Best Game ever as Austria

[Yaska80]

This has so far been the best game ever for me. I got really lucky with PUs inheriting both Bohemia and Hungary. I got involved in opportunistic wars against England and Burgundy which allowed me to geta foothold in Low Countries and Portuguese islands and i was able to get into colonization game.

I'm bit of a roleplayer so I'm happy with my borders in Europe. I am only planning to add rest of the Benelux and Ragusa when time is right. Poland, Burgundy, Serbia and Genova are vassals. This leads to my first question and there are plenty to follow.

1.How to deal with independence desire, Burgundy with 200 dev is going over 50% time to time even they're march?
2. Should i just release them as the only thing they're good for is holding the land so French can't take it?
3. I seriously lack states at the moment 6 actually + i need some land from Arabia to get trade power and future conquest of Benelux i would need about 20 states more... how to solve this?
4. Where to build manufactories, my tradepower in English Channel is lame so UK would benefit most if i build in colonies, so in trade company areas or mainland?
5. How big you can grow your colonial nations before you get in trouble?
6. Should i just continue my push in Egypt, Arabia without being able to make states? (I'm bit worried about over streching myself. I am the sole superpower atm but fighing two of Ottoman, Spain, Russia or France could lead to a disaster.)
7. Ideas: Quality - Exploration - Realigious - Offensive atm, i have regrets is it worth to abandon and change?
Haven't played for ages and all the Asian nations are on par with mil tech, wtf??? I have to bring almost half of my army to India to make any progress there.
8. This tributary system, i'm planning to attack Malacca will Ming come down with all what they got?

I haven't payed for ages this far so it's kinda new game for me, i usually fail or get bored around 1500

By the way playing with the Russia patch not the brand new.

Thanks in advance

 

[schondetta]

You should definitely take Influence as an IG as that will help greatly with the vassalls. Colonizing as Austria is weird but whatever floats your boat

 

[Vincentst]

I think you should RM en ally Spain. They'll get an event to put a Habsburg on the throne. If you're lucky, you get a PU and in the meantime, its easier to contain France and the Ottomans.

Also => try to be a good emperor and win the league war. If you succeed in revoking the privilegia, you're practically invincible.

 

[TerrorSnail]

Convert the dutch/flemmish provinces to something that wont trigger revolts as the dutch independance event troops are large and spammy. Influence and/or diplomatic will help you out as Austria.

Colonial Austria can work well, but you need to back it up with expansion into either genoa or english channel trade nodes to take proper advantage of it. This can be done with a vassal/march set to divert trade once you have spare liberty desire.

 

[Vincentst]

I started with influence ideas then religious, then diplomacy. After that, its up to you, I guess

 

[Yaska80]

Thanks for replies, planning to continue the game after sauna and few beers.

I think you should RM en ally Spain. They'll get an event to put a Habsburg on the throne. If you're lucky, you get a PU and in the meantime, its easier to contain France and the Ottomans.

Also => try to be a good emperor and win the league war. If you succeed in revoking the privilegia, you're practically invincible.

I have Spain as rival so thats too late... and league war is won. The problem is that there are so many heretic princes that my authority is on minus.

Convert the dutch/flemmish provinces to something that wont trigger revolts as the dutch independance event troops are large and spammy. Influence and/or diplomatic will help you out as Austria.

Colonial Austria can work well, but you need to back it up with expansion into either genoa or english channel trade nodes to take proper advantage of it. This can be done with a vassal/march set to divert trade once you have spare liberty desire.

I really should have taken Influence or diplomatic but i was too scared of both French and Turks having superior units so i took the two military groups... i will take influence next.
My plan is to actually own Alexandria and Gulf of Aden nodes and let the spice flow to Venice which i have almost full controll.

Well it's 85 degrees - gotta go.

 

[Vincentst]

I have Spain as rival so thats too late... and league war is won. The problem is that there are so many heretic princes that my authority is on minus.

I had the same problem, until the League war was won by the catholics. After that, I declared war on all my protestant neighbours to force-convert them. And I used my imperial authority gain from adding provinces to ask the other heretic princes to convert. Most of the time they did (except for the free cities). I got a lot of IA from integrating Hungary and adding all those provinces.