you could always save the gave before you dow Lithuania and if it goes all wrong you can load it back up and pretend it never happened.
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Croatia declared independence 
Nice turns there, just a matter of time before Venice becomes Italy, you should grab the rest of the peninusla just for the sake of it.
Novgorod is going to have a tough time against Lithuania and Poland, but you should be able to manage it. At the start they'll send all their might against you, but if you manage to resisit the initial wave, you should be able to take the two provinces you need.
As a suggestion after you unite both countries you could try to reform the Roman Empire with Venice as well as the Russian Empire with Novgorod. That'd give you some work to do and would prevent form encountering each other soon.
Nice turns there, just a matter of time before Venice becomes Italy, you should grab the rest of the peninusla just for the sake of it.
Novgorod is going to have a tough time against Lithuania and Poland, but you should be able to manage it. At the start they'll send all their might against you, but if you manage to resisit the initial wave, you should be able to take the two provinces you need.
As a suggestion after you unite both countries you could try to reform the Roman Empire with Venice as well as the Russian Empire with Novgorod. That'd give you some work to do and would prevent form encountering each other soon.
That's tempting, but I try not to reload even if I screw up. AARs are more exciting if you fail anyway.
Capibara Yep, and after giving up a core on them I find out Croatian was another accepted culture only after losing it. I have some big updates this evening, and a lot of...interesting things happen. Ah well, such are the fortunes of war.
I think I will try to recreate the Roman and Russian Empires, whoever makes it first (or closest) wins.
Capibara Yep, and after giving up a core on them I find out Croatian was another accepted culture only after losing it.
I have some big updates this evening, and a lot of...interesting things happen. Ah well, such are the fortunes of war. I think I will try to recreate the Roman and Russian Empires, whoever makes it first (or closest) wins.
t0m said:
Sorry for the lateness of this update. Wireless has been out lately and I assumed that since I have trouble uploading other things on dialup(like saves for mp games), that pics were out as well. Turns out I can upload pics on dialup.
So, without further ado, Novgorod's 4rth turn, in which I learn that the term Pyrhhic victory can be applied to whole wars as well as individual battles.
From 1513 up to late 1514, I do nothing but mint heavily and build up armies for an invasion of Lithuania. Why, one might ask, after receiving so much good advice to put it off for a little while? The simple answer is greed. Greed, and idiocy. Visions of Novgorod catching up with Venice and uniting all of the Russian culture group provinces spun in my head. Somehow I managed to forget that Venice's targets in Italy were much smaller, or that Lithuania had a much higher land tech than Novgorod.
So, after over a year of building up for it, eating over a point of inflation in the process, I DOW Lithuania in Nov 1514. My faithful vassal Crimea joins me, and Poland joins Lithuania.
The war has a rather ambiguous start as I lose a battle against Lithuania in Pskov, but manage to inflict far more casualties than I receive.
For a while things go back and forth and we exchange border provinces. I lose Tula, Kholm, and lose and regain Pskov, while they lose Karsk, Pololsk and Wenden. A year later the warscore is still zero. The onyl bright spot is that Crimea is managing to put a few of their provinces under siege, and even try to relieve Tula.
Here's a pic of the high point of the war.
With my manpower down to zero and the tide turning slowly against me I start throwing peace offers at the AI. Finally I manage to get one, receiving only Smolensk. The good news is that I now technically have each province needed to form Russia. However, my manpower pool is completely depleted, my econmy wrecked. I basically did no research for two years, while amassing inflation, and Lithuania not only has a core on Smolensk but is as big and nasty as ever.
Oh, did I mention that Sibir DOWed me right after I'd disbanded my extra regiments of soldiers from the war? And that their buddy Kazan joins them?
After much cursing at my monitor, which just stares back smugly at me, I reraise my army maintenance slide and start minting again to buy mercs. After relatively little fighting, and much more attriting on both sides in steppe provinces, I secure a white peace with Kazan and Sibir.
One would think that I earned some peace and quiet but apparently the AI is taking its cues from tag team wrestling. No sooner do I have peace on my eastern front, than I recieve a DOW from tiny Mazovia, which happens to be allied with Poland. Well, at least Lithuania isn't in on this one. Of course, Poland can march troops through Lithuania to reach me while I must go through a tiny corridor in Crimea to reach any of their provinces, but I find solace in small advantages.
I do have access to one of Mazovia's territories, Estland, and one Polish island, Osel. Here I manage my only real victories of the war, and manage to get Mazovia to cede Estland. I assault Osel, then move most of my armies to the real front on Crimea's west border, where I manage nothing more than a stalemate. In what I think is a major coup, I get Poland to release the Teutonic Order, which they and Lithuania carved up a long time ago. I figure this is great, and will produce a rival for them and weaken my two main enemies. Then I find that apparently the reconstituted Tuetonic Order only received one province.
Then, of course, in January 1523, just a few months before Venice's turn, Sibir DOWs me again, and I have to leave Novgorod in a war with Sibir and Kazan.
So, without further ado, Novgorod's 4rth turn, in which I learn that the term Pyrhhic victory can be applied to whole wars as well as individual battles.
From 1513 up to late 1514, I do nothing but mint heavily and build up armies for an invasion of Lithuania. Why, one might ask, after receiving so much good advice to put it off for a little while? The simple answer is greed. Greed, and idiocy. Visions of Novgorod catching up with Venice and uniting all of the Russian culture group provinces spun in my head. Somehow I managed to forget that Venice's targets in Italy were much smaller, or that Lithuania had a much higher land tech than Novgorod.
So, after over a year of building up for it, eating over a point of inflation in the process, I DOW Lithuania in Nov 1514. My faithful vassal Crimea joins me, and Poland joins Lithuania.
The war has a rather ambiguous start as I lose a battle against Lithuania in Pskov, but manage to inflict far more casualties than I receive.
For a while things go back and forth and we exchange border provinces. I lose Tula, Kholm, and lose and regain Pskov, while they lose Karsk, Pololsk and Wenden. A year later the warscore is still zero. The onyl bright spot is that Crimea is managing to put a few of their provinces under siege, and even try to relieve Tula.
Here's a pic of the high point of the war.
With my manpower down to zero and the tide turning slowly against me I start throwing peace offers at the AI. Finally I manage to get one, receiving only Smolensk. The good news is that I now technically have each province needed to form Russia. However, my manpower pool is completely depleted, my econmy wrecked. I basically did no research for two years, while amassing inflation, and Lithuania not only has a core on Smolensk but is as big and nasty as ever.
Oh, did I mention that Sibir DOWed me right after I'd disbanded my extra regiments of soldiers from the war? And that their buddy Kazan joins them?
After much cursing at my monitor, which just stares back smugly at me, I reraise my army maintenance slide and start minting again to buy mercs. After relatively little fighting, and much more attriting on both sides in steppe provinces, I secure a white peace with Kazan and Sibir.
One would think that I earned some peace and quiet but apparently the AI is taking its cues from tag team wrestling. No sooner do I have peace on my eastern front, than I recieve a DOW from tiny Mazovia, which happens to be allied with Poland. Well, at least Lithuania isn't in on this one. Of course, Poland can march troops through Lithuania to reach me while I must go through a tiny corridor in Crimea to reach any of their provinces, but I find solace in small advantages.
I do have access to one of Mazovia's territories, Estland, and one Polish island, Osel. Here I manage my only real victories of the war, and manage to get Mazovia to cede Estland. I assault Osel, then move most of my armies to the real front on Crimea's west border, where I manage nothing more than a stalemate. In what I think is a major coup, I get Poland to release the Teutonic Order, which they and Lithuania carved up a long time ago. I figure this is great, and will produce a rival for them and weaken my two main enemies. Then I find that apparently the reconstituted Tuetonic Order only received one province.
Then, of course, in January 1523, just a few months before Venice's turn, Sibir DOWs me again, and I have to leave Novgorod in a war with Sibir and Kazan.
Now for Venice's 4rth turn: Lithuania Strikes Back
I return to Venice in 1523 to find it pretty well off. Stability is down to -1 and as usual I have far more soldiers than I can afford, but this is easy to rectify. The AI managed to annex Sicily and hired some great advisors (5-6 stars or so), and apparently I now own Schwyz, which is not enough to release Switzerland as a vassal. I also note Venice still gets less for their census tax than Novgorod, but that'll change when some cores start coming in. Sicily had owned the Canary Islands so I'm now close enough to colonize around the Carribbean, and the AI inexplicably chose to colonize a couple of low tax provinces in Brazil rather than the richer Carribbean islands. I mean, sugar provinces are nice, but why get ones with a 2 tax when 5-6 tax base ones are so close at hand? Ah well, I'm not planning on colonizing much this game anyway, so I ignore them.
Shortly into the turn an event asking me to give Rome back to the pope comes up. The papal legate is fed and treated very well, and very politely warned that any more such requests will result in an extended tour of one of Venice's many fine prisons.
Then it happens. On Friday 17, Sept 1524 relatively new Doge Contanzo Griitti has a flash of genius. We no control all of the peninsula of Italy, and it's about time Venice officially declare itself as the Italian Nation. My census tax doubles to a respectable 168.6 Ducats per year, pretty respectable for having a fairly low Stability.
Alright, now Venice is strong enough to get revenge on the Austrians for taking provinces from me last turn. I still have a core on Istria, so I declare war on their ally Croatia, bringing Austria into it. France is already laying waste to most of Austria's armies, so it's an easy war. A good epace is easily made, giving me Tirol, Karnten and Krain, all three rich gold producing provinces. I now get a nice 11.0 Ducats per month from the gold in those provinces, and they all have decent tax bases as well.
While I'm fighting Austria I notice Lithuania, Poland and Hungary are all at war with Novgorod. Crap. Then I notice how Novgorod is doing, and suddenly teh word crap is far too weak to express my true feelings.
Not wanting to see Novgorod completely torn apart, I DOW Lithuania. I get that phantom alliance bug again, and this time it puts me against an alliance of Lithuania, Poland, Savoy, and Austria, even though the latter two have no connection or actual alliance with the first two. :wacko:
To top it off, Bavaria and their ally Wurtemburg DOW me. So it's to be Italy against the world, eh? I quickly gain separate peaces with Austria, Savoy, and Wurtemburg, then vassalize Bavaria. Poland is also vassalized, to make things a little more hopeful for Novgorod next turn. I get a white peace with Lithuania and Venice's (well, Italy's) 4rth turn ends.
I return to Venice in 1523 to find it pretty well off. Stability is down to -1 and as usual I have far more soldiers than I can afford, but this is easy to rectify. The AI managed to annex Sicily and hired some great advisors (5-6 stars or so), and apparently I now own Schwyz, which is not enough to release Switzerland as a vassal. I also note Venice still gets less for their census tax than Novgorod, but that'll change when some cores start coming in. Sicily had owned the Canary Islands so I'm now close enough to colonize around the Carribbean, and the AI inexplicably chose to colonize a couple of low tax provinces in Brazil rather than the richer Carribbean islands. I mean, sugar provinces are nice, but why get ones with a 2 tax when 5-6 tax base ones are so close at hand? Ah well, I'm not planning on colonizing much this game anyway, so I ignore them.
Shortly into the turn an event asking me to give Rome back to the pope comes up. The papal legate is fed and treated very well, and very politely warned that any more such requests will result in an extended tour of one of Venice's many fine prisons.
Then it happens. On Friday 17, Sept 1524 relatively new Doge Contanzo Griitti has a flash of genius. We no control all of the peninsula of Italy, and it's about time Venice officially declare itself as the Italian Nation. My census tax doubles to a respectable 168.6 Ducats per year, pretty respectable for having a fairly low Stability.
Alright, now Venice is strong enough to get revenge on the Austrians for taking provinces from me last turn. I still have a core on Istria, so I declare war on their ally Croatia, bringing Austria into it. France is already laying waste to most of Austria's armies, so it's an easy war. A good epace is easily made, giving me Tirol, Karnten and Krain, all three rich gold producing provinces. I now get a nice 11.0 Ducats per month from the gold in those provinces, and they all have decent tax bases as well.
While I'm fighting Austria I notice Lithuania, Poland and Hungary are all at war with Novgorod. Crap. Then I notice how Novgorod is doing, and suddenly teh word crap is far too weak to express my true feelings.
Not wanting to see Novgorod completely torn apart, I DOW Lithuania. I get that phantom alliance bug again, and this time it puts me against an alliance of Lithuania, Poland, Savoy, and Austria, even though the latter two have no connection or actual alliance with the first two. :wacko:
To top it off, Bavaria and their ally Wurtemburg DOW me. So it's to be Italy against the world, eh? I quickly gain separate peaces with Austria, Savoy, and Wurtemburg, then vassalize Bavaria. Poland is also vassalized, to make things a little more hopeful for Novgorod next turn. I get a white peace with Lithuania and Venice's (well, Italy's) 4rth turn ends.
Ok, I said I'd catchup on my updates and I meant it, so it's time for Novgorod's 5th turn.
It's 1533 and the war AI Novgorod had with Lithuania, Poland and Hungary has ended, sadly with Novgorod being gutted. All of Novgorod's Finnish provinces are gone, as well as a few of the Russian ones, split between the three victors. Hungary made out the best, considering they were down to something like 1 or 2 provinces due to Ottoman and Austrian attacks.
The only pleasant surprises are +3 stability, and the fact that since most of the lost provinces were not core, my census tax is actually higher than it was last turn (when I had low stab). I am, however ,making much less per month, and can't support the kind of armies I had before.
Since Novgorod couldn't beat a one province minor in its current state, I decide to consolidate and focus on trade this turn, something I'm pretty successful with.
I notice Italy and Burgundy are at war with France and Castille. Hmmm, that can't be good. Then I have another "oh, crap" moment when Kazan and Sibir declare war one me.
Luckily, Crimea is as strong as ever, and even in its weakened state Novgorod could take either one of those factions. Still, it would be hard to take on both at once, and I manage a seperate peace with Sibir (giving up my easternmost province to them). Then I focus on Kazan.
Crimea and I have a nice tag team thing going with Kazan. While I use some of the fancy new 6 shock generals the AI was able to hire after all those wars last turn to wipe out Kazan's main armies and take their northern provinces, Crimea's armies pour over their borders, taking all of the their southern provinces.
Not really wanting wrong culture and religion provinces at the moment, I'm happy to force Kazan to cede most of their southern provinces to Crimea. They give up Burtasia, Bogutjar, Pensa, Saratow, and best of all Astrakhan (with a COT) to Crimea.
Novgord ends its turn with high stability, high trade income, and a monster for an ally.
It's 1533 and the war AI Novgorod had with Lithuania, Poland and Hungary has ended, sadly with Novgorod being gutted. All of Novgorod's Finnish provinces are gone, as well as a few of the Russian ones, split between the three victors. Hungary made out the best, considering they were down to something like 1 or 2 provinces due to Ottoman and Austrian attacks.
The only pleasant surprises are +3 stability, and the fact that since most of the lost provinces were not core, my census tax is actually higher than it was last turn (when I had low stab). I am, however ,making much less per month, and can't support the kind of armies I had before.
Since Novgorod couldn't beat a one province minor in its current state, I decide to consolidate and focus on trade this turn, something I'm pretty successful with.
I notice Italy and Burgundy are at war with France and Castille. Hmmm, that can't be good. Then I have another "oh, crap" moment when Kazan and Sibir declare war one me.
Luckily, Crimea is as strong as ever, and even in its weakened state Novgorod could take either one of those factions. Still, it would be hard to take on both at once, and I manage a seperate peace with Sibir (giving up my easternmost province to them). Then I focus on Kazan.
Crimea and I have a nice tag team thing going with Kazan. While I use some of the fancy new 6 shock generals the AI was able to hire after all those wars last turn to wipe out Kazan's main armies and take their northern provinces, Crimea's armies pour over their borders, taking all of the their southern provinces.
Not really wanting wrong culture and religion provinces at the moment, I'm happy to force Kazan to cede most of their southern provinces to Crimea. They give up Burtasia, Bogutjar, Pensa, Saratow, and best of all Astrakhan (with a COT) to Crimea.
Novgord ends its turn with high stability, high trade income, and a monster for an ally.
In 1543 it's Italy's fifth turn. I come back to them to find -3 stability, massive revolts, and apparently they fought the Ottomans and lost a couple territories while I was away. I'm not sure whether to be upset over what happened or glad the AI didn't do better than me for once.
I start putting down the revolts and for what may be the first time ever for me in EU3, actually invest in stability. Then less than a year after I start the turn, I've not only managed to go up one stab through investment but get one of those great advisor events that give +3 stab, eliciting a huge sigh of relief. For a while I feared getting involved in Novgorod's business by that war with Poland last turn might have ruined Italy.
Since it worked once, I figure why not invade Lithuania a second time? Italy has been cozying up to the Holy Roman Emperor, my vassal Bavaria, and Lithuania annexed Bohemia a long time ago.
I prep for a bit, get a core on one of Lithuania's Bohemian provinces, and declare war in 1547. Only Salzburg joins Lithuania, while my side includes Italy, Bavaria, Poland, and a few minor allies. I start off by stomping Salzburg, then overrun Lithuania with Bavarian and Polish help. Less than a year later they accept a peace releasing Riga, Silesia, Bohemia, and Moldavia, and ceding a few provinces to Poland.
I start working on consolidating Italy only to find a couple years later that Novgorod has invaded Lithuania! Apparently they win, and manage to get Neva, Ingermanland, Mogilyov, Ustyug, and Kexholm. It seems Italian intervention has paid off.
The rest of Italy's turn passes pretty peacefully. Rome becomes a member of the Holy Roman Empire. Then in another advisor event hits, and my stability and income sky rocket.
Around the end of the turn Bavaria rather amusingly guarantees Italy's independence, and that's it until 1553.
I start putting down the revolts and for what may be the first time ever for me in EU3, actually invest in stability. Then less than a year after I start the turn, I've not only managed to go up one stab through investment but get one of those great advisor events that give +3 stab, eliciting a huge sigh of relief. For a while I feared getting involved in Novgorod's business by that war with Poland last turn might have ruined Italy.
Since it worked once, I figure why not invade Lithuania a second time? Italy has been cozying up to the Holy Roman Emperor, my vassal Bavaria, and Lithuania annexed Bohemia a long time ago.
I prep for a bit, get a core on one of Lithuania's Bohemian provinces, and declare war in 1547. Only Salzburg joins Lithuania, while my side includes Italy, Bavaria, Poland, and a few minor allies. I start off by stomping Salzburg, then overrun Lithuania with Bavarian and Polish help. Less than a year later they accept a peace releasing Riga, Silesia, Bohemia, and Moldavia, and ceding a few provinces to Poland.
I start working on consolidating Italy only to find a couple years later that Novgorod has invaded Lithuania! Apparently they win, and manage to get Neva, Ingermanland, Mogilyov, Ustyug, and Kexholm. It seems Italian intervention has paid off.
The rest of Italy's turn passes pretty peacefully. Rome becomes a member of the Holy Roman Empire. Then in another advisor event hits, and my stability and income sky rocket.
Around the end of the turn Bavaria rather amusingly guarantees Italy's independence, and that's it until 1553.
And now, for Novgorod's 6th turn, starting in 1553.
Like the beginning of the last turn, I spend the early years consolidating. Then in 1557 Kazan (and Sibir, of course) DOW. You'd think they'd have learned after the last time. Since Novgorod is in much better shape this time, and Crimea is incredibly strong, I decide to fight this one until the end.
Crimea and I roll right over Kazan. I can't imagine what made them think it was a good idea to attack me. I get a 100% war score with them but since they're the alliance leader I want to get a seperate deal with Sibir first. Sibir isn't much more of a challenge, and I resolve to start marching east and lift a few provinces from them.
Here's the stats at the end of the war, note that my forces outnumber their's ten to one.
I manage to get a peace deal with Sibir, getting back Solikamsk, that province I'd bought them off with last war, as well as getting Berezov and Obdorsk from them, and vassalising them. Kazan I just vassalize. With three decent sized vassals I'm raking in an extra 10.67 Ducats per turn. If you count vassals Novgorod's territory now extends pretty far into Siberia.
At the end of my turn I get a nice surprise in that the missionaries I sent to my two new muslim provinces are both successful, despite having had chances of less than 50%.
It looks like Novgorod is one more turn and war with Lithuania away from getting pretty much all of the Russian culture group provinces, and hopefully forming Russia.
Like the beginning of the last turn, I spend the early years consolidating. Then in 1557 Kazan (and Sibir, of course) DOW. You'd think they'd have learned after the last time. Since Novgorod is in much better shape this time, and Crimea is incredibly strong, I decide to fight this one until the end.
Crimea and I roll right over Kazan. I can't imagine what made them think it was a good idea to attack me. I get a 100% war score with them but since they're the alliance leader I want to get a seperate deal with Sibir first. Sibir isn't much more of a challenge, and I resolve to start marching east and lift a few provinces from them.
Here's the stats at the end of the war, note that my forces outnumber their's ten to one.
I manage to get a peace deal with Sibir, getting back Solikamsk, that province I'd bought them off with last war, as well as getting Berezov and Obdorsk from them, and vassalising them. Kazan I just vassalize. With three decent sized vassals I'm raking in an extra 10.67 Ducats per turn.
If you count vassals Novgorod's territory now extends pretty far into Siberia.At the end of my turn I get a nice surprise in that the missionaries I sent to my two new muslim provinces are both successful, despite having had chances of less than 50%.
It looks like Novgorod is one more turn and war with Lithuania away from getting pretty much all of the Russian culture group provinces, and hopefully forming Russia.
That comeback with Novgorod was remarkable indeed. The situation with Lithuania seemed gloomy indeed but it's good to see you were able to help them out with Italy. Onward with building the empires!
Now for Venice's 6th turn, and my last tonight for the AAR to catch up to my game (whew). Venice must have lost another war with the Ottomans while I was away, because they've released several nations in northern Italy and Corsica, and managed to lose a territory to Kandar, one of the Ottoman's allies.
Now it was very early in the morning when I played this ten years (as it is now ) and I'm a bit fuzzy on what exactly happened. I know I was able to get a war with Kandar and the Italian states without dragging in the Ottomans. Maybe I DOWed Karaman or something. Ferrara was annexed, Corsica and Modena vassalized, and I was able to get Parma off of Kandar
Then for some reason, most likely an irrational hatred of them from when they beat on Novgorod, I DOWed Lithuania again, kicking them out of Germany for good and getting Poland a couple of territories from them.
That should be the last time Novgorod needs Italy's help, and AI Novgorod managed to get most of their Finnish territories off of Hungary while I laid waste to Lithuania.
Probably the nicest thing long term that happened this turn was that France offered an alliance. They're already the most powerful country in Europe )after maybe Castille, which is building both a New World and North African empire. They'll be welcome help when I get around to taking Iberia. I think the next thing for Italy is to finish up taking the island of Sicily itself, and Corsica and Sardinia. Then I'll head east to the Balkans and get around to forming that new Roman Empire.
Now it was very early in the morning when I played this ten years (as it is now
) and I'm a bit fuzzy on what exactly happened. I know I was able to get a war with Kandar and the Italian states without dragging in the Ottomans. Maybe I DOWed Karaman or something. Ferrara was annexed, Corsica and Modena vassalized, and I was able to get Parma off of KandarThen for some reason, most likely an irrational hatred of them from when they beat on Novgorod, I DOWed Lithuania again, kicking them out of Germany for good and getting Poland a couple of territories from them.
That should be the last time Novgorod needs Italy's help, and AI Novgorod managed to get most of their Finnish territories off of Hungary while I laid waste to Lithuania.
Probably the nicest thing long term that happened this turn was that France offered an alliance. They're already the most powerful country in Europe )after maybe Castille, which is building both a New World and North African empire. They'll be welcome help when I get around to taking Iberia. I think the next thing for Italy is to finish up taking the island of Sicily itself, and Corsica and Sardinia. Then I'll head east to the Balkans and get around to forming that new Roman Empire.
Abraxas Thanks. I'm not really sure if using Italy to take Poland out of the equation and weaken Lithuania was fair or not, but it certainly was satisfying. Trading Republics have to stick together, after all.
It wasn't too bad dealing with Sibir and Kazan once I wasn't coming off of a draining war with Lithuania. And since I gave Crimea those territories of Kazan's they've become a power in their own right. Crimean help has been instrumental in winning the past few wars.
It's definately empire-building time now. I'm thinking after getting the last few Italian culture provinces Venice will be looking east towards the Ottomans. Novgorod, on the other hand, is going to dismember Lithuania before looking east. I don't have the heart to attack Crimea after all the help they've been, but I have no qualms about breaking my vassalships with Sibir and Kazan to get that Russian empire marching East.
It wasn't too bad dealing with Sibir and Kazan once I wasn't coming off of a draining war with Lithuania. And since I gave Crimea those territories of Kazan's they've become a power in their own right. Crimean help has been instrumental in winning the past few wars.
It's definately empire-building time now. I'm thinking after getting the last few Italian culture provinces Venice will be looking east towards the Ottomans. Novgorod, on the other hand, is going to dismember Lithuania before looking east. I don't have the heart to attack Crimea after all the help they've been, but I have no qualms about breaking my vassalships with Sibir and Kazan to get that Russian empire marching East.
Excellent salvage of Novgorod's situation! How is your economy going by now? Venice/Italy should be in rather good shape, but Novgorod? I daren't even ask...
i can't believe all that has happened and how much you did in just one night (well how much you posted). and i think you should attack Crimea some time in the game, maybe very late.
safferli Thanks, I'm pretty happy about it. I thought things might be over for Novgorod. Both countries are approaching the same level of inflation (nearly 20%), but with all those Italian universities Venice is much closer to tax assessors. Surprisingly, Novgorod's economy is pretty good otherwise (I think receiving money from all those big vassals is helping make up for their high inflation's effect on research costs). Venice/Italy's is of course much stronger, especially with their 300+ Ducat census tax.
RGB I am too. Now that both of them are in strong positions, I expect the AI will do fairly well, but you never know.
t0m I actually played all those turns a couple of nights ago. I think it was 3-4 A.M. by the time I did Venice's last turn, which might explain that final attack on Lithuania (by then it was really just kicking them while they were down). :wacko: Then I did all the posts last night. Figured since I couldn't sleep I might as well catch up. I may even get another update tonight if I play Novgorod's turn.
I'll have to attack Crimea eventually to meet my goal, but for now I'll let them help me against the Lithuanians.
It should be interesting now. I didn't realize it, but those little detours rather strengthened Novgorod's position vis a vis Venice. Italy is formed and much richer than Novgorod, but to reform the Roman Empire I'll have to go through the Ottomans, Mamluks, then Castille in Iberia and North Africa, then finally France. If Novgorod beats on Lithuania and eventually takes out its vassals, it will stretch from Poland to Siberia. Of course, Novgorod will have to take on the blobbish timurids eventually, and may border Ming. We'll see what happens.
RGB I am too. Now that both of them are in strong positions, I expect the AI will do fairly well, but you never know.
t0m I actually played all those turns a couple of nights ago. I think it was 3-4 A.M. by the time I did Venice's last turn, which might explain that final attack on Lithuania (by then it was really just kicking them while they were down). :wacko: Then I did all the posts last night. Figured since I couldn't sleep I might as well catch up. I may even get another update tonight if I play Novgorod's turn.
I'll have to attack Crimea eventually to meet my goal, but for now I'll let them help me against the Lithuanians.
It should be interesting now. I didn't realize it, but those little detours rather strengthened Novgorod's position vis a vis Venice. Italy is formed and much richer than Novgorod, but to reform the Roman Empire I'll have to go through the Ottomans, Mamluks, then Castille in Iberia and North Africa, then finally France.
If Novgorod beats on Lithuania and eventually takes out its vassals, it will stretch from Poland to Siberia. Of course, Novgorod will have to take on the blobbish timurids eventually, and may border Ming. We'll see what happens.
spl Indeed they did, although I may come to regret being so interventionist with Italy.
I about to write up a Novgorod update right now but had a question. I looked in the save file and Novgorod turned down the Russian unification event. I managed to delete that line without screwing up the save. My question is, should I fire the event manually on their next turn (too late for the current one, I've played it already)? It seems fair since they did get the event and I would have accepted it. On the other hand, I don't even know how to cheat in this game. :wacko:
I about to write up a Novgorod update right now but had a question. I looked in the save file and Novgorod turned down the Russian unification event. I managed to delete that line without screwing up the save. My question is, should I fire the event manually on their next turn (too late for the current one, I've played it already)? It seems fair since they did get the event and I would have accepted it. On the other hand, I don't even know how to cheat in this game. :wacko:
Alright, I think by now everyone knows the drill. It's 1573, and time to do Novgorod's 7th turn.
Stability is bad, and I worry that my planned war with Lithuania will cause problems revolt-wise. Then I get this wonderful event. +3 stab and -6 rep? Woohoo!
Taking this as a sign that it's time to kick some Lithuanian butt, I hire some troops and declare war. Things get a little hectic, as they manage to get a lot of armies around my northwestern territories but I stubbornly only have one army up there kciking them out of sieges, and devote most of my energy to taking their provinces. The result is inevitable, and I'll just let this pics of how the war progressed speak for themselves.
Before long I have a 100% warscore, and their capacity is down to 0. Still, they stubbornly refuse my peace requests, which would have them giving up most of their Russian culture group provinces up to Kiev. I mean really, I would not be picky if my country were in as bad a way as their's was.
Still, their stubborness pays off and I start having trouble with rebels, so I finally settle for Polotsk, Orel, Kursk, and Chernigov, giving me something resembling a decent looking western border and greatly increasing my income and manpower.
Stability is bad, and I worry that my planned war with Lithuania will cause problems revolt-wise. Then I get this wonderful event. +3 stab and -6 rep? Woohoo!
Taking this as a sign that it's time to kick some Lithuanian butt, I hire some troops and declare war. Things get a little hectic, as they manage to get a lot of armies around my northwestern territories but I stubbornly only have one army up there kciking them out of sieges, and devote most of my energy to taking their provinces. The result is inevitable, and I'll just let this pics of how the war progressed speak for themselves.
Before long I have a 100% warscore, and their capacity is down to 0. Still, they stubbornly refuse my peace requests, which would have them giving up most of their Russian culture group provinces up to Kiev. I mean really, I would not be picky if my country were in as bad a way as their's was.
Still, their stubborness pays off and I start having trouble with rebels, so I finally settle for Polotsk, Orel, Kursk, and Chernigov, giving me something resembling a decent looking western border and greatly increasing my income and manpower.
I settle in for some peace and quiet, although a revolt by newly formed Yaroslavl becomes a pain when I let the rebel problem there go unchecked too long. They are very quickly and angrily annexed. Just when I think things are calming down I get a miraculous event. A boundary dispute gives me a core on a Crimean territory. Even better, because of all the money I'm getting from Tartar culture heavy vassals, Tartar becomes an accepted culture now that I have a core on a Tartar province!
This would be a good place for a cliffhanger, but as I'm no good with those I'll just continue. A core on a Crimean province and Tartar as an accepted culture set off similiar greedy visions to those I had before my first disastrous war with Lithuania. Some might call this hubris and a flaw, but I think of it as a dogged persistance to accomplish unlikely goals. If I keep banging my head against a wall, I'll break it eventually, right?
I slowly raise my troop strength to the level it was last war, and check off my list. Cancelled alliance, check, cancelled vassalization, check, 0 stab reducing declaration of war, check.
Things start off fairly well. I have a large army under old general Boris with 6 shock, which rapidly defeats a couple of their armies. Their 0 level fort provinces are taken quickly, plus a couple more. Still, I can't expect things to continue to go in my favor. Crimea is a tougher enemy than Lithuania in its weakened state. Plus, I have a huge war exhaustion problem, and rebellions are springing up everywhere.
I get the chance to take two provinces off of them (Pensa and Tambow) and, best of all, to get them to cede Astrakhan to Kazan. This is their ebst province, with a COT, and their ceding it will greatly weaken them for the next war, while strengthening my ally and vassal Kazan. I find it amusing that a few turns ago I was making Kazan cede Astrakhan to Crimea for much the same reason.
With that I spend my last 3 years stabilizing the country and fabricating a claim to get a new core on Crimea. Novgorod is finally starting to look much like Russia, and my next goals will be to relieve Lithuania of their last few Russian culture group provinces (and perhaps vassalize them) and slowly annex Crimea. Then, I'll be looking east.
This would be a good place for a cliffhanger, but as I'm no good with those I'll just continue. A core on a Crimean province and Tartar as an accepted culture set off similiar greedy visions to those I had before my first disastrous war with Lithuania. Some might call this hubris and a flaw, but I think of it as a dogged persistance to accomplish unlikely goals. If I keep banging my head against a wall, I'll break it eventually, right?
I slowly raise my troop strength to the level it was last war, and check off my list. Cancelled alliance, check, cancelled vassalization, check, 0 stab reducing declaration of war, check.
Things start off fairly well. I have a large army under old general Boris with 6 shock, which rapidly defeats a couple of their armies. Their 0 level fort provinces are taken quickly, plus a couple more. Still, I can't expect things to continue to go in my favor. Crimea is a tougher enemy than Lithuania in its weakened state. Plus, I have a huge war exhaustion problem, and rebellions are springing up everywhere.
I get the chance to take two provinces off of them (Pensa and Tambow) and, best of all, to get them to cede Astrakhan to Kazan. This is their ebst province, with a COT, and their ceding it will greatly weaken them for the next war, while strengthening my ally and vassal Kazan. I find it amusing that a few turns ago I was making Kazan cede Astrakhan to Crimea for much the same reason.
With that I spend my last 3 years stabilizing the country and fabricating a claim to get a new core on Crimea. Novgorod is finally starting to look much like Russia, and my next goals will be to relieve Lithuania of their last few Russian culture group provinces (and perhaps vassalize them) and slowly annex Crimea. Then, I'll be looking east.
So things are looking fine for the soon-to-be Russian empire as well. That said, I'm all for firing the unification event manually if the AI turned it down. But don't ask me how to do it. With Lithuania gone I'm not sure what to think of that Crimean blob to the south. You've created a monster
edit: didn't see your latest update when typing that. so you dealt with the monster and now you're restrengthening an ex-monster. The best thing is, Novgorod grows stringer everytime it decides to change tha balance of power around it
edit: didn't see your latest update when typing that. so you dealt with the monster and now you're restrengthening an ex-monster. The best thing is, Novgorod grows stringer everytime it decides to change tha balance of power around it