Hello all,
Been playing this game for few years now around 400 hours total. Anyways i never bothered with ironman mode before recently. Well i thought that now it's the time to give it a serious try.
Started game as Gelre, i allways love to make big empires out of Netherlands, Venice, Milan etc. With a combination of luck and tedious diplomatic game i conquered all of the low countries by 1520. After that i started to rapidly colonize North America and created two colonial nations that covered the coastline from Hudson bay to Florida. Got myself couple of islands from Caribbean to steer trade and so on. Then focus moved to Africa and Asia. By 1600 i controlled half of India, Gulf of Aden, South Africa and Malacca. At 1620 i had highest income, biggest navy and clear lead in ideas and tech.
Diplomaticly i changed allies like socks early but after reformation and colonization i stayed with Austria, Scandinavia and couple of German minors. Russia and Ottomans were blobbing big time. France and England looked weak Spain was united and owned most of South and mid-America and constantly warring against huge Algiers and Ottomans. I felt safe and strong i could take any nation one on one. I started getting more involved landvice in the desperate wars against Ottomans and Russia. With my help Austria and Scandinavia managed to turn the tide and European borders started looking nice and balanced.
Last night i had few beers and i was happily playing kicking ass in few particulary bloody wars against first Russians and then Ottomans. In the latter i lost by forgetting one 24 stack to Ottos. Well i rebuilt and in the end the war was won. At the end i was on my last thousand both manpower and money vice. Then the hell breaks loose. Spain interferes because of colonial war and attacks me with Portugal, Bavaria and their vassals. Austria and Scandinavia both abandon me likely because low manpower and in dept. Well i controll the seas and spawn every man on arms i could burning rest of my money on mercs and start going in dept. I manage to make a standstill and start takin ground in Caribbean. My troops are spread very thin now only on 24 stack in Europe. The France decides to join defeats my home army and starts to carpet siege lowlands. at this point i try to get peace offering all kinds of deals, none accepted. Then England joins the fun landing in India...
I WASN'T A TARGET OF COALITION GUYS!?!
Well to put it short the bastards didn't accept peace deals until i was completely wiped out. All the wars were separate so when i peaced out with Spain the others continued. In the end i lost half of the homeland, was forced to release Flanders and luxemburg, ceded three provinces to France. My USA colony was completely raped. I lost my caribbean islands, all my protectorates in India, my merchant fleets were mostly destroyed crippling my income completely only had the big ships left that i could not afford any more because of lack of trade income, manpower at zero, 8 depts negative prestige, rebellious Canadian colony - they are stronger than me. I lost hundred years of progress in heartbeat.
Then Austria sends Call to Arms... i quit... i'm not sure can i continue that game anymore, i spend like 20 hours on it. I'm so pissed off.
So my question is: Is the only way to prevent this kind of dog piling simply hurt everybody so bad that none can. I could have expanded more in Europe if i had wanted but i was happy with my homeland. Do you need to be ruthless and oppurtunistic all the way? Are you not be allowed to be mid-sized and succesfull? How do you cope with losses like this? If i could just load from 50 years back or something.
Other question i have. I can't register my EU4 because if i recall i did with my old account that i have forgetten password and was tied to my university e-mail which i don't have anymore. WoN registered fine. (I have actually bought both on Steam.) Is there a way to fix this as i would like to get to the modding forum to check out some new flags.
Anyways cheers, next game will be France WC to payback the little f*ckers.
Good night
Been playing this game for few years now around 400 hours total. Anyways i never bothered with ironman mode before recently. Well i thought that now it's the time to give it a serious try.
Started game as Gelre, i allways love to make big empires out of Netherlands, Venice, Milan etc. With a combination of luck and tedious diplomatic game i conquered all of the low countries by 1520. After that i started to rapidly colonize North America and created two colonial nations that covered the coastline from Hudson bay to Florida. Got myself couple of islands from Caribbean to steer trade and so on. Then focus moved to Africa and Asia. By 1600 i controlled half of India, Gulf of Aden, South Africa and Malacca. At 1620 i had highest income, biggest navy and clear lead in ideas and tech.
Diplomaticly i changed allies like socks early but after reformation and colonization i stayed with Austria, Scandinavia and couple of German minors. Russia and Ottomans were blobbing big time. France and England looked weak Spain was united and owned most of South and mid-America and constantly warring against huge Algiers and Ottomans. I felt safe and strong i could take any nation one on one. I started getting more involved landvice in the desperate wars against Ottomans and Russia. With my help Austria and Scandinavia managed to turn the tide and European borders started looking nice and balanced.
Last night i had few beers and i was happily playing kicking ass in few particulary bloody wars against first Russians and then Ottomans. In the latter i lost by forgetting one 24 stack to Ottos. Well i rebuilt and in the end the war was won. At the end i was on my last thousand both manpower and money vice. Then the hell breaks loose. Spain interferes because of colonial war and attacks me with Portugal, Bavaria and their vassals. Austria and Scandinavia both abandon me likely because low manpower and in dept. Well i controll the seas and spawn every man on arms i could burning rest of my money on mercs and start going in dept. I manage to make a standstill and start takin ground in Caribbean. My troops are spread very thin now only on 24 stack in Europe. The France decides to join defeats my home army and starts to carpet siege lowlands. at this point i try to get peace offering all kinds of deals, none accepted. Then England joins the fun landing in India...
I WASN'T A TARGET OF COALITION GUYS!?!
Well to put it short the bastards didn't accept peace deals until i was completely wiped out. All the wars were separate so when i peaced out with Spain the others continued. In the end i lost half of the homeland, was forced to release Flanders and luxemburg, ceded three provinces to France. My USA colony was completely raped. I lost my caribbean islands, all my protectorates in India, my merchant fleets were mostly destroyed crippling my income completely only had the big ships left that i could not afford any more because of lack of trade income, manpower at zero, 8 depts negative prestige, rebellious Canadian colony - they are stronger than me. I lost hundred years of progress in heartbeat.
Then Austria sends Call to Arms... i quit... i'm not sure can i continue that game anymore, i spend like 20 hours on it. I'm so pissed off.
So my question is: Is the only way to prevent this kind of dog piling simply hurt everybody so bad that none can. I could have expanded more in Europe if i had wanted but i was happy with my homeland. Do you need to be ruthless and oppurtunistic all the way? Are you not be allowed to be mid-sized and succesfull? How do you cope with losses like this? If i could just load from 50 years back or something.
Other question i have. I can't register my EU4 because if i recall i did with my old account that i have forgetten password and was tied to my university e-mail which i don't have anymore. WoN registered fine. (I have actually bought both on Steam.) Is there a way to fix this as i would like to get to the modding forum to check out some new flags.
Anyways cheers, next game will be France WC to payback the little f*ckers.
Good night