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Congratulations, Allmyjames, you have done very well! Your gains in Iberia will be extremely useful. Particularly Murcia as it will stop Spain from building ships in the Med and Andalusia allowing us to gain a Center of Trade soon.
 
Congratulations, Allmyjames, you have done very well! Your gains in Iberia will be extremely useful. Particularly Murcia as it will stop Spain from building ships in the Med and Andalusia allowing us to gain a Center of Trade soon.

Thanks! I'll be posting part 2 tomorrow, I think. The Spanish now only have two ports, in Cantabria and Galicia. It could actually be possible to make them landlocked without too much effort :D
I didn't even think about the CoT in Andalusia. Added bonus. :cool:
 
Remember though that the Spanish provinces aren't part of our accepted culture, so taking more of Italy would probably be better (although with so much Annexation to do it will really be BB intensive :(...).

Also, if no one manages to get it before my next go, I will make it my #1 objective to get Languedoc and Piemont to give us a third available route into, and a landbridge to, Italy...
 
Remember though that the Spanish provinces aren't part of our accepted culture, so taking more of Italy would probably be better (although with so much Annexation to do it will really be BB intensive :(...).

That's true. There's no need for us to Annex all of Iberia. I think vassalization of Castille would be preferable to total conquest.
Italy would be a better conquest in my opinion. Force vassalise Italian minors if necessary, then diploannex to avoid badboy?

Also, if no one manages to get it before my next go, I will make it my #1 objective to get Languedoc and Piemont to give us a third available route into, and a landbridge to, Italy...

Agreed. France still has England to keep it busy, and we only need one province from them. Is Piedmont French or Italian in culture?

...James. I would like to sell my soul to you. 8D

Well, I won't say no! :D Mostly I just saw a lucky opportunity and took a bold gamble that paid off.
 
Piedmont is italian. Savoy is the french/occitan/arpitan one.
And I'd say...do we really need Africa? It is mainly a visual factor (controlling both faces of the Mediterranean), but it has wrong culture, wrong religion provinces that are not that great in income, even if it was full and not divided by four (as it will).

I propose this:

themedsea.png


Mostly right culture, almost completely right religion (escluding Hercules' Pillars), and still quite an impressive empire. What do you think?
 
That is almost Identical to a similar map I drew. A couple of Minor points. We should aim to force Vassalise the Papal States but not Annex, we should leave them with only Rome. The fluffy reason for this is that we are good Catholics and the gamey reason is that we don't want every Catholic country to have a CB on us.

Also Force-Vassalising then Diplo-Annexing was exactly my plan for Italy (and indeed is my favourite way of gaining territory). However Venice poses a problem as we will have to take most of their Islands in order to Annex them and Gain the City of Venice, which brings up the point of whether we need or want those Islands.
 
...well, half of the Venetian isles can be released as sovereign nations. Right on Rome, and...I don't know for Dalmatia. What do you think, crafting some events for the Aragonese Empire would be bad? We could ask someone external to this AAR. Selling of Dalmatia to Hungary, the Veto on Spain, the Occitan Wars, things like that. To make things more interesting, I don't think there are many events for us later on. =\
 
I think that some alt-history events should be added for alternate civs. Like a successful Burgundy/Lotharingia, Germany, Italy, Aragon etc...

For example, Spain gets events concerning Milan, but I think that if Aragon survives they should get those events instead (or alternative ones).

EDIT: I don't recommend that we change things for our game however, instead once we finish we should write up a list of suggestions on the appropriate AGCEEP threads...

EDIT 2: I think you are right about abandoning Africa. One advantage we would have then is large amounts of Mono-religious territory allowing us to keep a high innovativeness. Also keeping Dalmatia would allow the Turks to march right into our territory...
 
Chapter 4 – Part 2 (1490 – 1500)

Having won a convincing victory, I spent the next 10 years winning the peace, as they say. Technically, we were still at war with Spain’s alliance leader, Leinster. But they are awed by our success, and accept a white peace.

To compensate for their failings, Spain makes a vassal of Freisland. As if that will help them.

The Pope, in true Christian style decides that he doesn’t like any of his neighbours, and we begin an interesting series of Italian conflicts, in which I take little part. In October 1490, we join their war on Modena:

ScreenSave104.jpg

Modena has a pathetically small army (2,000), so the Papacy and Naples, with their combined forces of 80k, will do most of the fighting. I try to use Ferdinand to steal the siege, with the idea of making Modena my vassal (our BB is now 10/43, so I don’t want to do any annexing), but Naples also has King Ferdinand as a leader, so our king is outranked...by himself?

In November, we make Land tech 5.

Modena is annexed by Naples, in April 1491.

ScreenSave111.jpg

To continue bringing the wicked Italian minors into line, the Pope declares war on Sienna in January 1492 (remember the republic we have a Royal Marriage and military access with?). Again, Naples takes the lead in the siege.

ScreenSave113.jpg

In July, Spain, obviously sulking, and looking to bully someone, expels the Jews from their lands. We are given the option to follow them, but I decline, thinking that the stab hit is worth it not to gain any inflation, get +1 innovative, and some extra admin skill.

ScreenSave118.jpg

In January 1493, some unknown guy called Columbus returns to the Spanish court claiming to have discovered a ‘New World’. It’s obviously unimportant, so I forgot to take a proper screenshot of it. Note the masses of land we now have instead.

ScreenSave119.jpg

In June, Naples annexes Sienna. I’m happy to let them get the badboy, as long as we get to annex them eventually.

ScreenSave120.jpg

Reading my mind, Naples agrees the very next day to be my vassal. Seventh time is the charm!

ScreenSave121.jpg

Good news continues with a manufactory in Aragon – a Weapons manufactory. Sweet.

ScreenSave122.jpg

And in December, Portugal agrees to share their maps with us. Apparently they have discovered a route to India eastwards, via Africa. They have also vassalised the East African kingdoms, and are busy attacking Zimbabwe.

ScreenSave124.jpg

I am inspired by this to try some trading of our own, in Lyonnais. All six merchants fail spectacularly.

In June, 1494, the Pope approves the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing the world between Portugal and Spain. No room for us it seems. Fine, see what I care! We don't need their 'New World' anyway!

ScreenSave129.jpg

On the plus side, in September, the French drop their claims to Naples, and leave it to us.

ScreenSave130.jpg

Nothing much happens for a year, until in 1495, we get the ‘reigning in the merchant princes’ event again. This time, I go with the first option, for the extra centralisation.

In 1496 and 97, I notice Spanish settlers heading west, to Barbados, St Thomas and other Caribbean islands. Run Castillians, run! We’ll still catch you!

In March of 1497, we get a good event. Francisco Ramiro Lopez, a great military engineer, helps us to improve our castle in Rousillon. This will be very helpful if we go to war with France.

ScreenSave138.jpg

In September, Land tech reaches level 6.

The rest of my reign is spent on diplomatic initiatives. I try vassalising Portugal, but unsurprisingly, they decline. I then arrange some marriages with important European families: Austria, Russia and Venice.

We get a deflation event in October 1498, wiping out the small bit of inflation I gained via minting.

In April 1499, France again gives up on the idea of the Orleanais inheritance of Milan. Good news for us, if it keeps the French out of Italy.

I move the slider to centralisation again at the end of 1499.

The last thing of importance to note is that Naples is in trouble in Italy. Both Sienna and Modena have revolted, and I’m not sure if Naples can recover them. My successor would probably do well to help Naples recover these provinces, as we’ll want to diploannex them in the future.

ScreenSave157.jpg

I also hired bailiffs in all the new provinces.


So here is Aragon in 1500:
Land 6 (+3)
Naval 3 (+1)
Stability 0 (-2)
Trade 2 (-)
Infrastructure 3 (-)
Manufactories 3 (+1) (1 refinery, 1 fine arts academy, 1 weapons manufactory)
Inflation 0%
Loans – none
Monthly income 29.7

Navy – 2 ships, 5 galleys, 4 transports
Army – 40,000 total

Badboy 5.7/43 (+5.7)
Alliance with: Portugal, Naples, Papal States
Royal Marriages: Portugal, England, Navarre, Milan, Papacy (?!), Austria, Russia, Venice
Vassal: Naples

My advice to my successor would be: 1) Help Naples crush the revolts in Italy; 2) Have another go at Castile when the chance arises (they only have two ports, and if we take those, their route to the new world will be closed!); 3) Look for chances to annex/vassalise other Italian minors. At the moment there is a grand alliance of Milan, Tuscany, Genoa and Mantua to contend with.
 
And here's the save. Good luck Weissraben!
 

Attachments

  • Aragon4.zip
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I think he only started in 1480, so going until 1500 was fair...

Yeah, the save I got began January 1st 1480. I think the game runs until December 30th 1819 anyway.
 
Piedmont is italian. Savoy is the french/occitan/arpitan one.
And I'd say...do we really need Africa? It is mainly a visual factor (controlling both faces of the Mediterranean), but it has wrong culture, wrong religion provinces that are not that great in income, even if it was full and not divided by four (as it will).

I propose this:

themedsea.png


Mostly right culture, almost completely right religion (escluding Hercules' Pillars), and still quite an impressive empire. What do you think?
Looks pretty much as Western Roman empire:)
 
Obviously concentrating on Eastern Iberia and Italy makes most sense. The only reason I think we should consider North Africa is that I believe we get a number of events relating to North African crusades in Tunisia and Tripoli...
 
I think we have events granting vassalage and giving cores, however I think that these cores are later taken away...

In no way would I object to people taking parts of Africa, I do however feel that it should not be one of our major goals...
 
Yeah, the save I got began January 1st 1480. I think the game runs until December 30th 1819 anyway.
Unless you change it in the scenario options. ;)