Episode 3: Interesting times?
Jim: Welcome, welcome dear viewers. The Local Time is 1478 and our contestants are doing well. With a new Emperor having nice skills, a lot of money and some fresh techs under the belt, this promises to be a good episode.
Bob: Certainly looks that way, Jim my man. They are currently at the 6th place with 302 points.
Jim: What's more, their Monarch Point gain is quite high: +4 ADM, +7 DIP and +9 MIL.
Bob: With such high MIL income, it's no wonder that they can afford their third Idea.
Bob: And you know what that means...
Jim: First National Idea!
1480-01: Repair the Chinese wall
Bob: Ahh, now I understand.
Jim: What do you mean, Bob?
Bob: Seems that the contestants are looking for synergy. This idea gives a +15% fortress defense and the 5th idea in the Defensive Idea Group gives a +33% fortress defense bonus.
Jim: Aah, so within two Ideas, Ming's fortresses become really tough. Clever.
Bob: A side benefit of Ideas is that they enable certain events. See for example, this:
1481-05: drill, drill, drill
Jim: The army's morale is now skyrocketing.
Bob: Did you see that? The last Buddhist province has been converted due to the high stability of the last years. Ming is now fully and purely Confucian.
Jim: Still, religious unity is at 75%, because of the Inward Perfection penalty that is only canceled by having the Bureaucrats leading.
Bob: No worries. Ming has so many reductions to revolt risk that an increase of 0.5 is negligible. Besides, it's time for a new tech!
Jim: You're right, well spotted. It's Basic Financial Instruments (5), for the ridiculously low price of 720 DIP points. This will increase Trade Efficiency by 10%.
Bob: Too bad this is the last thing our Naval Reformer did. In his stead a 3-star is hired, increasing DIP income to 9.
1482-09: government is humming along nicely, if only AMD income was higher
Jim: With the money Ming is earning, even a 3-star advisor is affordable. Talking about affordable, a new Idea has been adopted.
Bob: Regimental Mentality! It lowers land maintenance by 10%. At the moment, this means a modest reduction of half a ducat a month, but still.
Jim: But wait! Rebels from the Oirat horde have entered Ming! They need to mobilize!
Bob: It's only four regiments, Jim.
Jim: Oh. I knew that. Luckily, a Jin Era statu has been found, increasing stability to 3 again.
Bob: That won't chase the rebels away. If anything, the tranquility of China only attracts such lowlifes.
Jim: It really scares the military advisor, though, who promptly falls down dead. His replacemant is a 1-star military engineer, lowering MIL income to 7. Bit premature, as the rebels go back into Oirat territory.
Bob: Okay, guess I was wrong.
Jim: All is quiet again. Until the new tech breakthrough, of course!
Bob: Tech progress is quite nice. This time it's Constable & Temples (5), for 780 ADM points.
1486-03: Ming tech is stronk
Jim: Not only tech progress, the Ideas are also coming in at a steady pace. The fifth one already!
Bob: It sure is, Jim. Defensive Mentality is gained, so Mings forts are now 33% stronger. In total, fort strength is at about 50% higher than standard.
Jim: Good, good, Ming's enemies won't be happy about that.
Bob: What might make them happy is that the ADM advisor has just died.
Jim: But our contestants have immediately hired another 2-star advisor, keeping ADM income at an admittedly low 4 points per month.
Bob: Still, enough ADM is left to institue Formalized scales and weights, increasing tax income by 5%.
Jim: Bit odd, AMD is in short supply while money is not. Oh well, I hope our contestants know what they are doing.
Bob: Well, money might become tighter, as the corrupt treasurer has increased inflation by 2%.
1490-02: shame there is no competent replacement...
Jim: Ah, but you underestimate Chinese culture! Look, they are burning spirit money, which reduces inflation by 1%.
Bob: That doesn't make sense at all.
Jim: Well, it happened, so who are we to judge?
Bob: What does make sense is the sixth Idea that Ming has adopted: Supply Trains. It improves reinforcement speed by 33%.
Jim: So far there has been, what, 20 soldiers reinforced during the whole game?
Bob: Well, that might change in the future, wouldn't it? Beside, adopting the sixth Idea also activates Ming's second National Idea: the Revival of the Training Camps. This increases the troops' discipline by 5%.
Jim: Not a big difference.
Bob: Oh Jim, be a bit more optimistic! Every little bit helps in the end. I think that our contestants' army is coming along quite nicely. But not just the Mingian army:
1491-09: Korea is best Korea
Jim: Wow, Korea is kicking Manchu's behind! An ally defeating a rival, that's just too much.
Bob: A bit strange that Korea never called Ming to arms, but apparantly they do fine on their own.
Jim: Inspired by the Korean example, a 3-star Grand Captain arrives at the Chinese court and our contestants hesitate not a moment to hire him to replace the 1-star military engineer.
Bob: Still too bad that ADM is so low.
Jim: But with such high MIL income, it's already time for the 7th Idea! Yes, our contestants have filled their first Idea group! And what do they get, Bob?
Bob: A new car! Eh, sorry, wrong show. I mean, they get the Idea Improved Foraging, which lowers attrition by 50%, preserving precious Chinese manpower.
Jim: Which there is plenty of.
Bob: But wait! There's more! They also get a bonus for completing the Defensive Idea Group: 1% attrition for all enemies on Ming soil.
1495-04: Plenty of Ideas
Jim: Again, I'm not really impressed.
Bob: Oh, but you should be! This is unavoidable, always applicable attrition. Combine that with Ming's 50% stronger forts, means that our contestants' enemies will bleed themselves dry on the walls of China.
Jim: Well, if you say so. They might need all of this, as the Oirat horde has finally ended its Peasants' War, which has caused a lot of damage to them the last decades. Hopefully they do not turn their attention south.
Bob: Maybe some diplomacy could help? The contestants have developed a new tech, Embassies (6), at a reasonable 780 DIP points.
1495-08: Administrative tech goes as fast as frozen molasses
Jim: Nice, but I predict that without the Bureaucrats' cost reduction for buildings, we won't see the Embassy build anytime soon.
Bob: We'll see.
<Tick, tock, time passes>
Jim: Well, it can't always be about action and stuff, does it Bob?
Bob: Guess you're right. Everything is humming along nicely. Good for the Chinese, not so much for our audience.
Jim: Well, the Chinese are also getting restless. A couple of events have reduced stability to zero. Just one more and the Mandate of Heaven will disappear!
Bob: Well, that would liven things up. Oh wait, the Eunuch's have increased stability again by event. Nevermind.
Jim: <Sighs> Well, I think this is as exiting as it gets for the moment. As we enter the 16th century Local Time, we must say adieu to our audience. Until next time!