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Hidden Legend

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Feb 1, 2010
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I decided this morning to play Alsace for fun. "Not very hard" I hear you scream. Lets put this into context. We begin surrounded with our near neighbours failing to be civil one being the province binger Burgundy. In this game that is no exception. None of my neighbours will allow an alliance and it is difficult to get military access for our small state to escape. There is a potential to be stuck the entire time under guarentee from everyone without being able to attack.

Last night I downloaded 4.1b to see what the fuss was about so this is what I am playing the game on. The rules are Normal for the most part. Inflation from Gold, Low ai aggressiveness because of improved AI that I am not used to. No lucky nations and I lowered the Spread of land provinces to 25 years but as usual the game still keeps it at 50.

My goals are 1. Survive the opening. 2. Become a dominate power with strong alliances so I can destroy France and the power of prospective Emperors.
3. Become a super power in France, Germany and Italy.
4. Keep the Byzantine Empire allive whilst fighting the infadel.
5. Change government type and become Holy Roman Emperor. Prevent the formation of the Empire, however become hereditary lord.
6. Once enough of the World has joined the HRE and is controlled by myself I shall form the HRE.
7. Failing control of one I shall become a different Nation Likely Germany as this is an option for Alsace.

House rules. I will restart on occasion from certain points because that is just what I do. I will however allow bad things to happen in the game for myself. No oposite faction editing at all. I will take advantage of ingame difficulties and openings. Screenshots will not be imediate as I have a monthly usage limit and am quite lazy. I do make a lot of saves though so I will edit and add them later.

At the time of this AAR opening I have played to the mid 1420's and I have not restarted at any point so this is good.

I am likely to be quite wordy and will switch from first person in game to gamer quite a lot, also I may write from other view points. I hope you enjoy this. The first post shall be in a few hours.
 
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From Alsace to Luxemburg

Why Brandenburg?, asked the prelate.
The ruler has been excommunicated, and Burgundy guarentees the independence of Luxemburg as those fools have found to their cost. Everytime the region is besieged Burgundy defeats the attackers. After considerationl I have decided that by attacking Brandenburg it forces Luxemburg to defend. Burgundy will not care as it is Brandenburg that I attack. This gives me the chance to attack Luxemburg and hold it under pretence of leaving these things seperate. In fact I intend to annex them placing Luxemburg under Catholic honest rule and Brandenburg under another ruler.

Several months later this came to pass. Burgundy having provided my Archbishop with Military Access has in effect secured Alsace from French and their own aggression. Truly magnificent. The locals are not happy but the revolts are put down and usually it is just grumbling, which they do persist with all the time.

Archbishop Wilhelm II, Inaugurated 1st January 1394, 5,4,5 statistics.
Sliders -2 Centralisation, +5 Plutocracy, -4 Serfdom, +4 Narrowminded, +2 Free Trade, +4 Defensive, -5 Land, +2 Qantity. So a mixed bag with 4 good and 4 bad. I moved my fist slider to Free Subjects and managed better administration. Initially I allied with Ansbach, they later betrayed the alliance. After a long while I managed to get Lorraine to imporve relations enough to let my military pass. I was guarenteed by many powers including Baden. The merchants of my realm are expensive so after a while I decided to forgo trading despite having good stats and being in a league my merchants kept being run out and my money was disapearing every two months so I could not increase my military. Currently set at two units. No advisors are possible right now. Burgundy is at war with Cologne it will take Koln and Trier will also be taken from the Archbishop of Trier.

Edit Image Added 12/02/2010


Wow I just noticed that I made no save from 1402 to 1412 still I made screen shots. I will add them tommorow.

The missions that I received. Protect against the Palatine. As a OPM later TPM I did not complete this mission for years. The conquest of Luxembourg was completed on the 26 November 1402.

Edit Image Added 12/02/2010


The current situation is dishonour call on Ansbach. Independance guarenteed by Teutonic Order, Baden, Bavaria, The Palatinate, Pommerania, Switzerland and Brabant. Burgundy has conquered Liege, Barrois and Metz. I am guaranteeing the independance of Lorraine. I have military access through The Palainate, Trier, and Burgundy. There are no modifiers, my Archbishop is my general. I Enact Land Reform on Elsass. I will become Allied with Wurzburg who will later disshonour the alliance with me.

My goal is to become independant in action from this area and the risk of Burgundian attack. So I declare war without cause on Urbino. This however is a differnt story so next post.


Screenshots to be added tommorow.
 
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The Early Italian Campaigns.

My Archbishop believes the Pope to be weak allowing foreign interests to continue in the South with a conflict of interests in the Naples Scicilly region between the House of Valois branch who own Anjou and the Crown of Aragon. He has decided to unite middle Italy and then take what he can. First he has declared war on Urbino now he accepts that he must fight the Pope himself. A difficult task. Our allies abandoned us. It is difficult as we must get military access through Switzerland, Milan and Ferrar before we get to the Papal States.

On the way a huge army was found in Verona and nearly destroyed our forces. Embarased our Archbishop marched back to Milan and the Parma eventually managing to get Military access through Modena where he recouperated his forces. It seems that the Romagna has not been well guarded so we besiege it. Following many a battle eventually it falls. We march to Ancona, our scouts reported a large papal force in Rome which begins to march on us. We are batteling against a respectful force of Urbino and conscider retreat to hold what we have. However the Archbishop hardened his resolve. "We die here for the glory of Christ against a corruption of his Priests." He was reported to have said. Defeating both forces he held the Ancona and managed to force both enemies to retreate to Rome. They continued attacks but Urbino failed to hold it's keep. The state was Annexed. A wholey unpopular move, however we managed to hold it well. Fighting against the Papacy is hard but we achieve success in removing the Pope from Rome. We find that the Pope then tries to regain the Romagna; our troops having been reinforced we leave a small siege force and persue the Pope. March, Battle, March, Counter March, Battle and so forth we defeat his Holiness. We manage to punish his sin by taking Romagna and forcing him to be our puppet.

Note. My appologies it was not Trier that Burgundy took but Koblenz.

Notes on situation arround us. Before we started the war the situation in Greece is that the Byzantines have not managed to do anything. The Venetians hold Albania to Achaea the Ottomans have conquered Adana and Konya, Candar have conquered Trebizond and are about to take Imereti during the war. Currently held by the Timirids but under rebel occupation.

My forces by the end of the war had swollen to 16000 soldiers. As a 3 Province Minor that is a lot. The situation at the end of the War is that I have a new Archbishop. Johann IV, Inaugurated 13 July 1407, 8,4,7 stats, still no advisors as all I get is artists and my Cultural Tradition is 16.4 percent. Army Tradition is improving currently 29 percent. I have a prestige of 60 and an infamy of 22.0. I have managed to achieve my goal of being larger that the Palitanate. However Aragon was at war with Naples and has taken Abruzzi so I then had to be larger than 17000 soldiers of Aragon. I managed this but had to stop with merchants again and start minting. My poorest province is Ancona so at least my tech is researching fast right now. A quick note the Byzantines have forced Venice to cede Athens, probably achea. However they currently have lost Achea and Morea as Morea has formed. Byzantines hold Crete and Cyprus. Burgundy have inherited Baden, but done nothing else. Bohemia are still HRE and will continue to be for a while. They have taken Potsdam and Neumark from Brandenburg. Trebizond revolted and held Kaffa. This would not last long as the Golden Hord will take them. Castile has annexed Granada and taken Tlemcen but has not blobbed yet. However the year is 1412.

Edit images added 12/02/2010










Currently modifiers are reduced tax income, a beutiful tapestry and Gilded Iconography, I moved the slider to Free Subjects again, we have a bad repuation. I am still Rheinlaender. Allied with Hesse, Wurzburg and The Papal States. I think if I did not expand into Italy or have Military Access Burgundy would attack me. Later this would frustrate them. I am guarenteeing Mantua, Warning Brandenburg, Lorraine and Milan, a member of the Venetian Trade League, Granting Iron Trade Rights to Venice. I have military access through those I have mentioned pluss, Genoa, Tuscany and Bohemia (to keep the relations up). I view Aragon, The Palatine Bavaria and Burgundy as natural rivals. Currently the mission our relations must improve.


I have decided on the first Idea being Chruch Attendance Duty as I want to be the Papal controller and excommunicate at will. Later I change the Idea because my military is at 96 percent discipline, this is due to serfdom, defence and Quantity. Johan IV is my general he has 2 Fire, 3 Shock, 3 Maneuver and 1 Siege. I am ten units over my land support limit. War exhaustion is 1.63/19


Screenshots to be added later.
 
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War of Tuscan Excommunication

In 1413 the Pope excommunicated the ruler of Tuscany. The Lord has thus provided however it was a hard road. Tuscany was defended by Naples, Scicilly, Milan and Switzerland. Our soldiers were cut off from our home land forced to defend against a much superior force.

We managed to take the land of the sinner and annexed it in 1415 on April 20th. Our war against these foes is a long one. We occupied Pisa and Siena who are possessions of Milan. then we spent many years liberating our Italian lands and Rome from our enemies. After many years they accepted God's Peace, our power being unable to extend to them in wrath. We however did punish Milan by forcing Pisa from their hands to ours on Nov 10th 1415, however the war coninued intil 16th December 1419. The Archbishop is not popular with any of his subjects. Our priesthood however has grown harsh yet we are just.

Our Lord however was delivered of an Alliance with Castile. Due to our status as a power near the Aragonian lands in Italy. Brabant also became our allies after the war started. Other than the Papal States we have no other allies. In the middle of the war the Castilians asked us to support them in a Holy War. We advised them that we have no navy and are engaged elsewhere however we will lend our name to the cause. They accepted our frank offer.

During the war we only have managed to keep one force of 11,000 soldiers however at the end we started to recruit again.

Edit added 12/02/2010














Note by 1415 Byzantines had lost Athens to the Ottoman Empire. Aragon took Appulia duriing this war from Napels. At the end of the war in 1419 we were unable to get our forces back to the Capital having wared with those we had access through. Also a large Rhinelander rebelion had forced the occupation of rebels to Elsass, Baden and Worms.

I suspect that if it had not been for the constant rebels popping up that holding onto our gains would have been impossible however in Urbino the rebels prevented the Napolese forces from linking up with others in Romagna and Pisa. I was chasing large forces between provinces preventing sieges from being successful and reconquering occupied areas. The war swung from minus 23 to plus 15 in terms of who was winning. I managed white peace from all the other factions.

Following the war to liberate both Luxembourg and Elsass I had to first build troops in Luxembourg they were defeated so rested in Burgundy. The Palatinate were having the same problems. I eventually decided to give them military access and they defeated the rebels in the capital and defeated the rebel garrison. I had to wait for the rebels to attack burgundy to get Luxembourg back. Baden has reformed but as an OPM.

I did consider switching culture to Italian if I could not releave my provinces in the North, however this is more fun as I dont think I could form Italy without becoming an Italian Faction.

Notes as of 1419.
Money 823 ducates. 5 traders in Lubeck, 65 Prestige, 24.9 Infamy, +3 stability. All provinces with revolt risk being high, not overextended but this is because of small provinces and having only one core. Castile and I are still at war with Morocco and Algiers. Siena is about to break away from Milan. I should have attacked it but I did not. Austria is about to take Brescia and Verona. I have gained military access through Savoy and Genoa. Milan I will get again in the future.

I still have the mission improve reputation. I have the same modifiers pluss supporting the flemish school. The first reisch reform has passed despite my objection. It seems to come without warning when I play on 4 speed and I am unable to vote in time. Very irritating.

Army tradition is 59.6 percent discipline still 96 percent. Military Drill is my first idea. I have one advisor a three star diplomat. My cultural tradition is 36.2 percent.


Stay tuned for some important wars.
 
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Diplomacy, Peace and the Drums of War.

For two years we were at peace. Finaly my Lord Archbishop has hired some advisors to sooth the inter kingdom unease which has been caused because of his aquisitions of new fifes. Burgundy looking for a way to discredit and remove from the status of European Powe,r our leader, tries to provoke us into a trade war. Their market is weak because our Iron of Luxemburg goes to Venice for trading. Thus they issue a trade embargo. It matters little because we do not trade in Antwerp. However we shall increased our arms to 30000 men and post 2/3s of these men on the borders to frighten Burgundy.

As suspected when war looked ripe and with Castile and Brabant as allies they removed the embargo. We still however had military access and honour dictates they will not strike. Shame I understand the Archbishop would have wanted to have a centre of trade like Antwerp. We were also cultivating an alliance with Savoy who have conquered Provonce and Genoa. A capital well done to them.

Our Ally Castile had gone to war with Aragon in support of Portugal for concessions. We took the opportunity to engage Naples to prevent a loss of the South of Italy to another foreign power in defence of a first. Naples at this point is allied to Aragon . Convieniently Lorraine was allied to Naples. It would be good to unite Lorraine with ourselves just as in ancient times.

Eventually Portugal and Castile came to terms with Aragon. We annexed Lorraine. However we remain at war with Naples and have decided to wait for it to defect to ourselves. Appuia came under occupation by Napolease nationalists and defected several years later. We occupied this also.

During this war the Archbishop guaranteed Byzantium and managed to improve our fighting men with better arms and training. The Ottoman Turks declared war. Bringing 1/3 of our armed forces through Austria and Hungary we boldly marched into Greece and gave battle. Their cavalry tore us to shreads. Almost destroying our 10000 men. We retreated however our patriots kept the Ottomans occupied. We returned knowing that there was nothing we could do. The Ottomans forced the release of Cyprus and Crete. We however are funding nationalists to return these lands so that the Ottomans do not have it all their own way.

Eventually we come to terms with a white peace to the Ottomans. Still we occupy Naples and have done since 1424 waiting for defection so that we can hold all of it.

We were called to action against France. They fought several wars at once. Against Castile, Aragon, Burgundy, Alsace and England. Magnificently keeping integrety and taking land from Aragon. In an attempt to prevent France harming our neighbour Burgundy although we are not allied, Burgundy is a greater power than us and would be weaker as a neighbour than France, we removed French garrisons from Burgundies lands.

Despite a distressing loss in one battle we managed to gain a white peace from France and return to the Capital to put down a revolt, our own troops were only one day away from deserting when we found peace. Our strength has now lead to us being Allied with Burgundy. This is a strong alliance for Burgundy are allied with the English and Castile now are allied with Portugal, Aragon and ourselves. France shall be doomed when we are more concertive in our efforts.









This brings us up to the state of play when I last entered the game befoe 5pm today. Looking at the faction on the difficulty bar when I enter the game it shows that it is now a half way difficult game. So I have improved.

France have taken Givrona and Pirineo, Anjou, Morbihan and Armor. Castile have added Melino, Atlas and Tuat since I last reported. I am currently besieging Apulia (sorry for earlier spelling mistake), Georgia have conquered Candar, but have lost Georgia and Alania to the Golden Horde. Venice have annexed Corfu, Naxos and Zeta. England whilst still at war with France have done nothing. Croatia has been liberated from Hungart and Bohemia has conquered Brandenburg.

A special shout out. Okinawa was "liberated" from the Ryukyu by Korea on September 26th 1402 in the epic Korean Conquest of Ryukyu.


Currently I am running low on soldiers. I have three armies that should be large, in Pisa I have 7924 soldiers (4/7/0), Elsass I have 5097 soldiers (1/7/0),
In Apuia I have 30 soldiers (3/7/0) The number is unlikley to grow any time soon. The papal states lead the siege and keep assaulting each month. The damage was from rebels when I was not looking. I have a recruitment pool of 567 people.

My current Stability is +2, Ducats 269, prestige 54, Infamy 24.8 my maximum BTW is 29. Currently with 5 traders in Venice and Lubeck. The second reich bull was passed. I am no longer experiencing tax difficulties. I moved the slider once more to free subjects and will do so again soon. I recall that earlier on I had to events I forgot to report one moved the slider towards aristocracy the other towards innovation. My advisors have improved I now have two level 4 diplomats and one level 5 diplomat.

The date is Friday 27, October 1428.


I am reminded of Familly Guy when they were mocking Womens Basketball and they said, "is it worth being ugly for such a minor skill, thats for the fan to decide." So shout out for Derahan the fan waiting for screenshots so that this is less ugly.

Final shout out to all those who have checked this thread but not posted. Drop by anytime.
 
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Screenshots added

I have added some screenshots today. More will follow but it takes a long time for my connection to upload these images. This is why I did not do them before as I enjoy the writing and narative more. I hope the pictures add to the story.
 
Hi,
Can you convert your screenshots from PNG to JPG files perhaps?? That would reduce the size of those screenshot files. I am reading this AAR from a really fast internet connection but it still takes ages (i.e. several minutes) until even one screenshot is loaded.
 
Hi,
Can you convert your screenshots from PNG to JPG files perhaps?? That would reduce the size of those screenshot files. I am reading this AAR from a really fast internet connection but it still takes ages (i.e. several minutes) until even one screenshot is loaded.

I dont know I am having problems uploading them in the first place. The site times out and then repeats the last image lots of times it is difficult to delete them as I only get the option upon a complete upload. Believe it or not I have spent the last 4 hours uploading what is already here. I get just as slow a connection to this site when at home as mobile BB runs at GPRS speed there so I know what you mean.
 
All reports have pictures

I have now put pictures the best I can having spent 6 hours uploading the best screen shots.

I did play more of the game last night so another update will be forthcoming. It will be delayed by screenshots. I will not be able to post until tommorow.

Those not getting problems with the image, please tell me what you think so far of this report as it is my first AAR I welcome feedback.
 
Very cool! Im enjoying the text/pics combo - it's really great.

Going to Italy was brilliant - I wonder if you're archbishop will be able to replace the Pope as the leader of Christianity? Oh wait - I think you want to go secular, so scratch that.

Anyway, I'm subscribed and ready for more!
 
There is no need to replace him he will never go against his puppet master. I will however keep track of the relations staying above 100.

I did a lot on Thursday Evening, Friday morning. I think you will be ammused, when I post. It is not so much expansion wise but consolidation is excellent. It seems difficult to be able to get a WC out of this but certainly World Power has to be up there.

Italy is always a good place to go because of the ammount of ritch provinces. Shame Savoy holds Genoa, I had not noticed it during my Italian Wars. Kaffa revolted becoming Trebizond and Corsica revolted then Savoy annexed Genoa. Lucky.

I think I will try and get the post and pictures together so that will be a first at the start of the post.
 
This is very cool and points for the Family Guy reference. I remember the joke and the guy in the stands - it was really funny.

So now you're holding hands with Burgundy? I hope you still have a knife at his back.

And how the heck did Korea get Ryukyu? I've played Japan and they start with a really big navy - they must have screwed up.
 
This is very cool and points for the Family Guy reference. I remember the joke and the guy in the stands - it was really funny.

So now you're holding hands with Burgundy? I hope you still have a knife at his back.

And how the heck did Korea get Ryukyu? I've played Japan and they start with a really big navy - they must have screwed up.

Ringo Star writes to all his fans. Since I have a new post and do not want it to be at the bottom of this page I will take the oportunity to continue with this old school British Tradition. Although I am not a member of the Beetles or from Liverpool.

Burgundy they are nothing but a scratch on Europe. Korea fail to get Ryukyu? I have never seen that happen. Still I guess they got them again Failkyuatbeingindependentineuiii will be the name in my new EU game if I conquer it, the province of Barrois should now be renamed Barroisdowed and Trebizond shall now be called Trebiz-owned. Just to keep it consistant with the AI wishes.

In keeping with the Ringo Star theme I say I end this post with Peace and Love, Peace and Love.

Prepare for a long post with a change in writing style. I do this to show a variety of sources and the passage of time. Hope you enjoy the next post.