I still love your style for this. The back and forth mechanic allows you to explain how things work. Very well written and funny too!
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I aim to please
I hope the aftermath was suitable.Did you take those provinces from the Oirats just for some strategic depth near your capital? They seem pretty worthless otherwise.
Good to see a nice friendly punitive war, hopefully Bengal will stick its neck out next
One reason is just because I can
Another is to deny those provinces to Korea. In hindsight, those conquests were probably not the wisest, though.We'll see.....
:S
Thanks, Ashantai! I worry that the style is less suitable for a single country AAR than a double country, so it's good to hear that it still works!
Thank you!
Episode 6: aggressive diplomacy
Jim: And we're back, dear viewers.
Bob: Glad to have you all here.
Jim: Well, for once we're off to a slow start. In the first three years, the only interesting thing was that the skill 3 ADM advisor died and was replaced by a skill 2 Philosopher. Monarch income is now 8/7/6.
Bob: Hah, some action at least!
Jim: Indeed, Bob. In 1540, Ming has acquired yet two more techs. The Scythe (9) will improve Ming's production.
Bob: While Star Fort (9) will give Ming access to Asian Steppe Cavalry and improving cavalry shock. And the construction of Star Forts, of course.
Jim: So that's why our contestants are recruiting more cavalry! As well as some artillery to make sieging more efficient, I guess.
Bob: Ming has now three armies, each with 8 infantry regiments, 4 cavalry regiments and 1 artillery regiment.
1541-08 Military overview
Jim: Ming can easily carry the financial burden of this army buildup. In peace, the army on low maintenance costs only 8.5 ducats per month, while income is at a nice 52.5 ducats.
Bob: But there is more excitement, as Ming finally researches Modern Theocracy (10) and you know what that means:
Jim & Bob: New Idea group!!
Jim: So what will they choose?
Bob: The diplomacy group!
Jim: Mmmmm. I guess our contestants will not go for colonization.
Bob: And it gets better! They immediately adopt three new Ideas, thereby gaining a new National idea.
Jim: Wow, they're on a roll. What have they gained?
Bob: Foreign embassies, giving another diplomat. Claim fabrication, which halves the time for making claims. And lastly, Cabinet, which gives Ming two more relations. The National Idea they have gained is the Repair of the Yellow River dykes, increasing production efficiency by 10%.
Jim: Looks like those military engineers were busy again.
1544-01 Idea overview
Jim: And now, two years later, they adopt Adaptability, decreasing core-creating cost by 25%.
Bob: There is no time for expansion, however: the Mandate of Heaven has been lost due to stability loss.
Jim: Those damned military theorists and their debates on offense or defense!
1546-03 Mandate lost
Bob: Even with the high cost for stability, 217 ADM power, our contestants raise stability back to zero.
Jim: They can't be happy with that. That could have bought half an Idea or a quarter of a tech.
Bob: Don't worry about that too much, Ming is doing well in that regard. Look at what our analysts have cooked up.
1546-11 country comparison
Bob: Not only has Ming the most tech of any known nation, but the most Ideas by far: there is no other nation with more than two Ideas.
Jim: I see, quite reassuring.
Bob: It even gets better: Ming gains another technology, Reiter (10). Beside the importation of German terminology, it improves the shock and fire of cavarly, as well as maneuverability. It also enables a new cannon type, Culverin.
1547-10: techs. Hey, they are all level 10, nicely balanced.
Jim: Ming is mighty. And stable: a Jin Era statue increases stability to +1, decreasing the chance of losing the Mandate of Heaven.
Bob: With this many blessings, the only rational thing Ming can do is invade the Oirat horde.
Jim: Wait, what...
Bob: They have claims on three provinces, so they declare war.
Jim: Unsurprisingly, in three years a devastating victory is achieved, although Ming has lost about 12.000 men. Four provinces change hands, as an additional claim was made during the war.
1552-03: northern expansion
Bob: The new territory is cored as soon as possible, at a total cost of about 200 ADM points.
Jim: Why wouldn't they switch to Templars to make that cheaper, Bob?
Bob: I think it's because the Eunuchs have 80 influence and the Templars 0. It would take about 50 MIL power to let the Templars lead and then 10-20 DIP points to switch back to the Eunuchs. So it would be a trade of MIL/DIP power for ADM on more or less equal terms. Apparantly our contestants did not see the wisdom in that.
Jim: Mmm, makes sense.
Bob: To return to domestic matters, our contestants have adopted the economic Idea National Bank, with which inflation is reduced by 0.1% per year.
Jim: With current inflation at 1%, the Bank alone will remove that in 10 years.
Bob: Aaaaand a corruption event increases that to 4%.
Jim: Cheer up, Bob. As Ming adopts the diplomatic Idea of Revolution & Counter-revolution, the National Idea of Restoring the Salt Monopoly is adopted, increasing trade income by 10%.
Bob: It's nice, I guess. But R&CR only gives a Casus Belli on opposite governments, of which none are known to Ming.
1554-05 I might have no idea what I'm doing, but Ming does have ideas
Jim: See it this way: only six more Ideas and Ming has all its National Ideas!
Bob: That is a good thing.
Jim: While we are talking, Ming takes yet another Idea: Debts & Loans, reducing loan interest.
Bob: Well, with 9 ADM power per month, that's one Idea in rougly three years. If all remains the same, in 10 years the economic idea group will be filled up.
Jim: Bam! Another economic Idea! Centralization this, time, increasing the pool of advisors by one.
Bob: As Ming has only two per group currently, this is a welcome 50% increase. Look, all these Ideas and nice and well, but I wished something else happened.
Jim: Don't say that, Bob. The Empress has died in 1557 and left the nation with zero stability!
Bob: Too bad. She had a nice ADM skill.
Jim: The new Emperor, Bai the 1st, has ADM/DIP/MIL skills of 3/2/1.
1557-12 government
Bob: DIP power gain is low, but a new 3-skill trader quickly changes that.
Jim: With the end of a 43-year reign, it's time to wrap up this episode and call it a night. Thank you all for watching!
1557-12 Far East
Jim: And we're back, dear viewers.
Bob: Glad to have you all here.
Jim: Well, for once we're off to a slow start. In the first three years, the only interesting thing was that the skill 3 ADM advisor died and was replaced by a skill 2 Philosopher. Monarch income is now 8/7/6.
Bob: Hah, some action at least!
Jim: Indeed, Bob. In 1540, Ming has acquired yet two more techs. The Scythe (9) will improve Ming's production.
Bob: While Star Fort (9) will give Ming access to Asian Steppe Cavalry and improving cavalry shock. And the construction of Star Forts, of course.
Jim: So that's why our contestants are recruiting more cavalry! As well as some artillery to make sieging more efficient, I guess.
Bob: Ming has now three armies, each with 8 infantry regiments, 4 cavalry regiments and 1 artillery regiment.
1541-08 Military overview
Jim: Ming can easily carry the financial burden of this army buildup. In peace, the army on low maintenance costs only 8.5 ducats per month, while income is at a nice 52.5 ducats.
Bob: But there is more excitement, as Ming finally researches Modern Theocracy (10) and you know what that means:
Jim & Bob: New Idea group!!
Jim: So what will they choose?
Bob: The diplomacy group!
Jim: Mmmmm. I guess our contestants will not go for colonization.
Bob: And it gets better! They immediately adopt three new Ideas, thereby gaining a new National idea.
Jim: Wow, they're on a roll. What have they gained?
Bob: Foreign embassies, giving another diplomat. Claim fabrication, which halves the time for making claims. And lastly, Cabinet, which gives Ming two more relations. The National Idea they have gained is the Repair of the Yellow River dykes, increasing production efficiency by 10%.
Jim: Looks like those military engineers were busy again.
1544-01 Idea overview
Jim: And now, two years later, they adopt Adaptability, decreasing core-creating cost by 25%.
Bob: There is no time for expansion, however: the Mandate of Heaven has been lost due to stability loss.
Jim: Those damned military theorists and their debates on offense or defense!
1546-03 Mandate lost
Bob: Even with the high cost for stability, 217 ADM power, our contestants raise stability back to zero.
Jim: They can't be happy with that. That could have bought half an Idea or a quarter of a tech.
Bob: Don't worry about that too much, Ming is doing well in that regard. Look at what our analysts have cooked up.
1546-11 country comparison
Bob: Not only has Ming the most tech of any known nation, but the most Ideas by far: there is no other nation with more than two Ideas.
Jim: I see, quite reassuring.
Bob: It even gets better: Ming gains another technology, Reiter (10). Beside the importation of German terminology, it improves the shock and fire of cavarly, as well as maneuverability. It also enables a new cannon type, Culverin.
1547-10: techs. Hey, they are all level 10, nicely balanced.
Jim: Ming is mighty. And stable: a Jin Era statue increases stability to +1, decreasing the chance of losing the Mandate of Heaven.
Bob: With this many blessings, the only rational thing Ming can do is invade the Oirat horde.
Jim: Wait, what...
Bob: They have claims on three provinces, so they declare war.
Jim: Unsurprisingly, in three years a devastating victory is achieved, although Ming has lost about 12.000 men. Four provinces change hands, as an additional claim was made during the war.
1552-03: northern expansion
Bob: The new territory is cored as soon as possible, at a total cost of about 200 ADM points.
Jim: Why wouldn't they switch to Templars to make that cheaper, Bob?
Bob: I think it's because the Eunuchs have 80 influence and the Templars 0. It would take about 50 MIL power to let the Templars lead and then 10-20 DIP points to switch back to the Eunuchs. So it would be a trade of MIL/DIP power for ADM on more or less equal terms. Apparantly our contestants did not see the wisdom in that.
Jim: Mmm, makes sense.
Bob: To return to domestic matters, our contestants have adopted the economic Idea National Bank, with which inflation is reduced by 0.1% per year.
Jim: With current inflation at 1%, the Bank alone will remove that in 10 years.
Bob: Aaaaand a corruption event increases that to 4%.
Jim: Cheer up, Bob. As Ming adopts the diplomatic Idea of Revolution & Counter-revolution, the National Idea of Restoring the Salt Monopoly is adopted, increasing trade income by 10%.
Bob: It's nice, I guess. But R&CR only gives a Casus Belli on opposite governments, of which none are known to Ming.
1554-05 I might have no idea what I'm doing, but Ming does have ideas
Jim: See it this way: only six more Ideas and Ming has all its National Ideas!
Bob: That is a good thing.
Jim: While we are talking, Ming takes yet another Idea: Debts & Loans, reducing loan interest.
Bob: Well, with 9 ADM power per month, that's one Idea in rougly three years. If all remains the same, in 10 years the economic idea group will be filled up.
Jim: Bam! Another economic Idea! Centralization this, time, increasing the pool of advisors by one.
Bob: As Ming has only two per group currently, this is a welcome 50% increase. Look, all these Ideas and nice and well, but I wished something else happened.
Jim: Don't say that, Bob. The Empress has died in 1557 and left the nation with zero stability!
Bob: Too bad. She had a nice ADM skill.
Jim: The new Emperor, Bai the 1st, has ADM/DIP/MIL skills of 3/2/1.
1557-12 government
Bob: DIP power gain is low, but a new 3-skill trader quickly changes that.
Jim: With the end of a 43-year reign, it's time to wrap up this episode and call it a night. Thank you all for watching!
1557-12 Far East
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Nice to see Ming is doing well! Bengal's not doing too shabby either, by the looks of it.
Pretty impressive tech advancement. I don't think you're much behind even Europeans with those levels.
Let me just say that the South Asian situation is...volatile.
I won't spoil things too much (I've played ahead a bit already), but yes, Ming tech advancement isn't that bad. The tech penalties are IMO less than in EU3, where the Chinese group had much costlier tech. The Eunuch faction lowers costs so much that in many cases I only pay 30% more than base cost. Also, my focus on Ideas saves me a lot of MonPons as 1) I only pay 360 MonPons per Idea instead of 400 and 2) I often get a tech cost reduction due to neighbor bonus as my tech slightly lags even behind other Chinese-group nations.
Considering how China used to have at times 1/4th of the worlds population, having up to ~25% of global domestic product should result in way higher incomes compared to random Indonesian states.
Well, that's income under government disposal. Historically Ming government was very weak at collecting taxes and actually had acute problems collecting enough revenue for all its needs. So despite China being extremely rich you shouldn't be swimming in gold as Ming.
I'm loving this - excellent work. As was said above, Bengal is doing really well. Do you see yourself potentially heading into India or Indochina, or will you go after Korea.
Guys, if you want to discuss the realism of EU4's portrayal of anything, please take it to the EU4 forums. Let's keep this thread friendly and fun, shall we?
I will not spoil anything, so I will not tell where I will expand (as I did in previous AARs).
Thank you for your appreciation, TonyJoe!
Take the Koreans down a notch, they want to be your rival - now let them see what happens to your rivals.
Going well with those ideas and tech. I bet one of the first things in the next episode will be a new MIL tech. Also, Japan is doing very well.
Thanks, Ashantai. Ming's -10% Idea cost is indeed very useful.
Let me just say that things got interesting in the north.
Good to have you on board, JtW!
Japan is indeed prospering too well. As for Ideas...well, we'll see
Damn photoshop and its download limit strikes again. I'm seriously considering throwing the AAR on imageshack. Do you guys think that's a good idea? Or should I use another image host?
Well, it's 1557, and any moment now the Europeans should be tentatively knocking on your door (if they haven't already), asking for ever more money and land. If the last few updates suggest anything, you shouldn't be too far behind.