A shot of tAQUILEIA... an [IN] learning AAR

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So..many..rebels.

Always nice to see the Otts kicked around, and you've got a large chunk of Africa.

I wonder how much longer Burgundy will decide to play nice?

Actually, that gets answered soon... It was one of those puzzles while I was playing. They were nice, they were mean, then they were nice. It's like they were schizo or something.

I too love to kick the Otts around. They are worthy adversaries, especially if you let them grow a little. Always a good fight.

I have to give poor Enewald a break, or some new glasses...

I have almost as many updates this time as I had rebels... It's what happens when you go for 8 hours in a shot. (6 of it just the war with the Otts...)

I'm off now to take a little break for Enewald's sake... Hang in there bud !

T

 

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I'd suggest demanding Bithyania and Bursa to separate them from their capital.

NO PEEKING !

T

 

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Things all seem to heading in the right direction for me in the war with the Ottomans. I am sitting where I want to, taking what I need to and progressing at my pace. The Otts have been very accommodating hosts, offering up snacks of armies with the occasional tense moment. I am readying my armies for a push into the Ottoman home land past Thrace. It all really does seem to be going well...

Until the Ottomans locate one of their Stack of Doom Attrition Machines and proceeds to unleash it upon me in Anatolia:

At just shy of 31K it dwarfs anything I have in the area. My siege forces are caught, surrounded... Badly outnumbered on his ground and in siege mode. It's everything I was doing to him, only I'm the one with the morale issues now...

With no commander, my unit fights for dear life against 4 to 1 odds:

I scramble and pull everything with a uniform I can find to bring help, to try and save as many of them as possible...

Having done what I can, I pop over and get Gao set up...

My men are doing the impossible... Holding the lines with ferocity and tenacity, refusing to falter and refusing to fall...

For three solid weeks they hold, with reinforcements finally arriving to join the fight after some 21 days:

I dispatch a rebel uprising in Yatenga and return to the main event... Yemen on the phone? Tell them I'm busy, call me back later...

The final set of reinforcements arrive, and the battle still rages:

News of Beirut appears, a crushing defeat... Yemen still sits on hold... I hope they like elevator music.

Victory is mine !

It cost me dearly, but the Ottoman counter offensive is stopped in it's tracks, and the huge army lumbers off in search of a new fight.

But the Ottomans aren't done. They have quietly massed another counter offensive in Mocha:

I catch it just as I get news of another province going Pro...

They hit me in Beirut and Mocha simultaneously:

I have just enough time to slip a 6K Cavalry stack into Mocha, just before they arrive. I can only hope I don't get a rebellion over the bridge now...

For a solid week the battle of Mocha rages, until finally:

Another victory. Though not as costly to me, it isn't very costly to him either. He will be back again...

I do some quick consolidating and rearranging...

I have to. The battles have been hard on my MP, and I am now down to 35K.

Most of that is new units being minted to cover the areas that I have had to pull out of to take the Otts on. If I don't consolidate now, I'll end up with one of those "need 80K to reinforce" holes you can't get out of in war time.

 

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These 2K Infantry guys have just been hanging out, besieging since the beginning of the conflict:

With the walls breached I pop an assault to try and wrap it up. I could have left it, but I like to see the assaults sometimes...

Another Greek province falls while I'm at it...

It won't be long until all of these are under me.

The siege of Edirne progresses along, and the mystery attrition stack has gone away to lick it's wounds.

I pull my men back to my ground to recoup and replenish as well as move into Janina. Morea should have taken at least one of these before bowing out. I realize I will need more men. That stack of death will be returning at some point. I need a counter to it.

Another +30 trade a month for a year... I need it.

More reinforcing armies are being completed too. I am near to being able to make the big push...

Another bait and switch in Beirut:

By far the province voted "most likely to die in" by the Ottoman Army for 1676.

I pulled everyone out of Damascus but the limited siegers, and the Otts are taking the bait:

I send my 12K Cavalry stack across to be there for them when they arrive...
Also, thanks to the cores I can mint new men on site and not have to rely on shipping.

One of the cornerstones of the war is set:

As long as I can hold I'm Guaranteed something out of the peace now. It's simply (DOH! never say anything will be simple!) a matter of how far I can push and how long.

I also finally wrap this one up:

This is more of a nuisance province for me. The Otts value it pretty highly, more than likely because it's in the middle of my territory. I look at it as more of a convenience. I have a route around it so for me it's no biggie. It will be a take it or leave it in the peace, depending on what else is present.

I also pop in on Yemen... Their pittance of an army falls away quickly and I begin to siege them too.

I need some good news, and it comes by way of my MP. It has climbed back up to almost 50K. That means I'm not having to mint alot of new men to get this done, and I have a decent reserve to left to call on if things suddenly go south. It's also a reflection of attrition and WE... more men = less attrition = lower WE. Always a good thing.

 

[Enewald]

And the beating of ottos continues. As allways.

Mean bishop.

 

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My Cavalry ploy in Damascus is a rousing success:

A few more good chunks like that and that unit will be "functionally inoperate" for the rest of this campaign...

A quick look at the Man Power numbers:

4100 a month, 20K needed for reinforcements and 49K in reserve. Very good considering I just minted 2 complete sieging armies to push into the heart of the Ottoman Empire...

Final staging of the siege armies begins in earnest:

I have alot of ground to cover if I am going to wrap this up anytime soon.

Boy, I am really glad I got out of that alliance:

Bavaria has been neatly dissected by Burgundy and Poland, and Denmark refuses to see the light... I would have had two wars by now if I stayed with them... And I'd probably look like them now too.

Here I am wasting time:

Seriously. This is one of those things that sounds so good at the time, but in retrospect is just plain dumb with a capital "B".

"But Why?" You ask... Well OK, maybe you don't. Maybe you already know why and are snickering at me while mumbling to yourself "you fool, you fool"...

The first thing is that instead of wearing down the Ottomans who have units conveniently stationed all around me, and taking their provinces to get to a peace so I don't have revolts coming out my wazoo... I'm off on a tangent. Burning time, MP and resources on a province that will be nigh useless unless I take and get adjacent ones to it in the Ott peace deal. Yes, it's a strategic land bridge, but really now... why waste WS points on this when MECCA is staring you in the face. As this all unfolds you'll end up with a very good understanding of "bonehead".

For as badly as I am doing to the south... Well, OK. Things aren't bad. They're just being delayed while I fiddle with Tangential Provinces and Their Effect on Waging Successful Campaigns...

In the north however, things are going nicely, and actually according to plan:

I have dispatched the rebels in Smyrna and taken control of Bursa. My new armies are marching to the front, and will soon be able to extend into Kastamon and Angora.

I here "Oh Canada..." playing in the background. It seems they too have revolted over yonder and formed their great nation. But alas, I don't make trade deals. Ever. Sorry. Better luck next time. I also remember very quickly why I was trying to move this war along:

Here we go... And just after this another pops over in India...

Then one pops in Anatolia right under my siege:

Not to mention the one in Macedonia... It appears my WElcome wagon has arrived. Now I know why the anthem is "Oh Canada..." It's what you have to say every other month when the bug you about silly things like trade agreements.

I finally take Damascus, and move one of my newly created siege engines into Tabouk:

Nice timing... The Otts didn't need that cannon anyways.

It's a pain, but I have to divert siege engines destined for the front into provinces to quell rebellions:

See the fire on that general? How else do explain a half morale rebel force of 5K blowing the living snot out of my 7K regiment? Thank God I got cannons coming. It looks like I'll be needing them!

 

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The old Ottomans think I'm not paying attention...

How wrong they are. I left 2 units behind just to take you out for doing this kind of thing. It doesn't take me long to learn most things...

Except I want to play sneaky too...

I pull my 12K Cavalry out to handle them. I figure it will be moments after they leave that the Ott force in Aleppo will attempt to move in on Damascus. Except now I'm not sieging and have defensive position and full morale...

Another bunch of Rebels pops in Konya:

I pull out a worn group of men for a fresh one. That way when they pop over to say "HI!" I'll have something for them.

Meanwhile, back over on the Indian Peninsula:

As if the ping ponging crap wasn't enough, I get another rebel shout out. UGH. I want to come over here and just LEVEL the whole continent from here north.

Well Gojjam!... Again!:

Breath... just Breath... Relax, take a breath...

The first part of operation sucker punch goes well:

I also call upon my fleet to get ready to take a Cav squad over to the peninsula. It seems like ages ago, but it wasn't that long in game time....

Where pingpong has been named the official sport of rebels everywhere:

Sure enough, the Otts jump on the "defenseless" Damascus.

They actually waited until they could pull some backup in and jump into Beirut to try to get me isolated one on one. Nice trick, actually...

Down south, things are going so so:

Aden was in the TI, but isn't anymore! And I need another revolt like a hole in the head.

At least we have progress...

It seems like alot longer, but it's only been just over a year game time. If I play more than 20 seconds before pausing it's alot... There's just so much going on and so many things that can take you to the cleaners if you don't catch them in time.

Like I was saying:

What else are you gonna do? You just have to buckle down, pop some BTO into the CD player and be "Taking care of business... every day... Taking care of business, every way...Taking care of business, it's alright... Taking care of business and working overtime..."

 

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I decide to expand the scope of operation Sucker Punch, pulling in more and more Ottoman units:

The morale is just about right to move into Judea...

So I spring the trap before the Otts can get away:

He's angling another unit to go into Hawran... That's good, another one for the funeral pyre...

I also pop a 4K Cavalry reserve stack to jump into Damascus:

Just as I do his big stack turns to head in there too. I can smell the powder and hear the cries now...

Down south, a strange thing happens...

The Otts are paring down their army and sending it off away from the battle. I don't care why, I just look forward to taking the provinces without the big manpower obstacle in my way.

Back over on the peninsula, my ship arrives with the Cav reinforcements:

Just in time to witness another pingpong parade.

All of my extra building is beginning to take it's toll on my MP...

It's still OK for now, but considering I need half of my reserves now and I still haven't gotten into the big push yet I begin to become a little concerned.

I guess it was bound to happen:

An innocuous little rebellion in the middle of nowhere... except that I had to pull some men out of here to go over to the peninsula, and I am woefully undermanned...

I still have one decent Cav stack, but it's up north dealing with it's own troubles...

I really need to kick things into high gear here, and soon.

Operation Sucker Punch comes together like clock work:

The Otts are thinking they're going to make headway... They are SO wrong.

So I wasted almost a year on this one province...

For what?

Yeah big deal, a date with Mr. Annex.

And then this:

What was that you were saying? Clockwork? It really is a bad thing... I lost a bunch of men to attrition before the Otts got there. That unit was only down a few hundred men total, but managed to die off in record numbers at the slightest hint of the Otts coming to get them...

 

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The rest of operation Sucker Punch is going much better:

The problem now is that I have a 4K Cavalry regiment committed with no support flying into Damascus... Time for re-strategizing on the fly. My 12K stack is done with it's rounds early, so I tap them for the assignment.

Meanwhile back on the peninsula...

Ahhh, it's a repeat. Anything else on?

Nope. Same show, different title:

It seems pingpong rebels has become very popular. It's now a world wide phenomena.

My 12K stack sings Peter Gabriel on the way in:

"I wanna be... your sledge hammer..."

Somewhere in the Ottoman headquarters, a reed snaps in broken wind...

Talk about news of the odd:

I love to hear from TI locked countries I didn't even know existed. But really, not a "Hi we're Japan..." or a "Recohm, anahable Akeleeah-san..." Just some random scrap that you and somebody else I don't know are getting a little personal? Can't you see I'm a very delicate war situation? Couldn't you have just mailed me an invitation? I figure the lack of RSVP to your request for attendance would be enough to let you know I can give a flying...

TODAY ON PING PONG REBEL:

I think the blue team is winning.

The Ottomans attempt retaliation for their humiliating defeat in Damascus.

Apparently no one told them it was a reenactment... They also try to dislodge me from my spanking brand new province. They took that big stack into the TI and then attacked me out of it. To say I am outnumbered would be like saying a hippo makes big droppings... that you can't always see because they are so far in the water. So be careful where you step crossing the water hole.

As the fighting continues, I get word I finally kicked that small rebellion to the south:

My defenses fall victim to superior numbers and a seriously superior general:

I had hoped to reach them before they got tossed, by my reinforcements arrive a day late:

Hopefully they aren't a dollar short though. With the Otts being at high morale from the last fight AND from being in a siege, I can hope my guys have a chance to punt them back from whence they came...

TONIGHT ON PING PONG REBEL:

Hah! How about that. An actual convincing victory. I am beside myself with joy. Why I want to sit over there with dish soap is beyond me at this point, but it's true...

 

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Having been kicked out of my totally unneeded province, my gamble that the Otts would be on the short end of the morale stick pays off, costing the Otts more than it cost me:

I retain the rights to my tangent. I think if I retain it I will build it up into a new holy city for the new age movement, complete with a beautiful new "Tangentental Palace"... Hopefully the losses suffered by the Otts are enough to keep him sitting till the end of the month, anyways.

Janina Finally falls, and it's on to Corfu:

I also divert an army to the expatriated Transylvanian provinces on my border to the NE. I probably will avoid them in the peace simply because they will be further isolated and even more prone to revolt, so I may be able to pick them up "on the cheap"... They also make a nice no man's land between me and Poland should we ever have issues.

TOMORROW ON PING PONG REBEL:

Another new one. I just got rid of one. UGH. Somebody hurry the heck up and discover nukes...

My MP situation is now officially an issue.

This is not really normal for me. In fact, as previous updates clearly show I tend to burn through Man Power quite expediently. The fact I managed to last this long is kind of a pat myself on the back moment. (Besides, I have an itch...) Actually, I still think it to be quite manageable even at these levels. I just have that sneaking suspicion it won't stay that way.

As everyone heals up, The next sieges begin:

Again I notice new Ottoman units are heading away from the battle. That means either:

a) There's somebody bigger than me over there that they need to fight...

Or

b) That they are gathering another attrition engine to come give me grief. (which is by far the more likely of the two...)

Another rundown of the army pages will reveal whether or not my fears are warranted or just ramblings of a mind overtired and overtaxed:

There's alot of messed up numbers in there, that's for sure. It looks like everybody and their uncle have a case of disappearing armies and men.

Burgundy has lost 50K, The Golden Horde has lost a bunch... The Otts are a paltry 78K !!! Even Poland and Portugal have fallen through the floor. What's going on? I want to know!

Me on the other hand? Why, I've gone UP. (smiles slyly...)

At 77K, the Otts have plenty of men left to create a huge stack of attrition doom. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled...

Just as I start to move into Kastamon, another revolt pops in Rhodes.

Not that I can't handle it... It just sucks to have to waste manpower on revolts instead of a valid enemy. It's like taking one step forward and then two steps back. I have already demonstrated my amazing ability to go off on totally unproductive tangents. Don't the rebels see that? I don't NEED to be constantly revolted against... I can slow my own conquests down just fine all by myself, thank you very much.

The Golden Horde decides it wants to get a little tougher:

I watched them all the way in. They might as well dress in pink and bring pom-poms. They got a better shot of getting their nails done by trick ponies than they do causing me any grief.

Hey, I forgot You were still here...

I let 'em go. No sense tying them or me up for anything. I won't be out their way for awhile. Then it'll be different, but for now...

I got tied up on the interstate and didn't get to Beirut in time to stop the festivities...

Of course it turns out to be the fastest siege in recorded history, at least for 6K infantry. How was I to know the Guinness Book people were there timing them? It was like they walked in and flipped a switch and *poof*, instant GH province. Of course the switch throwing was a tad bit expensive for them as their 6K crack squad ends up cracked into 6K pieces...

 

[unddu]

Decaf... DECAF!!! :rofl:

Sicily will still be there at the end of this. With all of the Stab hits I'm going to take when I start again, the 5 or 10 it will want to hit me with will be meaningless. Then, no more Si-Silly.

Burgundy? Who knows... she's trying. She doesn't have the room now to expand, although she has ALOT of colonies courtesy Portugal. She's also in a delicate balance of alliances. It hasn't happened yet, but I think her apple cart is less steady than she thinks.

I have to tweak them some, but I like my advisers. Not to strong, but not weak either. Some are really nice, some aren't, but have interesting trade offs. I got real lucky with what I have, the odds are stacked against it.

So much typing to do, so little time...

T

Why not just cut them loose? Centralisation is way more important then just another crappy plot of land. Devassalise and just conquer them straight away. I have been seeing this a lot in MP as well, people keep annexing like it's nobodies business ending up with -25% income and what not, while I have 918919 BB but full cent giving me +25 income and what not. Why take that hit?


You need to get that show down with Burgundy underway: Rich lands are up for grabs! Mucking about in Africa is all nice and sweet: But MP province are the way to go.

Also your going full mercant or free trade? I hope free trade, because of the huge bonus all your ivory/tea/chinaware/coffee province get. As I said before somewhere else, it might seem strange, but going full free trade when aiming for a WC will be far more profitable in the long run than full mercant. Just imagine: An entire world filled with consts/marketplaces/customs and all free trade! I think that 800+ values for provinces like Hormuz and Jinchaung (chinaware) are very much possible!

edit: I just happen to drink more than 8 cups of coffee a day. That's just a tiny bit of caffeine!!oneoneone!

 

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Not only did the Horde lose it's stake in the game, It appears that not all of the Ottomans were smart enough to go the other way:

With the riffraff cleared, I siege to regain my province.

It's not exactly record breaking or earth shattering, but it's still just a short time before Beirut rejoins my empire...

My phone is ringing again. I buzz my receptionist to find out who it is:

"It's the Ottomans with a 'please stop taking our country' courtesy call, sir."

"Why are they calling us? They need to be speaking with the rebels, they're doing as much damage as I am..."

"They insist on speaking with you, Sir..."

"Put the message on."

"The message, sir?"

"Yes, you know, the message...."

"Oh, right. Yes, sir, right away."

"We're sorry, but the ruler you have reached... VOICE HIRED TO REPRESENT THE ARCH BISHOP, LEADER OF THE OF AQUILEIAN NATION... is not in service at this time. Please check the number, and try your call again..."

"It's them again, sir."

"BLAST!... Let me hang up and then patch it through, they can leave a message on the machine."

"Very good sir..."

"You have reached the phone of the ruler of Aquileia... No one cares if they are home right now, nor do they care what you'd like to say. If you insist on leaving a message, speak very quickly making sure to enunciate each word articulately so we may at least hear what you say. We will then determine if your message deserves a response. We will then hold a session of the royal court to determine what should be said. We will then break for lunch. We will then reconvene and dictate our response to the royal scribe, unless of course it is Tuesday. We always Golf on Tuesday, so we are not able to respond on Tuesdays. Unless of course it is a RAINY Tuesday. Then we Golf on Wednesday. So then we would be able to respond on Tuesday, but not Wednesday of that week. If you would like to know the local weather forcast so you can figure out if we will respond or not, hang up, redial this number and ask for the royal weather bureau, extension 22. If you are still on the line and still wish to take a chance and leave a message, you may leave your message after the tone."

(beep) Yes, this is (beep)

"Thank you for calling the ruler of Aquileia, Goodbye!"

One of the nice things about alot of battles is getting my tradition over 20 pretty consistently. Once I hit 23 or so I take a general. I'd like to actually get it higher, but there are so many fronts I can't focus all of my tradition into one general and be effective. Better to have a few decent generals than one super one, at least for now.

Especially because they die so quick. But, if they get me done here that little bit quicker it will be worth it. Especially with the revolts popping in Ott territory... I just need to steamroller them and move on. I don't have time for ping pong, and a decent general can make that happen.

Just like this:

Snap Crackle Pop, on with the show....

I am quickly approaching MP no man's land...

I am losing more men than I gain now. It can't be helped in a battle of this size and scope. It's now just a matter of staying alert and smart, consolidating when you can to keep demand down and putting your forces in the best placements you can. Hey, Isn't that what you're supposed to do anyways? Well, yeah... but now I take fewer chances. I tend to be even more deliberate with where my men go. You're just walking the tightrope with out the net...

The rebs pop out of Rhodes and give a little slap as they go by...

Catch you on the rebound... They just smirk as they saunter off back to their little island...

Once there I send in my Cavalry. I can't help myself: "I told you so":

Having eliminated the intermediate Ottoman armies around Beirut I am now free to start moving into Aleppo.

I also get a call form the GH... It appears they don't want to play anymore.

Surely you jest...

Always good for a joke, those Golden Boys...

Hey, Dilbert! Yeah you... Hungary is the other way...

I still think nationalist rebels need to stay in the province they revolt in. They are supposed to be making a homeland, not going out and getting killed.

Oh oh... I better watch out! The Horde is looking mean:

The Golden Horde is coming to get ya !!! Well, maybe tickle me. Maybe give me a little exercise to work off my Wheaties...

"Hold the line men... Here they come..."

2 minutes later: "Alright boys, lets get this mess cleaned up. And I don't wanna see any toes this time, GOT ME?"

Dum dun dah.... Dum dum dun dun dah...

Today on "The Royals Court"...

The Agricultural Minister believes the nation has had an exceptional year...
However, the Plaintiff states that he's full of his own fertilizer... Who's on the right side of this case? We'll find out, right after this..."

Dum dun dah.... Dum dum dun dun dah...

(Mom and Daughter out in the back doing the washing...)

"Oh, heavens..."

"What is it, my dear?"

"Oh, Frank hath that interview on the morrow to perchance land his first big promotion at yonder blacksmiths... but the collar of his brightest shirt is is naught but full of stains... Curse that he sweateth so profusely above the shoulders!"

"Be still my girl, and holdeth thy tongue. If you wouldst just asketh, I would showeth you how to make thine collar ring disappear!"

"Oh how, mother? How dost thee maketh my Father's cloth of the neck so clean?"

"Why, with WISKETH... a just pouring upon the dearth of dingy area, a slight rubbing together of the cloth... Then washeth as always..."

(later that evening...)

"Oh, my mother most fair! Frank hath has his interview and has been promoted to head bellows man!"

(enter Frank, all black from soot except the white of his teeth as he smiles... all laugh as camera pans to WISKETH on the table in the kitchen.)

Dum dun dah.... Dum dum dun dun dah...

"We're back on The Royal's Court to settle the case of The Good Year... Our litigants have been sworn in and have taken their places before the bench"

ALL RISE for his honor the Arch Bishop...

"Yes, yes... be seated. I have read the case files, Agricultural Minister, you may begin."

"Thank you your grace. We have had an excellent growing season this year, sir."

"I see. And the basis for this claim?"

"Well out of the last growing season we managed to take in a whole 25 ducats of extra revenue."

"I'm sorry, did you say 25 ducats?"

"Um, yes your eminence. 25 ducats. Yes."

"Quite... Well, What do you have to say sir?"

"Thank you your grace. It is this court representatives contention that this is mere grandstanding. Showmanship of the lowest kind. Really your grace, 25 Ducats? And he wants to brag about this? I have animals at home that have larger allowances than this paltry sum. I dare say we could pick up loose change about the kingdom for a week and reach that lofty a height of financial gain."

"Yes, I see your point and am inclined to agree... Mr. Minister, I find that 25 ducats is hardly anything to be writing home about, and it is this courts ruling that you should just sit down and shoosh."

"Well there you have it. Apparently the game agrees that it was a good year indeed... but the ruling of the court says the game too should just sit down and shoosh... That'll do it for this episode of "The Royal Court". And remember, If somebody rear ends your cart, don't take the law into your own hands... you take em to court!"

Dum dun dah.... Dum dum dun dun dah...

Meanwhile... In the top secret Golden Horde Special Strategy Headquarters... The top military commanders hatch a fiendish and wicked plan to reign havoc and terror down upon those awful Aquileians:

"We have obviously failed in our earlier attempt at thwarting the evil plans of the Aquileians in Kastamon. Well... NOT THIS TIME! muwahahahaha... We shall send not one, but TWO regiments of our best horseys... THEN we shall see who the REAL military power IS!!! MUWHAHAHAHHAHHA..."

Banat is gefallen. Ess ist Kaput. Vee gehen zu Oliena fur dem nexte Siege, Ja?

Before you pick on my German, I learned the ONLY phrase necessary to survive... "Ich hab keine ahnung was er sagt." What's it mean?

Loose translation: "I have no idea what you're saying".

 

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Why not just cut them loose?

That's why I said when I start playing again, I was not going to worry about the Stab hits. I'll be at -3 already from changing NI's and maybe Govt, so I can DOW them without any penalty and take them.

You need to get that show down with Burgundy underway: Rich lands are up for grabs! Mucking about in Africa is all nice and sweet: But MP province are the way to go.

I agree. I have been actively searching for an opening that would let me can opener them without pulling anybody else in. I think I see it in Pisa. Because they are the HRE boss, they will have to come get me if I take them, and I should not have to deal with all of her allies... Unless they just pile on for fun.

Also your going full mercant or free trade? I hope free trade, because of the huge bonus all your ivory/tea/chinaware/coffee province get. As I said before somewhere else, it might seem strange, but going full free trade when aiming for a WC will be far more profitable in the long run than full mercant. Just imagine: An entire world filled with consts/marketplaces/customs and all free trade! I think that 800+ values for provinces like Hormuz and Jinchaung (chinaware) are very much possible!
edit: I just happen to drink more than 8 cups of coffee a day. That's just a tiny bit of caffeine!!oneoneone!

Currently my sliders are -3 to the Merchant side. I planned on working over to the Free Trade as a priority once fully central, which I am now. (All the way left)

I drink alot of the Java myself, so don't fret. And don't get mad cuz I laugh when I see !one!!one ... Just because I have no idea what it means or what you're trying to say doesn't mean I can't "enjoy" seeing it...

Lastly... PLEASE understand this. What you are reading now I played last weekend...

I won't play again until (maybe) tomorrow, Sunday. I hope to address alot of the issues we have been talking about, but I haven't finished the previous "day" yet. I think I have like 450 screen shots in this update out of the 600 or so I took while playing. The Ott war was (maybe too?) well documented, and it's alot to write up.

For me, the writing is half the fun, so I do it this way.

Please don't think I'm not paying attention to what you're trying to say because the next update doesn't reflect what we're talking about... All of that will come in the next "day" of updates, which will be day 10, and I usually will begin the first one with a recap of what I want to do based on what we talk about before hand.

It actually goes out to all of you reading too. I enjoy the feedback, and trying to adapt to the varying strats and play styles. I also enjoy the jokes, the suggestions and the occasional over caffeinated response. I always try to respond in kind, joking and keeping it light or serious when it's a serious discussion.

Enough rambling. I inherited the gift of the LBL from my Father, and if anything I have only improved upon it.

T

PS- LBL= Long Boring Lecture...

 

[unddu]

Ah don't worry, I wasn't worrying or anything. The !!!oneone11!!! remarks are coming from Battlenet (Blizzards Match Making Service), most of the younger (and some of the older) players there tend to get well let's say excited and abuse the exclamation mark a lot. This results in 11!!!111!!! :rofl: combined with a lot of l33t speak.

I now see what you meant with the Sicily thing, it seemed we had a slight error in our communication.


And don't fret about pleasing your audience to much: It's your AAR and you are free to do what ever you want to with it: I absolutely don't expect you to follow up on what I say, it's nice if you do though


Yeah! I just had my first cup of coffee. Just one so not enough caffeine to go wild. I still have to work as well, that serves as a proper downer.....

 

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Ah don't worry, I wasn't worrying or anything. The !!!oneone11!!! remarks are coming from Battlenet (Blizzards Match Making Service), most of the younger (and some of the older) players there tend to get well let's say excited and abuse the exclamation mark a lot. This results in 11!!!111!!! :rofl: combined with a lot of l33t speak.

I now see what you meant with the Sicily thing, it seemed we had a slight error in our communication.


And don't fret about pleasing your audience to much: It's your AAR and you are free to do what ever you want to with it: I absolutely don't expect you to follow up on what I say, it's nice if you do though


Yeah! I just had my first cup of coffee. Just one so not enough caffeine to go wild. I still have to work as well, that serves as a proper downer.....

Ah, I had presumed correctly about the 11!!!... Have to say if it were me, I'd be worrying about taking enemies down, there'd be no punctuation...

I have to finish my first coffee now so I can post the last ten pages of this update and go back to playing

T

 

[unddu]

Ah, I had presumed correctly about the 11!!!... Have to say if it were me, I'd be worrying about taking enemies down, there'd be no punctuation...

I have to finish my first coffee now so I can post the last ten pages of this update and go back to playing

T

I just finished work and posting a new update in my own AAR. That warrants another cup of coffee me thinks!

P.S. I really hope the update shows you going in the direction of Hormuz. The single best province in the middle east!

 

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We now join our regularly scheduled program, already in progress...

"HI, and welcome back to Cooking With Alfredo... One of the key things to remember when boiling in oil is always maintain the right temperature. This goes for you castle defenders too. If the oil isn't hot enough, it won't burn properly..."

Honey? Have you seen the remote? Oh, never mind, I got it!

(click)

Tonight on Mutual of Oleenia's Royal Kingdom...

(click)

Hey Herby... what's a matter? How we a gunna win iffa you don't run?

hee-huh-hee-haw-heeeeee-b-b-b-b-b-bb-b.

-We'll be back to Herby the Love Donkey right after this mes-

(click)

I guess I really can't complain:

This is the first real "home" rebellion since this all started.

The twisted evil genius that is the Golden Horde strikes again:

And again:

All with the expected outcomes:

The Tirol siege is the nobles event. I chose the 2K. I mean seriously, it's 2K...

Oh hey, you remember that other province over by Lombardia...

Welcome to "Duhsville"... population, one. I sure as heck didn't... Not that I can do anything with it now either... I have to go over to Tirol and kick those 2K rebels off the planet. What's really sad is I'll forget about it again too unless another rebellion pops and I "re-notice" it.

I guess the GH heard me making fun of them:

They're actually bringing some boots this time. Too bad they aren't for butt kicking, they're for walking and dying in.

I start to get ready to make the next push by bringing my Cavalry stack to the front to handle all the rebels without a job.

Once this set of sieges is done, I'll kick out another line of provinces. This way there's no soft spot along the front and I don't have to worry about Ottoman regiments busting in behind the lines and making me chase my tail. Chasing tail isn't necessarily a bad thing, but chasing my own is. I mean, like I've seen it...

The Horde needs a new slogan. It was "when the going gets tough, the Horde gets tougher..." Lately he's been finding the going tougher than usual:

So much so the 2nd wave turns to a new target without even trying. Some suggested Horde slogans:

-"Hey, what the hell are we doing out here?"
-"Hey, we're outnumbered 5 to 1... who's the rocket scientist who thought this one up?"
-"Hey, We aren't supposed to have suicide bombers yet. I mean shouldn't we should at least develop BOMBS first..."
-"Hey, When the going gets gone... Tough"
-"Hey, At least we died with our boots on..."
-"Hey, You, get off of my cloud..."

I find another "hidden" Ottoman province, and I now know where the rebels came from:

I have to wonder about them boys. I understand they come from out yonder, from the back desert middle of nowhere. But shoot, trees have gown, died and burned in the campfire... And them hillbillies ain't pulled off that siege in Asir yet...

Here's the next contestant on "Steal... a.... Fortune!":

I guess I failed to mention that the Ottomans were a BIG empire? Two years in and half way home... And played 5 to 15 seconds at a time. If I was 5 again, I'd probably be yelling at Mom to get me off this ride. Now? I just want it to keep going and going and going...

 

[unddu]

Random provinces everywhere! Especially if they are landlocked they rock!

 

[unmerged(69928)]

We start just as another province falls to the hand of Aquileia:

These are some hefty Manpower and Money provinces for the Otts... It's safe to say at this point his back is broken and it's only a matter of time.

I still have areas I can't see yet, and it will not surprise me to see a last gasp of fight before this is over. He still has alot of men floating around, and they all have a little blue flag painted under the visor of their helmets.

I am currently sitting with a 53% WS:

It's not enough to cover the provinces I want, and I also don't want to stop until I control Mecca...

Speaking of which:

As I start the siege, I immediately draw the attention of all of the Ottoman troops nearby... It seems they value Mecca too... I satirically roll my eyes and in my best southern belle exclaim to myself : "I have absolutely no idea why you should be so interested in a such a little ol' siege by me..."

To the north, the next piece of the puzzle is put in place as Karaman falls :

With one more province the line will be solid and I can shift everybody forward...

And there it is:

I'll let everyone have till the end of the month to heal up as much as they can. Then I'll send them into the next set of sieges.

Olienia finally falls before my "mighty" siege machine:

I move my regiment back to Banat in case the rebs decide they are tired of Transylvania and want to return to experience more of my "hospitality". Actually, they will experience more of my "HOSPITAL", but that's beside the point.

To the south, the Ottomans have managed to put together a decent army out of my sight. With the north falling fast, he decides it's time to make an assault here to try to regain control of at least some part of his empire:

It's a bit tricky for me, I am forced to put together a highly orchestrated maneuver to counter his 19K stack. Unfortunately my signals get crossed... I end up with the wrong unit going in, or more precisely, the right unit going in at the wrong time. That 4K stack was supposed to arrive after the larger one to bolster morale and reinforce the Infantry, but instead it arrives first:

And then promptly vanishes into the Ottoman Triangle... Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. No time for sad songs though, I have to let it go and move on. Things like this will happen in a war like this one, especially given the time I've been at it.

In my mind this is when the game is at it's finest, and when I most enjoy it. I am totally immersed in the struggle, and am fighting the same type of fatigue that faced the real men who found themselves struggling to direct a conflict this massive, while also struggling to cope with the challenges and surprises that inevitably creep up behind you seeking to take away what you have fought so long to gain.

I recover my senses and send in the next wave... They will be 4K light on the infantry, but the slight delay will work in my favor. The Ottomans have switched to siege mode which will cost them that little bit of morale that may help me to carry the day.

The move costs me dearly. I am victorious and my Infantry are avenged, but I have to make the units next move one of inaction, waiting until they can get some reinforcements before they can continue on and finish the job.

From the journal of Ottobuono II: December 24th, 1677
​

The winter has been most bitter and harsh here. I feel like a prisoner, held captive by office. Were I not the Arch Bishop, I would be out in the deserts fighting with the armies of Aquileia. How I miss my command... How long has it been since I was on the field? Too long. My battles and victories are but faded stories, stored in memories covered in dust. It amuses me how I have to search these old rooms to remember the great, the good, the triumphs. The horror I put away, buried deep in the lower caverns of my thoughts. How I thought I would have to dig and search for them, knowing even then I never wanted to see them again. I buried them with the promise of never digging them up. So odd... The good in plain sight so hard to remember... The horror buried so deep yet always right there in front of me, always right here where I can find it.

Much as I yearn for it, the fighting is better left for those that are young. I pray they are able to escape the horrors I have seen. How odd it is to read of the heat they endure while we freeze. It is a puzzle, this world of ours, acting very much like the people who inhabit it.

The wind today is wicked, seeping cold into my bones at every opportunity. A harbinger of things to come? A taste of God's displeasure? A reminder of those that I send to their death? I pray not, as I have mortgaged the future of the kingdom on this campaign... To settle once and for all the slights of decades past; To avenge the blood of the innocents slaughtered on our borders; To raise up the men who have died so they may rest in the ashes of victory.

One would not know it to walk around the city, but tomorrow is Christmas... This time of year should never be so solemn. Yet how can it be any other way when those left sit at half empty tables, staring upon empty beds and empty stockings. It feels like we have crucified the Christ our very selves. Like the Father God has sent his greatest wrath and displeasure upon us. The air of the war hangs heavy in my people. So much so that many are taking up arms and storming the residences of the governors, demanding their sons be returned to them from the grave...

Blackness like plague coats the streets. It drips from the buildings and hangs in the air. The streets are filled with hollow eyes and sunken cheeks... Eyes ringed red from the crying of grief and the wailing of loneliness and loss.

I must end this war. Yet I cannot. There is yet much to be gained, so much more to be done. I have sent word to my commanders to work with expedience. Time is not our friend any longer, and he will not wait until we are satisfied. It is a delicate balance that must be struck. As I have since the beginning of my reign I go now to speak to the people... They have listened well, but lately my words have been hollow.

I will change that today, for God has given me a sign. A True and Holy sign. Something to give to the people to give them hope, to give them life. "How do we know it is at hand?" they will ask. In times past my words were filled with nothingness and empty promises... But today they will see my relief, and they will take to heart what I say to them and believe the words that I speak. Today they will see life in my eyes, and hope for our nation and it's future.

Today I tell them of a great sign from God that we are not forsaken. That we are not abandoned and we do not die in vain. Today I give them the greatest of news, and the greatest of signs. Today I tell them that what we have done:

It is a great day in the Kingdom as the news spreads far and wide, from person to person, from inn to tavern to farm... From shoppes to smithies and home again. The hope, and the end in sight. It is the greatest of gifts that is given to our nation this day.

With this, my southern campaign objective is fulfilled. I will continue to fight, mop up and take provinces, But now I play for the WS, so I can get the the other provinces I need that are key.

 

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You know, it's a good thing cannons are slow:

Just as I'm moving out to Banat. At least they popped now. It's a pain to just leave a province and then have to turn right around and go back into it again. I just hope my guys get it done before the other rebs jump ship...

And they do...

In fine fashion. Why I worry about such things... I advance the lines in the northern campaign, and the Otts are seeing to it that I don't get in scott free.

Now that I have Mecca, I start regularly checking the WS and what I can get away in a peace deal. I have a few "key" provinces I want, and as soon as I can get all of them I'll pull the trigger.

64% still isn't enough. What's worse is the values of the Provinces are going up with the %. The way it's going I am going I may not be able to get my peace deal either way.

Back in the battles, the Otts try an end around:

That ends in failure:

I gain another piece of the puzzle:

Plus get a revolt from another "Noble's are Whining" event...

RR is starting to get in the dangerous zone:

That's alot of ground to cover... And most of the possibilities are Nationalist ones too, meaning big stacks and even bigger generals.

WE is starting to creep too:

Not quite there yet, but once you hit 6 rebels start to really pop out of the woodwork...

The Otts are massing in Jabal Shammar... So I get ready to do the curly shuffle:

They willl hit Mecca in force. It's one of those priority targets for them as well as me.

Then they pull a fast one...

They divert attention north, then come out of nowhere blazing across Najd towards mecca... I tag my Cav support unit and get them ready to join in, as well as get the unit in Tabouk ready. I can see the units in Jabal moving in to try to split the defense in that classic AI maneuver...

True to form, the Otts hit Mecca hard:

My token force is no match for them. Even with the Cavalry on the way, I may not have enough to hold the province, or the day...