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542+795= 1337, no long AAR
Delian, i would appreciate if you read at first.
For a very long AAR, you get an additional .5 deflation(1300 words or more).
yes, there is no need to bitch at any of my action.
Instead you could write your own AAR.
Instead you could write your own AAR.
England: 1656 - 1669
Alarm klaxons rang and deep crimson lights flahsed in a synchronous deluge of color and noise that assaulted the Legate's lessons, instantly dragging him from his meditation. With an annoyed nose coming from the back of his throat, the Legate's eyes snapped open. Through the blank and unblemished walls of his meditation chamber, the Legate could see only the faint outline of the alarm sirens that had so thoughtlessly disturbed him.
"Computer, deactivate the alarm," he snapped irritable. The machine complied at once with a twitter of beeps and whistles and the din immediately silenced on command. "That's better," the Legate muttered.
With the flick of his wrist and a quick motion of his hand, several computer screens winked into existence, holographic projections floating before him in mid-air that displayed a stream of data pouring in from the installation's security and sensor equipment. The Legate's eyes scanned through the list as it scrolled at a leuisurely pace, his brow furrowing more and more until sharp lines cut across his aged features.
"That's odd," the Legate found himself muttering aloud to himself. "There's none of the usual indicators."
Usually, the computer only bothered him with 'emergencies' at times like these when it was a matter of global significance. The Legate's installation was, after all, the only one adequately equipped to intercept and eliminate any space-based dangers to the planet. Usually it was asteroids or meteors, space debris sent adrift and caught by the unconcious grip of the planet's gravitational pull. Sometimes it was a curious wanderer or surveyor from systems far away, no doubt curious to see if the planet was ripe for resource exploitation. A few shots across the bow from one of the ground-based energy cannons were usually enough to frighten off all but the most determined, or desperate
But not this time. Sensors indicated high Earth orbit was completely clear. Clear, that is, from everything but the stealth satellites the Legate had put into orbit in order to better monitor events transpiring across the globe. For all his resources, in many respects the Legate was still bound by the technological limitations of the era. At least in his headquarters, he had no such constraints to eat away at his time.
"Computer, identify source of the alarm," he ordered, clearing his throat with more effort than he would have liked. The Legate was more than a little annoyed. He had forgotten to check just how much time had elapsed since he entered his private chambers. He was slipping, it seemed, in his old age.
The computer gave a beep of compliance, the holographic displays flickered and shrank in the blink of an eye out of view, replaced by another screen displaying security footage from outside. Unable to contain himself, the Legate let out an amused laugh at the sight laid out before him.
The Legate's base of operations was buried beneath a mountain in the Appalachian range. Guarded by a series of intricate defensive mechanisms and cloaking fields to deter all unwanted visitors, the curious and the brave, its main entrance opened out into sprawling array of open fields that gave clear view of any approaching would-be trespassers. There was no force in existence on the planet with the courage or skill to assault the Legate's fortress. It would take firepower a thousand thousand times greater than anything all the armies of the world could muster to breach those defenses. Or a very clever man.
In any case, the Legate was not concerned that such a force now stood at his front steps. Indeed, what the holographic displays revealed was a large Spanish army arrayed in battle formations, marching upon the small English settlement that had grown up on the surface above the Legate's base of operations. Making a quick scan of the organized groups of infantry, cavalry, and artillery batteries spread out across the field, the Legate estimated no more than a few thousand were attacking the English colony. The English army under the command of some general whose name the Legate had not bothered to remember or record in the databanks which was currently laying in wait on the opposite side of the ridge possessed more than enough numbers and firepower to put the Spanish army to flight. Indeed, the Legate was surprised the there was still a war going on, given the stacked odds the Spanish were now facing not just in North America but across the globe as well.
But the army was not the concern. The fact that a few stray cannon balls had struck the earthen walls that formed the absolutely outermost layer of the Legate's base of operations' defenses was nothing to worry about, and nothing for the computer to disturb him over. Neither the English nor the Spanish knew what treasure trove of power slumbered beneath the surface. But someone in the Spanish army, its leader, knew very well indeed what someone with less than noble intentions could do with the power now at the Legate's command in his citadel. The computer had identified the markings of one of the Legate's more dangerous opponents on the banners of the Spanish force the fluttered in the crisp autumn breeze. The arrogance of the man was astounding, seemingly knowing no bounds these days! A cleverer man would have snuck close, using the element of surprise to catch him off guard.
So, either he was slipping as time went on... or he was completely sure of himself.
The last thought disturbed the Legate more than anything. "Computer, open the hatch immediately!"
The top half of the Legate's meditation chamber rose up into the air as fast as it could manage. Pushing himself to his feet, the Legate leapt out of the chamber, dodging by centimeters the cutting bite of flashing steel. Instead of cleaving his head off his shoulder, the blade merely sliced through the back of his chair like a knife through butter.
Backpeddaling toward the opposite wall, the Legate drew his sword and held it at the ready in a single, fluid motion.
"Ah, Mendoza, at last you've found me," he said with a false complacency that failed to mask the beating of his heart.
"Lord Legate," the Spaniard replied with a cheerful tone, doffing his hat and giving an overly theatrical bow. "Quite an enjoyable riddle it was to find this place. I look forward to exploring its secrets in the coming times."
"That," the Legate replied with a taunting flourish of his sword, "I cannot allow. I'm afraid you would ruin all of my carefully laid plans."
"Then one of us shall not survive this day, I think!"
"Long time I fell,' he said at last, slowly, as if thinking back with difficulty. Long I fell, and he fell with me. His fire was about me. I was burned. Then we plunged into the deep water and all was dark. Cold it was as the tide of death: almost it froze my heart.
Deep is the abyss, and none has measured it.
Yet it has a bottom, beyond light and knowledge. Thither I came at last, to the uttermost foundations of stone. He was with me still. His fire was quenched, but now he was a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake.
We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by your folk. Far, far below the deepest delving of man, the world is gnawed by nameless things. They are older than us. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of this place: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.'
Many have said that it was never made save in legend, but others say that it was destroyed.
It was made, and it had not been destroyed. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak it climbed, ascending in unbroken spiral in many thousand steps, until it issued at last in Legate's Tower carved in the living rock of Zirak-zigil, the pinnacle of the Silvertine.
There upon Celebdil was a lonely window in the snow, and before it lay a narrow space, a dizzy eyrie above the mists of the world. The sun shone fiercely there, but all below was wrapped in cloud. Out he sprang, and even as I came behind, he burst into new flame. There was none to see, or perhaps in after ages songs would still be sung of the Battle of the Peak 'But what would they say in song? Those that looked up from afar thought that the mountain was crowned with storm. Thunder they heard, and lightning, they said, smote upon Celebdil, and leaped back broken into tongues of fire. Is not that enough? A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam. Ice fell like rain. I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin. Then darkness took me; and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell."
1.5 deflation
Alarm klaxons rang and deep crimson lights flahsed in a synchronous deluge of color and noise that assaulted the Legate's lessons, instantly dragging him from his meditation. With an annoyed nose coming from the back of his throat, the Legate's eyes snapped open. Through the blank and unblemished walls of his meditation chamber, the Legate could see only the faint outline of the alarm sirens that had so thoughtlessly disturbed him.
"Computer, deactivate the alarm," he snapped irritable. The machine complied at once with a twitter of beeps and whistles and the din immediately silenced on command. "That's better," the Legate muttered.
With the flick of his wrist and a quick motion of his hand, several computer screens winked into existence, holographic projections floating before him in mid-air that displayed a stream of data pouring in from the installation's security and sensor equipment. The Legate's eyes scanned through the list as it scrolled at a leuisurely pace, his brow furrowing more and more until sharp lines cut across his aged features.
"That's odd," the Legate found himself muttering aloud to himself. "There's none of the usual indicators."
Usually, the computer only bothered him with 'emergencies' at times like these when it was a matter of global significance. The Legate's installation was, after all, the only one adequately equipped to intercept and eliminate any space-based dangers to the planet. Usually it was asteroids or meteors, space debris sent adrift and caught by the unconcious grip of the planet's gravitational pull. Sometimes it was a curious wanderer or surveyor from systems far away, no doubt curious to see if the planet was ripe for resource exploitation. A few shots across the bow from one of the ground-based energy cannons were usually enough to frighten off all but the most determined, or desperate
But not this time. Sensors indicated high Earth orbit was completely clear. Clear, that is, from everything but the stealth satellites the Legate had put into orbit in order to better monitor events transpiring across the globe. For all his resources, in many respects the Legate was still bound by the technological limitations of the era. At least in his headquarters, he had no such constraints to eat away at his time.
"Computer, identify source of the alarm," he ordered, clearing his throat with more effort than he would have liked. The Legate was more than a little annoyed. He had forgotten to check just how much time had elapsed since he entered his private chambers. He was slipping, it seemed, in his old age.
The computer gave a beep of compliance, the holographic displays flickered and shrank in the blink of an eye out of view, replaced by another screen displaying security footage from outside. Unable to contain himself, the Legate let out an amused laugh at the sight laid out before him.
The Legate's base of operations was buried beneath a mountain in the Appalachian range. Guarded by a series of intricate defensive mechanisms and cloaking fields to deter all unwanted visitors, the curious and the brave, its main entrance opened out into sprawling array of open fields that gave clear view of any approaching would-be trespassers. There was no force in existence on the planet with the courage or skill to assault the Legate's fortress. It would take firepower a thousand thousand times greater than anything all the armies of the world could muster to breach those defenses. Or a very clever man.
In any case, the Legate was not concerned that such a force now stood at his front steps. Indeed, what the holographic displays revealed was a large Spanish army arrayed in battle formations, marching upon the small English settlement that had grown up on the surface above the Legate's base of operations. Making a quick scan of the organized groups of infantry, cavalry, and artillery batteries spread out across the field, the Legate estimated no more than a few thousand were attacking the English colony. The English army under the command of some general whose name the Legate had not bothered to remember or record in the databanks which was currently laying in wait on the opposite side of the ridge possessed more than enough numbers and firepower to put the Spanish army to flight. Indeed, the Legate was surprised the there was still a war going on, given the stacked odds the Spanish were now facing not just in North America but across the globe as well.
But the army was not the concern. The fact that a few stray cannon balls had struck the earthen walls that formed the absolutely outermost layer of the Legate's base of operations' defenses was nothing to worry about, and nothing for the computer to disturb him over. Neither the English nor the Spanish knew what treasure trove of power slumbered beneath the surface. But someone in the Spanish army, its leader, knew very well indeed what someone with less than noble intentions could do with the power now at the Legate's command in his citadel. The computer had identified the markings of one of the Legate's more dangerous opponents on the banners of the Spanish force the fluttered in the crisp autumn breeze. The arrogance of the man was astounding, seemingly knowing no bounds these days! A cleverer man would have snuck close, using the element of surprise to catch him off guard.
So, either he was slipping as time went on... or he was completely sure of himself.
The last thought disturbed the Legate more than anything. "Computer, open the hatch immediately!"
The top half of the Legate's meditation chamber rose up into the air as fast as it could manage. Pushing himself to his feet, the Legate leapt out of the chamber, dodging by centimeters the cutting bite of flashing steel. Instead of cleaving his head off his shoulder, the blade merely sliced through the back of his chair like a knife through butter.
Backpeddaling toward the opposite wall, the Legate drew his sword and held it at the ready in a single, fluid motion.
"Ah, Mendoza, at last you've found me," he said with a false complacency that failed to mask the beating of his heart.
"Lord Legate," the Spaniard replied with a cheerful tone, doffing his hat and giving an overly theatrical bow. "Quite an enjoyable riddle it was to find this place. I look forward to exploring its secrets in the coming times."
"That," the Legate replied with a taunting flourish of his sword, "I cannot allow. I'm afraid you would ruin all of my carefully laid plans."
"Then one of us shall not survive this day, I think!"
"Long time I fell,' he said at last, slowly, as if thinking back with difficulty. Long I fell, and he fell with me. His fire was about me. I was burned. Then we plunged into the deep water and all was dark. Cold it was as the tide of death: almost it froze my heart.
Deep is the abyss, and none has measured it.
Yet it has a bottom, beyond light and knowledge. Thither I came at last, to the uttermost foundations of stone. He was with me still. His fire was quenched, but now he was a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake.
We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by your folk. Far, far below the deepest delving of man, the world is gnawed by nameless things. They are older than us. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of this place: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.'
Many have said that it was never made save in legend, but others say that it was destroyed.
It was made, and it had not been destroyed. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak it climbed, ascending in unbroken spiral in many thousand steps, until it issued at last in Legate's Tower carved in the living rock of Zirak-zigil, the pinnacle of the Silvertine.
There upon Celebdil was a lonely window in the snow, and before it lay a narrow space, a dizzy eyrie above the mists of the world. The sun shone fiercely there, but all below was wrapped in cloud. Out he sprang, and even as I came behind, he burst into new flame. There was none to see, or perhaps in after ages songs would still be sung of the Battle of the Peak 'But what would they say in song? Those that looked up from afar thought that the mountain was crowned with storm. Thunder they heard, and lightning, they said, smote upon Celebdil, and leaped back broken into tongues of fire. Is not that enough? A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam. Ice fell like rain. I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin. Then darkness took me; and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell."
1.5 deflation
Nice AArs Tonio, but you shouldnt really brag about the 5 vs 3, with that setup. Its still hilarious that sweden lost a lot of battles, but even so...
Had Russia bothered to invade Brandenburg en-mass during that gang i wonder how you would had performed.
Had Russia bothered to invade Brandenburg en-mass during that gang i wonder how you would had performed.
Fall and Rise of the Ottoman Empire
For a long time now the ottoman empire has been declining slowly but certainly and finally the true weakness of the empire was shown thanks to the wars they fought in the previous session and the resulting defeats that followed at the hands of Venice and Austria especially,
the ruler of the empire was unable to stop both country’s from grabbing most of the Balkans and reducing the ottoman empire In Europe to the Anatolian peninsula and the capitol of Constantinople.
The janissaries all but pleased with the result staged a coup d’état and got rid of the current sultan, placed his head on a stake and elected a new sultan to rule in his place.
The new ruler has been chosen who will have a monumental task ahead of himself to reform and rebuild the former glorious empire to its former size and strength while also keeping the stability and janissaries specially in check, something that will not be easy or quick to do but one wonder if he shall succeed or fail and end up like the last sultan, which is with his head on a pike.
The challenges ahead are numerous and difficult and there is no guarantee for success in the coming years or even decades , but while we face stiff competition we can also rely on some friends to aid the new sultan in his quest for restoration, or so we hope.
The first challenge that await is the humiliating fact that the ottoman empire is a formal vassal of the Spanish empire and is paying tribute to that country, something that will have to be fixed as soon as possible, and hopefully without any bloodshed. However the Spanish control of Tunisia will have to be talked about or fought about to at some point as they block the access to morocco/Algiers for the empire.
A second challenge will be to restore stability and wealth to the empire, while our treasury has a lot of reserve our monthly revenue is not impressive at all at this time and most other great powers (if you can count the ottomans in its current state a great power) are far richer then the ottoman empire is right now. So something will have to be done in this regard especially since the empire will have to spend most of this reserve in the treasury to rebuild the army and navy to its former glory.
A third challenge will be to fortify the core lands to acceptable levels, right now many cities are provinces are virtually undefended and have been neglected for far too long, yet finding the funding to do this will be difficult without outside assistance,
or this could be a very long-term issue.
The fourth challenge is restoring the army and the navy to its former glory, something that will be difficult and expensive to do and even then we generally lack the able leadership in the field that some other countries have,
it appears it’s not easy finding able talent in a country the size as our own, or maybe they just sell their services to some other nations. We shall have to find out and hope we can recruit some better generals and admirals for the coming years or all our efforts might be fairly pointlessbut who knows, maybe we can find a person among our people that can lead our army like the great Suleiman could or an admiral like the famous Barberus or Kemal Reis, who knows everything is possible and one can only hope to find somebody with the talent.
And of course the greatest challenge of all will be the restoration of former lands to the empire, especially in the Balkans. The venetians and Austrians are fearless enemy’s, powerful and organized and they will not be easy to convince that Greece is rightfully ottoman but we shall try to liberate it eventually, it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow but someday the ottoman flag shall fly again over the Balkan provinces of old rightfully belonging to the empire. but until that day we have other things to do first.
The former ruler of the ottoman empire felt that the Christian pigs where beneath him and refused to talk much to any of them, while I agree the Christians are pigs I do admit that the former sultan made a fatal mistake neglecting diplomacy to this extreme and this will be one of the paths that will see a very big difference in the nearby future as the ottoman empire is now willing to talk to any nation including Austria and Venice should they choose to.
Obviously within reason however, the new sultan degrees that Christian pigs are still not worthy of a daughter of Islam and therefor will not sign any Royal Marriage (with exceptions of events as those are not within my control).
The first thing one can see when looking at the ottoman empire is the lost lands in the Balkan, which during glory days included all of Greece ,Serbia and many other lands and when one looks now, there is almost nothing left outside a small enclave north west of the capitol a small coastal province further to the north also cut of the empire and my apparently most loyal vassal of Moldova (who expected that, Christian pigs not only smell like pigs but are as loyal as a dog to, I wonder what else I will find out in the years to come).
But when one looks at the map and focusses on the Balkans they are forgetting 1 interesting concept, the ottoman empire has more borders then only in the north west. And fortunately for us most of those have been holding fairly steady despite the huge defeats suffered in these
recent years.
One of those is in north Africa, while Tunis has been a longtime holding of Spain, we are fortunate that outside a 1prov morocco and 1prov Algiers the other provinces did not declare independence, where lost to other powers or defected to either of those nations. Yet one wonders how it is possible that those rich capitols of morocco and Algiers are not yet annexed in the first place, something we probably have to remedy.
Unfortunately it appears we are not that fortunate in the north, Russia made a deep incursion in our lands taking the wine of Georgia and rich goldmines of Armenia in the process, these poor Muslims are now under the oppression of a conversion attempt on top of that!
What a insult!I shall demand those provinces returned when I see the Russian tsar on our next cup of coffee.
Then again we have the east, where apparently the ottomans have been successful in what we can only describe as a very slow conquest of Persia, but one can’t really complain as they took the richest parts of Persia I guess.
Yet looking beyond the border I see a province that matches the riches of Constantinople and yet the backward Mughals are allowed to keep that, seems silly to me.
last but not least you got the south, both in Arabia and Africa to our south are vast lands of wealth and small nations full of refinery’s, and goods and probably a lot of sand to but who cares about that. Well I guess we do .
As we pray towards the next session all the new sultan can think of, all this potential has been wasted for century’s yet it is still out there waiting for somebody to exploit and conquer them, yet all the while so many trouble in the home country are yet to be fixed to so i will probaly be pretty busy, I can only hope for many good leaders and good events in the coming session to speed things along (and some financial aid is always appreciated )but we shall see if we can make something out of this
1318 words -1.5inflation.
For a long time now the ottoman empire has been declining slowly but certainly and finally the true weakness of the empire was shown thanks to the wars they fought in the previous session and the resulting defeats that followed at the hands of Venice and Austria especially,
the ruler of the empire was unable to stop both country’s from grabbing most of the Balkans and reducing the ottoman empire In Europe to the Anatolian peninsula and the capitol of Constantinople.
The janissaries all but pleased with the result staged a coup d’état and got rid of the current sultan, placed his head on a stake and elected a new sultan to rule in his place.
The new ruler has been chosen who will have a monumental task ahead of himself to reform and rebuild the former glorious empire to its former size and strength while also keeping the stability and janissaries specially in check, something that will not be easy or quick to do but one wonder if he shall succeed or fail and end up like the last sultan, which is with his head on a pike.
The challenges ahead are numerous and difficult and there is no guarantee for success in the coming years or even decades , but while we face stiff competition we can also rely on some friends to aid the new sultan in his quest for restoration, or so we hope.
The first challenge that await is the humiliating fact that the ottoman empire is a formal vassal of the Spanish empire and is paying tribute to that country, something that will have to be fixed as soon as possible, and hopefully without any bloodshed. However the Spanish control of Tunisia will have to be talked about or fought about to at some point as they block the access to morocco/Algiers for the empire.
A second challenge will be to restore stability and wealth to the empire, while our treasury has a lot of reserve our monthly revenue is not impressive at all at this time and most other great powers (if you can count the ottomans in its current state a great power) are far richer then the ottoman empire is right now. So something will have to be done in this regard especially since the empire will have to spend most of this reserve in the treasury to rebuild the army and navy to its former glory.
A third challenge will be to fortify the core lands to acceptable levels, right now many cities are provinces are virtually undefended and have been neglected for far too long, yet finding the funding to do this will be difficult without outside assistance,
or this could be a very long-term issue.
The fourth challenge is restoring the army and the navy to its former glory, something that will be difficult and expensive to do and even then we generally lack the able leadership in the field that some other countries have,
it appears it’s not easy finding able talent in a country the size as our own, or maybe they just sell their services to some other nations. We shall have to find out and hope we can recruit some better generals and admirals for the coming years or all our efforts might be fairly pointlessbut who knows, maybe we can find a person among our people that can lead our army like the great Suleiman could or an admiral like the famous Barberus or Kemal Reis, who knows everything is possible and one can only hope to find somebody with the talent.
And of course the greatest challenge of all will be the restoration of former lands to the empire, especially in the Balkans. The venetians and Austrians are fearless enemy’s, powerful and organized and they will not be easy to convince that Greece is rightfully ottoman but we shall try to liberate it eventually, it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow but someday the ottoman flag shall fly again over the Balkan provinces of old rightfully belonging to the empire. but until that day we have other things to do first.
The former ruler of the ottoman empire felt that the Christian pigs where beneath him and refused to talk much to any of them, while I agree the Christians are pigs I do admit that the former sultan made a fatal mistake neglecting diplomacy to this extreme and this will be one of the paths that will see a very big difference in the nearby future as the ottoman empire is now willing to talk to any nation including Austria and Venice should they choose to.
Obviously within reason however, the new sultan degrees that Christian pigs are still not worthy of a daughter of Islam and therefor will not sign any Royal Marriage (with exceptions of events as those are not within my control).
The first thing one can see when looking at the ottoman empire is the lost lands in the Balkan, which during glory days included all of Greece ,Serbia and many other lands and when one looks now, there is almost nothing left outside a small enclave north west of the capitol a small coastal province further to the north also cut of the empire and my apparently most loyal vassal of Moldova (who expected that, Christian pigs not only smell like pigs but are as loyal as a dog to, I wonder what else I will find out in the years to come).
But when one looks at the map and focusses on the Balkans they are forgetting 1 interesting concept, the ottoman empire has more borders then only in the north west. And fortunately for us most of those have been holding fairly steady despite the huge defeats suffered in these
recent years.
One of those is in north Africa, while Tunis has been a longtime holding of Spain, we are fortunate that outside a 1prov morocco and 1prov Algiers the other provinces did not declare independence, where lost to other powers or defected to either of those nations. Yet one wonders how it is possible that those rich capitols of morocco and Algiers are not yet annexed in the first place, something we probably have to remedy.
Unfortunately it appears we are not that fortunate in the north, Russia made a deep incursion in our lands taking the wine of Georgia and rich goldmines of Armenia in the process, these poor Muslims are now under the oppression of a conversion attempt on top of that!
What a insult!I shall demand those provinces returned when I see the Russian tsar on our next cup of coffee.
Then again we have the east, where apparently the ottomans have been successful in what we can only describe as a very slow conquest of Persia, but one can’t really complain as they took the richest parts of Persia I guess.
Yet looking beyond the border I see a province that matches the riches of Constantinople and yet the backward Mughals are allowed to keep that, seems silly to me.
last but not least you got the south, both in Arabia and Africa to our south are vast lands of wealth and small nations full of refinery’s, and goods and probably a lot of sand to but who cares about that. Well I guess we do .
As we pray towards the next session all the new sultan can think of, all this potential has been wasted for century’s yet it is still out there waiting for somebody to exploit and conquer them, yet all the while so many trouble in the home country are yet to be fixed to so i will probaly be pretty busy, I can only hope for many good leaders and good events in the coming session to speed things along (and some financial aid is always appreciated )but we shall see if we can make something out of this
1318 words -1.5inflation.
Last edited:
England: 1669 - 1683
After thirteen long years of bloody and very costly and expensive wars against the forces of Spain, Austria, Sweden, Poland, and Russia, England exited the war, glad to have been able to contribute to the victory of her allies and eager to enjoy a period of peace and tranquility after so much turmoil. The costs of this Thirteen Years' War had indeed been grave for the English kindgom. King Charles II had struggled to within an inch of his life to hold it all together. Peasants and many others amongst the lower orders were restless in the extreme, fed up with all the privations of war and the conscription and impressment calls that dragged more fathers and sons off to the battlefield, from whence many of them never returned. Revolts gripped much of Ireland and sizable portions of the Scottish Highlands, and the natives of North America used this oppurtunity to agitate for increased power and autonomy, striking with lightning speed against otherwise defenseless colonies along the coast. These natives were restless in the extreme, as wild tales of a battle of the gods raging across the Apalachian Mountains that shook the ground and caused the skies themselves to darken and shudder with the violence of this clash filtered from town to town. Trade too had sunk to a low level, as the wealthy merchants and plutocrats forsook chances to invest in foreign markets in order to make a killing in the game of military acquisition and production.
But the opponents of England were in an even worse state, and relations with Poland had always been cordial at the worst of times. With Spain and Sweden already laid low, there was little cause to continue this fight. But England's diplomacy did not just end there with the conclusion of the war. The regent of Sweden approached England, proposing a deal whereby the provinces so wrongfully and without provokation stolen from England in aggressive attacks, would be returned in exchange for those islands and other lands taken in the victorious wars of the past generations. It was an unequal exchange and only the rickety start of a peace after so many years of bitter hostility, but England was willing to forget countless years of Swedish warmongering if a just and lasting peace might be rising on the horizon.
But peace, as it turned out, did not reign in England for very long. For crisis was brewing across the Channel in the cosmopolitan republic of the Netherlands. Having been mismanaged and neglected by her rulers for generations, the people of the Dutch lands refused to tolerate this state of affairs any longer, toppling its neglectful regime and throwing the country into a state of profound turmoil that shocked all the states of Europe. In order to ensure a peaceful resolution to this chaotic turmoil, many of the European powers agreed to intervene, dividing amongst themselves those territories and colonies they deemed themselves fit and willing to assume the governance of. For her part, England consented to assume responsibility for many of the Dutch republic's colonial holdings. Armies and fleets of warships were assembled for the task, which was deemed to be a relatively easy one, given the poor state of the Dutch military after more than a century of such woeful neglect.
While England's armies landed in Amsterdam without trouble and marched across the face of Australia and scattered the Dutch naval squadrons in Burma and along the coast of the Malacca straits, trouble was brewing. Spain, daring to presume to violate England's natural and rightful sphere of influence, landed an army of its own in Burma and Amsterdam, stealing control of those sieges that were already underway. Such impertinence and treacherous dishonesty was made with righteous fury from King Charles II, who warned that the Spanish must limit its demands upon the Dutch or face severe repurcussions for its transgressions. Spain, in a move that ought not to have surprised very many observers, chose to disregard the appeals of the English monarchy, seizing control of the land of Pegu from the Dutch, a land considered properly under English control.
War was now inevitable. Already, the armies of the Swedish land were thrashing the Spanish forces in the New World, resulting in a treaty that ceded most of the territories with mines producing the precious metals that made Mexico such a prize. In this time, England prepared itself for its own attack upon the Spanish. War was declared not long after the conclusion of the Swedish war. Pegu was liberated without the lose of many lives. Indeed, Spain’s navy was both too small and too out of position to offer much resistance. Armies were landed in Mexico too, which enjoyed some mixed successes. But the heart of the Spanish force was no longer beating brightly as it had a hundred years before. Endless defeat after defeat were the result of so many poor choices and policies initiated without proper consideration were now bearing their bitter fruit. One final, desperate attempt by the Spanish to alter the course of the war was tried. The bulk of Spain’s warships, more than a hundred in all, were organized together into a single force and dispatched with all haste across the Atlantic and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Although not expecting such a force to present itself in the New World and outnumbered by it, the English admiral engaged without fear, trusting in the superiority of English seamanship and fighting spirit. Loaded down by its soldierly cargo, the Spanish navy proved itself no match for the English, suffering a conclusive defeat. With so much land already under England’s occupation and staring a major military defeat in the face, Spain agreed to the first English war demands, the return of the center of trade of Pegu to England’s ownership, a move that avoided all the unrest and instability a refusal would have produced within the Spanish nation.
It would not be an unreasonable thing to take small stock of the situation that now faces England, and how that situation now pertains to the rest of the world. There is no doubt to the fact that England has journeyed through many years of rough and dangerous times. In the previous 150 years, it has faced civil war, religious turmoil, nationalist uprising, and more attacks by other European Great Powers than any other state on the Continent. England had seen its coasts ravaged by Spanish corsairs, its colonies assaulted and occupied by Swedes and more Spanish. It has fought from the icy northern reaches of the Atlantic to the vaal of southern Africa, and from the shores of Guangzhou to the halls of Montezuma and beyond. But in all of this, it has held firm. It has embraced the allies it needed and deserved, who needed and deserved her in return. England has never harbored grand designs of conquest and vassalization against its neighbors, only peace and open borders to facilitate the trading of goods for the wealth of all. Its fleet, the bulwark of its national defense, can invade no lands, hoist no victory banners over the capitals of its would-be foes. But it can defend, and it can be a factor in enforcing a peace that can benefit all. The question is, will this peace amongst equals be allowed to come into being, or shall the petty squabbling and incessant short-sightedness of the powers destroy all and bring upon all the worst fear, a Europe dominated by one. England will fight for its right to its place in the sun, but England shall also fight for the good of all, and will do everything necessary and within her power to match the ill intentions and deplorable ambitions of those who would seek to oppose such a dream.
After thirteen long years of bloody and very costly and expensive wars against the forces of Spain, Austria, Sweden, Poland, and Russia, England exited the war, glad to have been able to contribute to the victory of her allies and eager to enjoy a period of peace and tranquility after so much turmoil. The costs of this Thirteen Years' War had indeed been grave for the English kindgom. King Charles II had struggled to within an inch of his life to hold it all together. Peasants and many others amongst the lower orders were restless in the extreme, fed up with all the privations of war and the conscription and impressment calls that dragged more fathers and sons off to the battlefield, from whence many of them never returned. Revolts gripped much of Ireland and sizable portions of the Scottish Highlands, and the natives of North America used this oppurtunity to agitate for increased power and autonomy, striking with lightning speed against otherwise defenseless colonies along the coast. These natives were restless in the extreme, as wild tales of a battle of the gods raging across the Apalachian Mountains that shook the ground and caused the skies themselves to darken and shudder with the violence of this clash filtered from town to town. Trade too had sunk to a low level, as the wealthy merchants and plutocrats forsook chances to invest in foreign markets in order to make a killing in the game of military acquisition and production.
But the opponents of England were in an even worse state, and relations with Poland had always been cordial at the worst of times. With Spain and Sweden already laid low, there was little cause to continue this fight. But England's diplomacy did not just end there with the conclusion of the war. The regent of Sweden approached England, proposing a deal whereby the provinces so wrongfully and without provokation stolen from England in aggressive attacks, would be returned in exchange for those islands and other lands taken in the victorious wars of the past generations. It was an unequal exchange and only the rickety start of a peace after so many years of bitter hostility, but England was willing to forget countless years of Swedish warmongering if a just and lasting peace might be rising on the horizon.
But peace, as it turned out, did not reign in England for very long. For crisis was brewing across the Channel in the cosmopolitan republic of the Netherlands. Having been mismanaged and neglected by her rulers for generations, the people of the Dutch lands refused to tolerate this state of affairs any longer, toppling its neglectful regime and throwing the country into a state of profound turmoil that shocked all the states of Europe. In order to ensure a peaceful resolution to this chaotic turmoil, many of the European powers agreed to intervene, dividing amongst themselves those territories and colonies they deemed themselves fit and willing to assume the governance of. For her part, England consented to assume responsibility for many of the Dutch republic's colonial holdings. Armies and fleets of warships were assembled for the task, which was deemed to be a relatively easy one, given the poor state of the Dutch military after more than a century of such woeful neglect.
While England's armies landed in Amsterdam without trouble and marched across the face of Australia and scattered the Dutch naval squadrons in Burma and along the coast of the Malacca straits, trouble was brewing. Spain, daring to presume to violate England's natural and rightful sphere of influence, landed an army of its own in Burma and Amsterdam, stealing control of those sieges that were already underway. Such impertinence and treacherous dishonesty was made with righteous fury from King Charles II, who warned that the Spanish must limit its demands upon the Dutch or face severe repurcussions for its transgressions. Spain, in a move that ought not to have surprised very many observers, chose to disregard the appeals of the English monarchy, seizing control of the land of Pegu from the Dutch, a land considered properly under English control.
War was now inevitable. Already, the armies of the Swedish land were thrashing the Spanish forces in the New World, resulting in a treaty that ceded most of the territories with mines producing the precious metals that made Mexico such a prize. In this time, England prepared itself for its own attack upon the Spanish. War was declared not long after the conclusion of the Swedish war. Pegu was liberated without the lose of many lives. Indeed, Spain’s navy was both too small and too out of position to offer much resistance. Armies were landed in Mexico too, which enjoyed some mixed successes. But the heart of the Spanish force was no longer beating brightly as it had a hundred years before. Endless defeat after defeat were the result of so many poor choices and policies initiated without proper consideration were now bearing their bitter fruit. One final, desperate attempt by the Spanish to alter the course of the war was tried. The bulk of Spain’s warships, more than a hundred in all, were organized together into a single force and dispatched with all haste across the Atlantic and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Although not expecting such a force to present itself in the New World and outnumbered by it, the English admiral engaged without fear, trusting in the superiority of English seamanship and fighting spirit. Loaded down by its soldierly cargo, the Spanish navy proved itself no match for the English, suffering a conclusive defeat. With so much land already under England’s occupation and staring a major military defeat in the face, Spain agreed to the first English war demands, the return of the center of trade of Pegu to England’s ownership, a move that avoided all the unrest and instability a refusal would have produced within the Spanish nation.
It would not be an unreasonable thing to take small stock of the situation that now faces England, and how that situation now pertains to the rest of the world. There is no doubt to the fact that England has journeyed through many years of rough and dangerous times. In the previous 150 years, it has faced civil war, religious turmoil, nationalist uprising, and more attacks by other European Great Powers than any other state on the Continent. England had seen its coasts ravaged by Spanish corsairs, its colonies assaulted and occupied by Swedes and more Spanish. It has fought from the icy northern reaches of the Atlantic to the vaal of southern Africa, and from the shores of Guangzhou to the halls of Montezuma and beyond. But in all of this, it has held firm. It has embraced the allies it needed and deserved, who needed and deserved her in return. England has never harbored grand designs of conquest and vassalization against its neighbors, only peace and open borders to facilitate the trading of goods for the wealth of all. Its fleet, the bulwark of its national defense, can invade no lands, hoist no victory banners over the capitals of its would-be foes. But it can defend, and it can be a factor in enforcing a peace that can benefit all. The question is, will this peace amongst equals be allowed to come into being, or shall the petty squabbling and incessant short-sightedness of the powers destroy all and bring upon all the worst fear, a Europe dominated by one. England will fight for its right to its place in the sun, but England shall also fight for the good of all, and will do everything necessary and within her power to match the ill intentions and deplorable ambitions of those who would seek to oppose such a dream.
“THE death of King Charles the Second took the nation by surprise. His frame was naturally strong, and did not appear to have suffered from excess. He had always been mindful of his health even in his pleasures; and his habits were such as promise a long life and a robust old age. Indolent as he was on all occasions which required tension of the mind, he was active and persevering in bodily exercise. He had, when young, been renowned as a tennis player,(208) and was, even in the decline of life, an indefatigable walker. His ordinary pace was such that those who were admitted to the honour of his society found it difficult to keep up with him. He rose early, and generally passed three or four hours a day in the open air. He might be seen, before the dew was off the grass in St. James's Park, striding among the trees, playing with his spaniels, and flinging corn to his ducks; and these exhibitions endeared him to the common people, who always love to See the great unbend.
….
He was laid on his bed, where, during a short time, the Duchess of Portsmouth hung over him with the familiarity of a wife. But the alarm had been given. The Queen and the Duchess of York were hastening to the room. The favourite concubine was forced to retire to her own apartments. Those apartments had been thrice pulled down and thrice rebuilt by her lover to gratify her caprice. The very furniture of the chimney was massy silver. Several fine paintings, which properly belonged to the Queen, had been transferred to the dwelling of the mistress. The sideboards were piled with richly wrought plate. In the niches stood cabinets, the masterpieces of Japanese art. On the hangings, fresh from the looms of Paris, were depicted, in tints which no English tapestry could rival, birds of gorgeous plumage, landscapes, hunting matches, the lordly terrace of Saint Germains, the statues and fountains of Versailles.(216) In the midst of this splendour, purchased by guilt and shame, the unhappy woman gave herself up to an agony of grief, which, to do her justice, was not wholly selfish.
….
When all was over, James retired from the bedside to his closet, where, during a quarter of an hour, he remained alone. Meanwhile the Privy Councillors who were in the palace assembled. The new King came forth, and took his place at the head of the board. He commenced his administration, according to usage, by a speech to the Council. He expressed his regret for the loss which he had just sustained, and he promised to imitate the singular lenity which had distinguished the late reign. He was aware, he said, that he had been accused of a fondness for arbitrary power. But that was not the only falsehood which had been told of him. He was resolved to maintain the established government both in Church and State. The Church of England he knew to be eminently loyal. It should therefore always be his care to support and defend her. The laws of England, he also knew, were sufficient to make him as great a King as he could wish to be. He would not relinquish his own rights; but he would respect the rights of others. He had formerly risked his life in defense of his country; and he would still go as far as any man in support of her just liberties.
….
Those who were capable of looking forward must have seen that, if Monmouth should succeed in overpowering the existing government, there would still remain a war between him and the House of Orange, a war which might last longer and produce more misery than the war of the Roses, a war which might probably break up the Protestants of Europe into hostile parties, might arm England and Holland against each other, and might make both those countries an easy prey to France. The opinion, therefore, of almost all the leading Whigs seems to have been that Monmouth's enterprise could not fail to end in some great disaster to the nation, but that, on the whole, his defeat would be a less disaster than his victory
….
This, however, was no ordinary occurrence. In general the Puritan spirit seemed to be more effectually cowed at this conjuncture than at any moment before or since. The Tory pamphleteers boasted that not one fanatic dared to move tongue or pen in defence of his religious opinions. Dissenting ministers, however blameless in life, however eminent for learning and abilities, could not venture to walk the streets for fear of outrages, which were not only not repressed, but encouraged, by those whose duty it was to preserve the peace. Some divines of great fame were in prison. Among these was Richard Baxter. Others, who had, during a quarter of a century, borne up against oppression, now lost heart, and quitted the kingdom. Among these was John Howe. Great numbers of persons who had been accustomed to frequent conventicles repaired to the parish churches. It was remarked that the schismatics who had been terrified into this show of conformity might easily be distinguished by the difficulty which they had in finding out the collect, and by the awkward manner in which they bowed at the name of Jesus.(473)
Through many years the autumn of 1685 was remembered by the Nonconformists as a time of misery and terror. Yet in that autumn might be discerned the first faint indications of a great turn of fortune; and before eighteen months had elapsed, the intolerant King and the intolerant Church were eagerly bidding against each other for the support of the party which both had so deeply injured.”
And so it has come to pass in this hour of greatest uncertainty and danger, that the old alliance of Great Britain, France, and Prussia has been broken. Many years has this day been foreseen. For England, proud and noble as it is, can not long endure this condition upon which it has been placed. For England cannot endure to be caged, no matter the splendor of its gilding. The peace of Europe is at stake, the course of its history and its prosperity now balancing upon the razor’s edge of a chasm. Shall it slip and plummet into the den of inequity and barbarism from whence it has for these past many centuries slowly and only now begun to emerge from? Shall justice be decided by the brute force of arms? Shall honor be measured by the weight of gold held in hand? Shall virtue be decided by the least among us? Should England remain idle, watching from its distant shores as calamity befalls Europe? Shall it remain idle in the face of this greatest of perils until England finds herself alone against the tide of this darkness? To do so would be to sacrifice the honor of England to the abyss. To do so would be to surrender the virtue of England to the heap which Europe now stands united against. For to remain idle in the face of the greatest of injustice is to condone it. And this England shall not do.
So let it be known that England shall not sleep until the balance of Europe has been restored. Let it be known that England will not rest while all it has worked to achieve and to build is put under the greatest of perils. For in doing so, one day England’s shore shall know the tranquility and security known by its forefathers. Fate alone knows the outcome of this noble endeavor, but England knows that it shall rise or fall proud.
So let our cry be: "For England, for victory, for the end of time itself!"
….
He was laid on his bed, where, during a short time, the Duchess of Portsmouth hung over him with the familiarity of a wife. But the alarm had been given. The Queen and the Duchess of York were hastening to the room. The favourite concubine was forced to retire to her own apartments. Those apartments had been thrice pulled down and thrice rebuilt by her lover to gratify her caprice. The very furniture of the chimney was massy silver. Several fine paintings, which properly belonged to the Queen, had been transferred to the dwelling of the mistress. The sideboards were piled with richly wrought plate. In the niches stood cabinets, the masterpieces of Japanese art. On the hangings, fresh from the looms of Paris, were depicted, in tints which no English tapestry could rival, birds of gorgeous plumage, landscapes, hunting matches, the lordly terrace of Saint Germains, the statues and fountains of Versailles.(216) In the midst of this splendour, purchased by guilt and shame, the unhappy woman gave herself up to an agony of grief, which, to do her justice, was not wholly selfish.
….
When all was over, James retired from the bedside to his closet, where, during a quarter of an hour, he remained alone. Meanwhile the Privy Councillors who were in the palace assembled. The new King came forth, and took his place at the head of the board. He commenced his administration, according to usage, by a speech to the Council. He expressed his regret for the loss which he had just sustained, and he promised to imitate the singular lenity which had distinguished the late reign. He was aware, he said, that he had been accused of a fondness for arbitrary power. But that was not the only falsehood which had been told of him. He was resolved to maintain the established government both in Church and State. The Church of England he knew to be eminently loyal. It should therefore always be his care to support and defend her. The laws of England, he also knew, were sufficient to make him as great a King as he could wish to be. He would not relinquish his own rights; but he would respect the rights of others. He had formerly risked his life in defense of his country; and he would still go as far as any man in support of her just liberties.
….
Those who were capable of looking forward must have seen that, if Monmouth should succeed in overpowering the existing government, there would still remain a war between him and the House of Orange, a war which might last longer and produce more misery than the war of the Roses, a war which might probably break up the Protestants of Europe into hostile parties, might arm England and Holland against each other, and might make both those countries an easy prey to France. The opinion, therefore, of almost all the leading Whigs seems to have been that Monmouth's enterprise could not fail to end in some great disaster to the nation, but that, on the whole, his defeat would be a less disaster than his victory
….
This, however, was no ordinary occurrence. In general the Puritan spirit seemed to be more effectually cowed at this conjuncture than at any moment before or since. The Tory pamphleteers boasted that not one fanatic dared to move tongue or pen in defence of his religious opinions. Dissenting ministers, however blameless in life, however eminent for learning and abilities, could not venture to walk the streets for fear of outrages, which were not only not repressed, but encouraged, by those whose duty it was to preserve the peace. Some divines of great fame were in prison. Among these was Richard Baxter. Others, who had, during a quarter of a century, borne up against oppression, now lost heart, and quitted the kingdom. Among these was John Howe. Great numbers of persons who had been accustomed to frequent conventicles repaired to the parish churches. It was remarked that the schismatics who had been terrified into this show of conformity might easily be distinguished by the difficulty which they had in finding out the collect, and by the awkward manner in which they bowed at the name of Jesus.(473)
Through many years the autumn of 1685 was remembered by the Nonconformists as a time of misery and terror. Yet in that autumn might be discerned the first faint indications of a great turn of fortune; and before eighteen months had elapsed, the intolerant King and the intolerant Church were eagerly bidding against each other for the support of the party which both had so deeply injured.”
And so it has come to pass in this hour of greatest uncertainty and danger, that the old alliance of Great Britain, France, and Prussia has been broken. Many years has this day been foreseen. For England, proud and noble as it is, can not long endure this condition upon which it has been placed. For England cannot endure to be caged, no matter the splendor of its gilding. The peace of Europe is at stake, the course of its history and its prosperity now balancing upon the razor’s edge of a chasm. Shall it slip and plummet into the den of inequity and barbarism from whence it has for these past many centuries slowly and only now begun to emerge from? Shall justice be decided by the brute force of arms? Shall honor be measured by the weight of gold held in hand? Shall virtue be decided by the least among us? Should England remain idle, watching from its distant shores as calamity befalls Europe? Shall it remain idle in the face of this greatest of perils until England finds herself alone against the tide of this darkness? To do so would be to sacrifice the honor of England to the abyss. To do so would be to surrender the virtue of England to the heap which Europe now stands united against. For to remain idle in the face of the greatest of injustice is to condone it. And this England shall not do.
So let it be known that England shall not sleep until the balance of Europe has been restored. Let it be known that England will not rest while all it has worked to achieve and to build is put under the greatest of perils. For in doing so, one day England’s shore shall know the tranquility and security known by its forefathers. Fate alone knows the outcome of this noble endeavor, but England knows that it shall rise or fall proud.
So let our cry be: "For England, for victory, for the end of time itself!"
1683-1702
In the time between taking control and actually playing the game the ottoman empire had devised a plan on what to do for the next session, with the venetian doge announcing his absence for the first part of the session it was decided to attack Austria first then Venice after. Along with the help of France we were counting down to strike and retake our lands.
And so in the year of our Lords 1691 on January the 7th in the middle of the winter the sultan declares war on the Austrian empire only inviting the French to the alliance after the declaration was send thus I did not need to invite my ai ally’s into this mess.
The first action of this war was a few minor battles at sea where 1austrian ship tried to delay the ottoman armada (who can tell what they were thinking). But they didn’t really do much in this effort, the end result was maybe a day lost in total.
In either case 6days later the French joined my alliance and attacked from the west while I was unloading my army in the east under the fairly brilliant leadership of my new discovert 464 general called Pamuk the ugly one and a few other exceptionally ugly generals yet sadly none of them matched Pamuk in both looks and skill.
Pamuk the ugly one landed in Varna on February the first and upon preparing the siege on the capitol that very day he say a change to overrun the defenses quickly and took it, in a battle that lasted 10 straight days the city fell and the first province was captured from the enemy, upon which he split the army and moved a part of that army to Bursa and the main army to Bulgaria, the Bulgarian army arrived first on march 22 while the bursa army arrived only 5days later on march 27, Bulgarian was assaulted with success while bursa was still sieging the province and march 30 a third army landed on the shores of Dobruja to lay siege and assault the capitol.
Up to that point no major had been fought with the Austrian army so we managed to fight our way unopposed not knowing the dangers that would lurk further inland.
On April 8 and 9 in the year of our lords 1691 the army in Bulgaria successfully captured the province and so did the army in Dobrudja, at that same time reinforcements arrived in Bursa to make sure the siege would not be broken by hostile troops.
On April the 28th the first major encounter of the war occurred in Oltenia, the Austrian forces had capable leadership and considerable tech and morale advantage leading to our first defeat of many to come, though most of the casualties probably came from attrition on our retreat it was fairly sad to see that my troops retreated after only 1 day of fighting.
A month later the army of the Balkans arrived in Nis and assaulted its capitol, capturing the province in a mere 9days however sad news was to arrive soon from the palace.
While my troops where defeated the people of Najd declined to become a vassal of the Empire, upon hearing this bad news on top of the defeat my sultan had a stroke and died the month after on June the 23th on a hot summer day in his palace (he always a bit of a coward).
The New sultan sucked as bad as the old but I guess long live the new Sultan Ah. Med II !
Shortly after that on July 3 1691 the army managed to capture Serbia wich was a fairly nice feat considering how deep Serbia was in enemy lands. However only a month later the Austrian and ottoman forces clashed for the second time this war in Serbia resulting in another defeat at the hands of this very annoying Austrian general (thank god it wasn’t prins eugen). But have to say that the ottoman forces held their ground for 1 straight days against this foe, must have been quite a battle I think.
Sadly the Austrian persue the army and gave us another nasty Defeat in Bulgaria on October 8 upon which the ottoman troops where ordet to retreat as soon as possible to regroup in the next province, tho the Austrians stopped at Bulgaria and recaptured it in only 3days by then it was already close to November and one had to watch out for snow.
Stil in October some rebels spawned in Varna and atleast I managed to defeat them. But it appeared by then that the war could only be won thanks to france and cutting down the Austrian manpower as we had very little change to defeat any Austrian army in the field despite equal leadership, our king sucked to much and our morale was to low to be of any good.
In November the 20th another attempt was made to attack austria in Bulgaria but this battle we tasted defeat once more and our troops returned to the safety of the shore.
Not much happened in terms of battles for the next few months and only by the end of February did our forces clash again, this time the ottoman empire won the battle at Oltenia in a battle that took about 4 days. After which Oltenia was captured in a assault shortly after. By that time Krisz offered to start singing in Hungarian for reasons we don’t want to find out.
A month later another battle was fought in Oltenia this time the Austrians emerged victorious again and retaking the province, also using the momentum to retake Rumelia at the around the same time.
A few months later the terms where asked and offered and after some bickering the war was over with the ottomans regaining his provinces south of the Danube from austria. It took some time to actually capture the provinces and only by November that same year was peace signed between austria and ottos/france.
As a side note prins Eugen apparently died in combat against the French.
Funny enough in January the next year Venice showed up and plans where immediately sorted to attack Venice during the Austrian truce. Venice saw this coming and spend all his gold on forts and troops and ships to prepare for war.
But before dowing the venetians I offered a compromise to Austria solving the issue that Russia had with Moldova at the same time , apparently the polish remnants still had a port between Moldova/Russia and Otto’s and I figured I could hand over Moldova to Austria and a prov next to it to allow them to take the polish port in the process, resulting in a Austrian port that did not compete with the Otto’s goals or the venetians and hopefully not the Russians either.
Shortly after war was declared on the Venetians by France & Otto’s and while I don’t know the French actions the majority of the ottoman efforts where spend sieging islands and fighting at sea, knowing that Greece was now full of medium forts it seemed to be the best course of action and I was proven correct, the war didn’t really last long after beating the venetians at sea a few times and as a result all the islands in the eastern Med where taken in peace resulting in no more home waters for Venice in large parts of the eastern Med which makes me feel a lot safer.
After the war the ottoman empire was idle for a little bit, recovering and going afk, and apparently when I came back you guys ganged France and rehosted without me, too bad it doesn’t really give me much of a treasury
In the time between taking control and actually playing the game the ottoman empire had devised a plan on what to do for the next session, with the venetian doge announcing his absence for the first part of the session it was decided to attack Austria first then Venice after. Along with the help of France we were counting down to strike and retake our lands.
And so in the year of our Lords 1691 on January the 7th in the middle of the winter the sultan declares war on the Austrian empire only inviting the French to the alliance after the declaration was send thus I did not need to invite my ai ally’s into this mess.
The first action of this war was a few minor battles at sea where 1austrian ship tried to delay the ottoman armada (who can tell what they were thinking). But they didn’t really do much in this effort, the end result was maybe a day lost in total.
In either case 6days later the French joined my alliance and attacked from the west while I was unloading my army in the east under the fairly brilliant leadership of my new discovert 464 general called Pamuk the ugly one and a few other exceptionally ugly generals yet sadly none of them matched Pamuk in both looks and skill.
Pamuk the ugly one landed in Varna on February the first and upon preparing the siege on the capitol that very day he say a change to overrun the defenses quickly and took it, in a battle that lasted 10 straight days the city fell and the first province was captured from the enemy, upon which he split the army and moved a part of that army to Bursa and the main army to Bulgaria, the Bulgarian army arrived first on march 22 while the bursa army arrived only 5days later on march 27, Bulgarian was assaulted with success while bursa was still sieging the province and march 30 a third army landed on the shores of Dobruja to lay siege and assault the capitol.
Up to that point no major had been fought with the Austrian army so we managed to fight our way unopposed not knowing the dangers that would lurk further inland.
On April 8 and 9 in the year of our lords 1691 the army in Bulgaria successfully captured the province and so did the army in Dobrudja, at that same time reinforcements arrived in Bursa to make sure the siege would not be broken by hostile troops.
On April the 28th the first major encounter of the war occurred in Oltenia, the Austrian forces had capable leadership and considerable tech and morale advantage leading to our first defeat of many to come, though most of the casualties probably came from attrition on our retreat it was fairly sad to see that my troops retreated after only 1 day of fighting.
A month later the army of the Balkans arrived in Nis and assaulted its capitol, capturing the province in a mere 9days however sad news was to arrive soon from the palace.
While my troops where defeated the people of Najd declined to become a vassal of the Empire, upon hearing this bad news on top of the defeat my sultan had a stroke and died the month after on June the 23th on a hot summer day in his palace (he always a bit of a coward).
The New sultan sucked as bad as the old but I guess long live the new Sultan Ah. Med II !
Shortly after that on July 3 1691 the army managed to capture Serbia wich was a fairly nice feat considering how deep Serbia was in enemy lands. However only a month later the Austrian and ottoman forces clashed for the second time this war in Serbia resulting in another defeat at the hands of this very annoying Austrian general (thank god it wasn’t prins eugen). But have to say that the ottoman forces held their ground for 1 straight days against this foe, must have been quite a battle I think.
Sadly the Austrian persue the army and gave us another nasty Defeat in Bulgaria on October 8 upon which the ottoman troops where ordet to retreat as soon as possible to regroup in the next province, tho the Austrians stopped at Bulgaria and recaptured it in only 3days by then it was already close to November and one had to watch out for snow.
Stil in October some rebels spawned in Varna and atleast I managed to defeat them. But it appeared by then that the war could only be won thanks to france and cutting down the Austrian manpower as we had very little change to defeat any Austrian army in the field despite equal leadership, our king sucked to much and our morale was to low to be of any good.
In November the 20th another attempt was made to attack austria in Bulgaria but this battle we tasted defeat once more and our troops returned to the safety of the shore.
Not much happened in terms of battles for the next few months and only by the end of February did our forces clash again, this time the ottoman empire won the battle at Oltenia in a battle that took about 4 days. After which Oltenia was captured in a assault shortly after. By that time Krisz offered to start singing in Hungarian for reasons we don’t want to find out.
A month later another battle was fought in Oltenia this time the Austrians emerged victorious again and retaking the province, also using the momentum to retake Rumelia at the around the same time.
A few months later the terms where asked and offered and after some bickering the war was over with the ottomans regaining his provinces south of the Danube from austria. It took some time to actually capture the provinces and only by November that same year was peace signed between austria and ottos/france.
As a side note prins Eugen apparently died in combat against the French.
Funny enough in January the next year Venice showed up and plans where immediately sorted to attack Venice during the Austrian truce. Venice saw this coming and spend all his gold on forts and troops and ships to prepare for war.
But before dowing the venetians I offered a compromise to Austria solving the issue that Russia had with Moldova at the same time , apparently the polish remnants still had a port between Moldova/Russia and Otto’s and I figured I could hand over Moldova to Austria and a prov next to it to allow them to take the polish port in the process, resulting in a Austrian port that did not compete with the Otto’s goals or the venetians and hopefully not the Russians either.
Shortly after war was declared on the Venetians by France & Otto’s and while I don’t know the French actions the majority of the ottoman efforts where spend sieging islands and fighting at sea, knowing that Greece was now full of medium forts it seemed to be the best course of action and I was proven correct, the war didn’t really last long after beating the venetians at sea a few times and as a result all the islands in the eastern Med where taken in peace resulting in no more home waters for Venice in large parts of the eastern Med which makes me feel a lot safer.
After the war the ottoman empire was idle for a little bit, recovering and going afk, and apparently when I came back you guys ganged France and rehosted without me, too bad it doesn’t really give me much of a treasury
Country Rating
As the campaign seems to be over I will write a few conclusive thoughts on its development and rate all countries except mine (no. 1 being the best and so on).
1.) Brandenburg/Prussia
It is a rather conventional strategy to befriend Brandenburg as France. BB is usually not a threat and rather a competitor to your nemesis Austria. With this in mind it was my aim from the getgo to come to an understanding and hopefully an alliance with Brandenburg. I was aided in this task immeasurably first by the Austrian attack on Brandenburg at a time when it was still comparatively vulnerable and later by repeated Swedish aggression. Thus once the alliance was in place France and Brandenburg were fused ever more strongly together by the repeated attacks. I find that ironic in light of the enemy's ambition which was to disrupt this alliance. How relations would have developed further is anyone's guess but in my estimation we would have remained allies due to circumstances not changing (and how would they in light of the late game power constellation?).
In terms of overall performance I rate Tonio as excellent and no. 1. I do so because he managed to achieve great power status with a country that is usually small and second rate. Tonio managed to outpace England, Sweden and Venice economically throughout a big part of the campaign and outclassed Austria during almost the entire 17th century in military terms. Moreover, Tonio managed all of this with very limited expansion and against repeated attacks with superior generals and manpower.
All in all quite a superb feat.
2.) Austria
My relations with Austria were complicated to say the least. I was never happy about them taking provinces west of the Rhine but recognized the advantage I derived from Austria controlling the Lowlands. Essentially, the Lowlands were like a hostage, a liability in any war Austria was to fight versus France. This being so because they were indefensible and with Flanders cot directly on my border and having only a minimal fort it would have been comparatively easy to fight Austria. My main reason not to do so early on was the fact that I was convinced an attack on Austria would lead to HAL attacking me in the South. Naturally, with the advent of the 17th century all bets were off and I decided to attack Austria in pursuit of the provinces west of the Rhine. In retrospect this was a mistake. I should have focused on Venice instead and would have if I had known the futility of reaching any kind of agreement with the Doge. In any case I attacked Austria with Henry IV and in consequence Austria became hostile to France for a long time which lead to problems later when the gangbangs started.
Imo, Delian played a very Machiavellian, opportunistic Austria but did so with success and style. His diplomacy was evershifting, ever fluid and thus he was able to profit from the increasing strife whacking Europe in the later half of the 17th century. If advancing the interests of your country is the goal of this game I would say he succeeded in that goal admirably well.
3.) Russia
I had very limited dealings with Russia and mainly limted my interaction to sending the occasional tradeagreement to Moscow and getting hollered at for killing his monopolies once in a while. As such there is not much to tell. Russia's participation in the gangbang wars appalled me but there was nothing I could do about it so I just soldiered on, all negotiations having been in vain.
I'd say Russia's general performance was decent. Solid economic development and robust expansion into the rich cots of China. However, there was nothing really outstanding about this Russia, no grandiose feats nor any victories worth talking about. Staying at peace for most of the campaign, never once attacking Sweden it is not the kind of Russia I would have played. So not bad but nothing to really get excited about.
4.) Venice
Ah Venice, that blistering barnacle at the side of France. Venice was perhaps my greatest fumble in this campaign. I decided early on to prioratize expansion into Italy so as to forestall any problems with Aladar as I well remembered our feuds of auld, him never being willing to accept France owning Italian territory. However, when I did so there was considerable consternation in Europe and Aladar was going ballistic so I decided to leave Milan and the Lombardia to him. That act of mercy was misguided. I should have grabbed it back then and held it as a bargaining chip to ensure good Venetian behaviour.
As it was relations with Venice were always strained, though I tried time and again to effect a detente with the Doge, sadly to no avail. The only real feat was to get him to not join one of the gangs, during which France was almost defeated. In turn having to accept the Balkans as a Venetian sphere of influence was a bitter pill but it could not be helped. I was acting under duress, I had no choice. And when there is no choice you've got to do what you've got to do.
Performancewise, Venice started out pretty impressively but then somehow stalled. I don't understand why exactly but even controlling Indonesia didn't help Venice to really reap in the riches. Perhaps his unwillingness to attack other powers for cots is to blame. That might have improved his fortunes plus led to nice colonial wars in Asia. So in toto: not a bad Venice but I've seen far more impressive ones in my time. It must also be said...that for all his schemes and gyrations Venice ultimately failed to achieve its primary campaign goal: Genova, Nice and Piemonte were never ceded.
5.) Sweden
Hmm Sweden. I likewise didn't really engage Sweden at all early on. I was of course wary of KJ, well aware of his tendency to go ballistic with warfare if he gets the chance. However, there were no points of contention between Sweden and France and as such I simply left him alone while observing him with guarded neutrality. I was happy Sweden attacked England and took its colonies in America, as it lead to almost 100 years of war and antagonism between England and Sweden, which was to my benefit as it kept those two busy clashing over trifles and using up manpower, generals and time. However, my satisfaction about those two bashing their heads in didn't go so far as to actually want to enter the fray. I would have liked nothing better to let them club things out ad nauseum if not for the fact that Brandenburg got sucked in as well...and Brandenburg was important to me. That is the sole reason why I helped TC in the first place: to protect Brandenburg. For Sweden, however, this attack on Brandenburg would have unfortunate consequences in that he was afterwards essentially boxed in, fighting the same wars over and over again and failing in most of them.
This is why I'm not that impressed with Sweden's performance in this campaign. For all its uber generals and skilled kings *what* did it accomplish? 1 cot in China? No colonies? Losing Scandinavian provinces time and again to England and Brandenburg and to the end not managing to acquire continental Denmark? Imo, Sweden failed due to political inflexibility or in other words: it let its military overruled every other consideration and failed in consequence. Could have been far more impressive.
6.) England
I made sure to create good relations with England at the start as I didn't want to fight a bloody, drawn out war in France for provinces that by right belonged to France anyway. So I did my best to come to an understanding with England early on, offering him the Lowlands in return for him pulling out of France. This was a working formula and I thusly achieved my initial goals. It was unfortunate that Austria decided it wanted the Lowlands as well but that, of course, was none of my business and I was happy to stay out of their squabbles. Apart from that relations were decent for a long time. I was careful not to expand into areas that England had claimed and tried in general to not get in his way. When he was in dire straits due to Sweden I came to his aid. All in all to then have England backstab me was painful and I didn't see the benefit from this. In fact in my opinion it was a terrible mistake to do so. In the current war with 3 English cots occupied and its fleet having been severely mauled England faces the prospect of defeat, humiliation and possible vassalization. So this backstab was not a good move in my book.
I found this England to be rather weak. The economy was mediocre and with all his leaders TC didn't really accomplish much. Failing to fortify his colonial empire, failing to have an effective fleet there, failing to utilize Marlborough properly there was not one instant where I felt in any danger by England. At least Venice managed to make me sweat once or twice when he managed to break through in Genova....but England? Nada. So a somewhat poor performance, imo.
7.) Spain
It was important to me to get a solid understanding with HAL during the early campaign. Lord knew, I had enough trouble on other frontiers. I needed tranquility in the south. To this end I was at pains to be of assistance to HAL. Acquiring Sardinia, Sicily and Malta for him helped to create decent relations. This in time gave me time to develop France and it also gave me invaluable maps early on, which I used to dynamically develop France's economy. I tried to colonize Brazil as quickly as possible and was positively surprised by its riches.
I'm sorry for HAL because I like his character a lot but this Spain was one big fiasco. Failing to properly use his uber leaders in the early game, failing to properly develop its economy (phlegmatic colonial development, or none at all!) and in consequence falling behind in technology and amassing a lot of inflation all sapped the strength of Spain. What was left was then pointlessly squandered in an all out fanatic conflict versus France that thoroughly wrecked Spain. Unneccessary and traumatic an experience it spelled doom for Spain - a total war from which it would never fully recuperate.
8.) The Ottoman Empire
I tried to get an alliance going with the Ottomans early on and Nabu seemed interested. However, I was soon dissapointed with its development. After the first session the OE had expanded only minimally and acquired quite a lot of badboy in the process. The session after that things looked even worse. Nabu was wasting valuable time on dubious enterprises which ultimately didn't benefit the OE all that much. It was this fact - more than anything else - which prompted me to seek an alliance with Spain. I could have taken on Spain if I had known there was a decent player to contain Austria. However, with the OE being a bag of hot air at first and later a punching bag I was vulnerable to a two front war the moment I turned on Spain with the prospect of Aladar jumping on the bandwaggon as well, the moment he smelled blood. In light of all this what alternative was there to allying Spain? There was none.
So I rate the OE as rather substandard in this campaign. Not everything Nabu did was a mistake. For instance he did manage to keep up in the naval tech race. But his sliders sucked, his stability costs were insanely high, his badboy wrecked havoc and he suffered civil wars in consequence. All of this was avoidable. And all of these structural weaknesses, in turn, were brutally exploited by Venice and Austria when they attacked and crushed the OE. Bottomline: Pretty bad overall.
Edit: Drake's shotlived reign was of course superb and I would rate that very high. He might just have managed to turn this OE around, if given sufficient time. Alas it was not to be.
9.) Poland
I tried to get on Pepsi's good side early on but was rebuffed for no real reason. Subsequent attempts met with similar response if I could reach Pepsi at all. This led to my soon abandoning the prospect of an alliance. After that I kind of withdrew from Poland and just ignored it.
This in tun led to Poland's vicious circle. As a country Poland desperately needs powers like France being invested in its independence. So rejecting my offer of friendship and threathening war in return is a silly, deeply counterproductive move. Poland deserved to be annexed for its fundamentally fumbled foreign policy. Additionally, going protestant seemed dubious to me. With all those religions in the country it was a deeply dysfunctional entity....rotting from the inside....just asking to be effed hard.
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good review, Ampo, though i was suprised to be #1 (after France). But once i read it, indeed, Brandenburg reached 500d income with only 2 CoTs, and almost whole game i had less than 12 merchants, and it is very hard to trade in this conditions. Also i followed to have colonial gains in single place to make them protectable without fleet, and reached this goal.
Current war will lead to defeat of England and Sweden, and my demands were Kopenhagen against demands of Jutland by Sweden. Other idea was to annex Holland after Karl's threat dissappear. The next thing was to build shipyards after Karl disappear and i gain cores on shore (double production). Several years later i should get aristocracy 0, so cheapest warships and i can start with a lot of spared cash. I think after that my naval limit would be almost 900. The next thought for Friedrich II times would be attack of Sweden in two scenarios:
- 1 on 1 if Sweden gets naval supremacy. I think it would be tough fight, but i can manage to win
- 1 on 2 if Russia goes protect Sweden, like usual, but in this case with my naval supremacy (but use only Prussian troops). I think it would be enjoyable tough war as well.
Then i hoped to expand for Warmia and Ostprussia and reach 1000 naval limit, second after OE.
Also i found very very unusual for campaign, that Russia got absolutely unique situation - for whole game absolutely noone of Russian neighbors would have any desire to fight them. Probably something was wrong
Current war will lead to defeat of England and Sweden, and my demands were Kopenhagen against demands of Jutland by Sweden. Other idea was to annex Holland after Karl's threat dissappear. The next thing was to build shipyards after Karl disappear and i gain cores on shore (double production). Several years later i should get aristocracy 0, so cheapest warships and i can start with a lot of spared cash. I think after that my naval limit would be almost 900. The next thought for Friedrich II times would be attack of Sweden in two scenarios:
- 1 on 1 if Sweden gets naval supremacy. I think it would be tough fight, but i can manage to win
- 1 on 2 if Russia goes protect Sweden, like usual, but in this case with my naval supremacy (but use only Prussian troops). I think it would be enjoyable tough war as well.
Then i hoped to expand for Warmia and Ostprussia and reach 1000 naval limit, second after OE.
Also i found very very unusual for campaign, that Russia got absolutely unique situation - for whole game absolutely noone of Russian neighbors would have any desire to fight them. Probably something was wrong