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The infamy required to annex large chunks of desert is simply not worth it.
1. Egypt is an Unciv.
2. The Establish Protectorate CB allows you to annex uncivs, and isn't terribly expensive in terms of infamy.
3. Establish Protectorate works on Uncivs of any size upon discovering Colonialism & Imperialism (or whatever that fourth tech in the National Focus path is called).

Not a bad idea, IMO.
 
1. Egypt is an Unciv.
2. The Establish Protectorate CB allows you to annex uncivs, and isn't terribly expensive in terms of infamy.
3. Establish Protectorate works on Uncivs of any size upon discovering Colonialism & Imperialism (or whatever that fourth tech in the National Focus path is called).

Not a bad idea, IMO.

I have to live that long next to the Angry Russian Bear. :)
 
Shouldnt be the AI be afraid of the human player? :D

Depends - my Soldier population is holding flat due to the losses taken in these wars, and I suspect that Russia will continue to come after me every 5 years. Population increase works against me in that case, since they can mobilize so much. I may just have to spend a bunch of infamy to force release regions.
 
3. Establish Protectorate works on Uncivs of any size upon discovering Colonialism & Imperialism (or whatever that fourth tech in the National Focus path is called).
Nationalism & Imperialism. However I believe it only allows annexation of uncivs up to four states, at least in 1.2.
 
Depends - my Soldier population is holding flat due to the losses taken in these wars, and I suspect that Russia will continue to come after me every 5 years. Population increase works against me in that case, since they can mobilize so much. I may just have to spend a bunch of infamy to force release regions.

Finally back to playing these games, and great to see you still doing AARs!

Fascinating strategic situation you are in. From the AAR title and your comments so far, it appears you want this AAR to be about Europe. However, the story so far seems to be turning this into "The Turks go bear-hunting". My $0.02 on your situation are that if life gives you a bear, make some bear-o-nade.

Totally agree with your comment on Russia DOWing you every 5 years. Think the only way that ever ends are A) your military power scares them, B) you find some trustworthy allies whose military scares them, or C) you give up your Russian cores. It seems you have ruled out C, B seems unlikely as a permanent solution, and so would focus all energy on making A happen.

My personal to-list for A would include increasing relations with Austria in order to avoid war, trying to get an alliance with one of Russia's big neighbors (Austria/Prussia/China/UK), saving infamy hits for Russian regions rich in soldier pops, and dragging out the Russian wars to maximize their WE and hopefully get some nationalist rebel action going.

I'm on the fence regarding annexing Egypt. It might make sense if you gain a ton of soldier pops and could be fully recovered by the time the Russian truce expires. On the other hand, it would take some infamy that could otherwise be used to swipe choice morsels from the bear.
 
Fascinating strategic situation you are in. From the AAR title and your comments so far, it appears you want this AAR to be about Europe. However, the story so far seems to be turning this into "The Turks go bear-hunting". My $0.02 on your situation are that if life gives you a bear, make some bear-o-nade.

I do want it to be about Europe, hence why I've also expanded into Austria.

It seems you have ruled out C, B seems unlikely as a permanent solution, and so would focus all energy on making A happen.

Yeah, A is the problem. Still not sure how to make A happen, at least until I can get some more fort techs.

My personal to-list for A would include increasing relations with Austria in order to avoid war, trying to get an alliance with one of Russia's big neighbors (Austria/Prussia/China/UK), saving infamy hits for Russian regions rich in soldier pops, and dragging out the Russian wars to maximize their WE and hopefully get some nationalist rebel action going.

Austria is a target. :) I had Prussia and France as allies, but France bailed and Prussia still has no army (and bailed). Europe is a mess, as now every power east of France is limping along.

I'm on the fence regarding annexing Egypt. It might make sense if you gain a ton of soldier pops and could be fully recovered by the time the Russian truce expires. On the other hand, it would take some infamy that could otherwise be used to swipe choice morsels from the bear.

I currently own everything down to the Suez, so all that's left of Egypt is Cairo and desert. To get Cairo, I have to take a bunch of desert, which doesn't strike me as really worth it, infamy wise, since I already have access to colonize through Tripoli. There are more than 4 regions, so I can't even wait for N&I and annex in one go.

As to taking from Russia, another problem is that Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are thinly populated hills, yet are states, so cost 10 infamy/region. Thus, the best place to expand is in the west (through Ukraine), which cedes some defensive depth.

No easy answers, sadly.
 
As to taking from Russia, another problem is that Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are thinly populated hills, yet are states, so cost 10 infamy/region. Thus, the best place to expand is in the west (through Ukraine), which cedes some defensive depth.
I forget, does Russia have cores on these states? If not using the free people CB to release two to create a buffer may be the way to go. Also, if you want to get very sneaky, release those states and then allow the Russians to sphere them - they'll never DoW their own sphere and you won't lose very productive sphered states anyway.
 
I forget, does Russia have cores on these states? If not using the free people CB to release two to create a buffer may be the way to go. Also, if you want to get very sneaky, release those states and then allow the Russians to sphere them - they'll never DoW their own sphere and you won't lose very productive sphered states anyway.

1.) They have cores (IIRC) on all their starting states.
2.) If you force-release a state, they start in your sphere, and I believe they get your truce. That means that Russia would have to go a few years of not declaring war to rip them from your sphere.
3.) A released Ukraine can get Russian Pan Nationalists and rejoin Russia - not sure about Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
 
If you force-release a state, they start in your sphere, and I believe they get your truce. That means that Russia would have to go a few years of not declaring war to rip them from your sphere.
I'm not sure if that's the case - I think new countries start out blank, but tag switching would be one way to find out.

As to your third point I probably wouldn't go for Ukraine, just the Caucasus countries. That way you can concentrate on the Balkan theater.

Of course, there's no guarantee that the Russians don't DoW immediately to restore order. At the very least you have a country that will occupy the Russians for a few months while you get your house in order.
 
If you force-release a state, they start in your sphere, and I believe they get your truce. That means that Russia would have to go a few years of not declaring war to rip them from your sphere.
I'm not sure if that's the case - I think new countries start out blank, but tag switching would be one way to find out.

As to your third point I probably wouldn't go for Ukraine, just the Caucasus countries. That way you can concentrate on the Balkan theater.

Of course, there's no guarantee that the Russians don't DoW immediately to restore order. At the very least you have a country that will occupy the Russians for a few months while you get your house in order.
 
Whatever course you take, it will be interresting to follow :)
 
Chapter 10: Don't Retreat...Reload!

February 25, 1860: With no Russians left to shoot (for now), our officers suggest Big Game Hunting in Aqaba. This pisses off the locals (who aren't thrilled about the nick name "Big Game").

A look at industry in Kars: Due to occupation, we now have 2000 craftsmen...building those factories was a good idea, apparently!

March 14: France signs a military alliance, with promises that they will run screaming if anyone actually attacks us. The "Franco-Ottoman Treaty of Mutual Defense Unless It's Hard" treaty is celebrated in Paris and Constantinople.

A look at the armies of the world. News flash: Being in an army in the early 19th Century is dangerous.

o10armies.jpg


March 22: People the world over are flocking to our nation to live the Ottoman Dream

o10ottomandream.jpg


April 22: One side effect of taking Austrian provinces, is that I somehow ended up inheriting an Austrian army in Denmark.

o10danisharmy.jpg


July 31: The USA declares war on Mexico to take Texas. Being an AI USA, it will probably need 5 wars to take their cores in the Southwest.

September 10: Egypt, hearing the call in the AAR thread to invade them, decides to lay siege to our embassy. Smelling free prestige and reparations, the Ottoman army spends a couple of years thumping them. The Swedish abandon us in our hour of "need".

o10dowegypt.jpg


December 26: We finish researching Idealism (+50% RP) and flip to Mechanized Mining, so I can build steel factories.

February 4, 1852: Mechanized Mining is complete, so we start on Basic Chemistry (en route to Medicine).

February 11: Verb forms, sweetie - You cut down to size, I cut down to size, Egypt got cut down to size. Sometimes, being discriminatory in V2 is bad (but not often).

o10verbforms.jpg


May 13: Egypt accepts peace (Cut down to Size). Our troops are thrilled to not have to stand around in the desert anymore. The war took a little longer, as I moved my armies back through occupied territory before suing for peace (to avoid unnecessary attrition).

May 25: One of my favorite bugs: Garibaldi's Redshirts occupy the Papal States, giving S-P the event to form Italy. The Papal States are, of course, excluded.

o10redshirts.jpg


August 14: Having just formed their new nation, Italy decides to be suicidal and immediately take back Lombardia. Austria is allied to the UK.

o10itavaus.jpg


September 29: Austria adds a war goal to take Emilia from Italy.

November 21: Italy is now a great power (#7)...dropping Russia to #8.

January 20, 1853: Oh look, the UK annexed Belgium. Remember how the UK defended Belgium from the Netherlands? The real reason why...

o10britishbelgium.jpg


March 20: Basic Chemistry is complete, Medicine is next.

May 10: Kalat is added to our sphere.

November 15: Italy admits defeat. Kalat celebrates by besieging our mission and ending up at war with us - only to get crushed by our ally Panjab.

o10emilia.jpg


January 26, 1854: Wha?

o10ukitaalliance.jpg


Oh, and France decides to take Catalonia from Spain. (They succeed in November.)

November 16, 1854: Greece gets the Ionian Islands from UK, and we manage to sphere the Netherlands.

March 2, 1855: This looks familiar.

o10russiandow.jpg
 
With almost 20 years in, it's time for some maps!

Europe: That's Austria in Denmark, UK with half of Belgium, Bavaria with the Rheinland, and a 4 Part Italy.

o10europe.jpg


World:

o10world.jpg
 
By Jove, their 10 brigades just might do it this time!



Unless your army shows up. :p
 
Great to see an update naggy, it's been a while :)

Russia sure are a pain aren't they?