needed to transport the player back to, witness, and change history in an authentic way. Much of this can be accomplished by way of mechanics that already exist in the game. For example, smallpox events modeled as plague severely depleting manpower and provincial support, leading to rapid attrition. Conqueror religion rapidly spreading like reformation via colonial centers of conversion, diplomatic promises, decisions and events, all accompanying the frequent arrival of various conquistador/adventurer personalities throughout the 16th & 17th centuries. These forces should never consist of more than 2k troops to emphasize the asymmetry of the period and reflect the difficulty in transporting and supporting large armies across the open ocean.
A few ideas around diplo and events might include (from the perspective of a native, but these diplo decisions might be initiated by either a native or advanced/conquering nation):
1. Pay large sums of gold in exchange for large military tech boosts (buying weapons, etc).
2. Welcome a conquistador at the expense of prestige or legitimacy in exchange for large boosts in admin & diplomacy.
3. Ally or swear fealty to a european power in exchange for protection/assistance against rivals. These alliances could sometimes lead to positive relations despite religious differences, and create opportunities to convert or westernize without bordering a western core. The vassal would retain the right to declare against regional rivals and competing colonial powers, it would also increase serfdom substantially, and revolt risk when the tech differential is large (exploitation of natives).
4. Hire conquistadors as advisors for a high price in exchange for enormous boosts in admin, diplo or mil (+4, +5, +6 based on the tech differential). This would neutralize the threat of war with the advisor's home country, which would receive 50% of this income and provide a boost in relations. It would also increase the spread of culture and religion within the land via the advisor's new wealth and influential status.
5. The native player could simply crush these frequent adventurer forces given his numerical advantage, creating hostile relations and giving up most of these opportunities to modernize. This path would mean that later in the game continental-scale invasions made possible through developed colonial empires and high naval tech levels would be difficult or impossible to counter.
All of these would have some probability of failure based on the traits of the ruler, intrigue, etc., creating windows for the small but frequent adventurer forces to take over the country through coup d'etat while leaving it playable as a westernized vassal or protectorate with high revolt risk. Finally these changes could be globally applicable between *any* two nations having a tech differential of xx% or more (maybe 20%?), and would be equally interesting to play as native or conqueror.
Just a few ideas having been a casual fan of the series for over 15 years. Cheers.
During a recent Aztec playthrough I had perhaps naively expected to encounter relatively small conquistador units through the early part of the 16th c., whose strategy would primarily be focused on tech, religious (psych warfare), disease, intrigue and frequent demands for tribute. Instead we merely encounter brute force, with Spain and Portugal fielding continental-sized armies (80k units) supported by armada-sized fleets that are completely unstoppable. The result resembles something more like a Mongol invasion with none of the insidious mechanics that historically drove the demise of the American cultures.
Having read through the first two El Dorado DD's, the changes in native religion look like a great first step in capturing some of the historical flavor of the region, but more is needed to transport the player back to, witness, and change history in an authentic way. Much of this can be accomplished by way of mechanics that already exist in the game. For example, smallpox events modeled as plague severely depleting manpower and provincial support, leading to rapid attrition. Conqueror religion rapidly spreading like reformation via colonial centers of conversion, diplomatic promises, decisions and events, all accompanying the frequent arrival of various conquistador/adventurer personalities throughout the 16th & 17th centuries. These forces should never consist of more than 2k troops to emphasize the asymmetry of the period and reflect the difficulty in transporting and supporting large armies across the open ocean.
A few ideas around diplo and events might include (from the perspective of a native, but these diplo decisions might be initiated by either a native or advanced/conquering nation):
1. Pay large sums of gold in exchange for large military tech boosts (buying weapons, etc).
2. Welcome a conquistador at the expense of prestige or legitimacy in exchange for large boosts in admin & diplomacy.
3. Ally or swear fealty to a european power in exchange for protection/assistance against rivals. These alliances could sometimes lead to positive relations despite religious differences, and create opportunities to convert or westernize without bordering a western core. The vassal would retain the right to declare against regional rivals and competing colonial powers, it would also increase serfdom substantially, and revolt risk when the tech differential is large (exploitation of natives).
4. Hire conquistadors as advisors for a high price in exchange for enormous boosts in admin, diplo or mil (+4, +5, +6 based on the tech differential). This would neutralize the threat of war with the advisor's home country, which would receive 50% of this income and provide a boost in relations. It would also increase the spread of culture and religion within the land via the advisor's new wealth and influential status.
5. The native player could simply crush these frequent adventurer forces given his numerical advantage, creating hostile relations and giving up most of these opportunities to modernize. This path would mean that later in the game continental-scale invasions made possible through developed colonial empires and high naval tech levels would be difficult or impossible to counter.
All of these would have some probability of failure based on the traits of the ruler, intrigue, etc., creating windows for the small but frequent adventurer forces to take over the country through coup d'etat while leaving it playable as a westernized vassal or protectorate with high revolt risk. Finally these changes could be globally applicable between *any* two nations having a tech differential of xx% or more (maybe 20%?), and would be equally interesting to play as native or conqueror.
Just a few ideas having been a casual fan of the series for over 15 years. Cheers.
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