In that case, I could have tried things a bit differently maybe. but the deadline has passed. I'll update the first post and make a new challenge tomorrow.
Challenge game: (12)Fullfill the conditions of the "around the world in 80 years achievement
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Congratulations andriyacm on winning the first challenge!
We have a new challenge; Get all provinces required to form the Netherlands as fast as possible. The deadline is next sunday, but again, there will be an extension if someone beats the record just before the deadline.
We have a new challenge; Get all provinces required to form the Netherlands as fast as possible. The deadline is next sunday, but again, there will be an extension if someone beats the record just before the deadline.
My first theory stab at it says "restart until you can fire BI in the first 2-3 years". Then you have to only take Gelre/Utrecht/Friesland by force.
You need to be of Dutch culture too if I remember right. If not, I will change the challenge a bit. You could of course culture convert but that will take longer.
edit: The screenshot must show the decision to form the Netherlands. I believe that decision is only possible if you are playing a nation with the Dutch culture. Obviously you don't need to be able to click it due to not having admin tech 10, but the other conditions must be fullfilled.
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But BI gives full state cores, no? Then you just have to unstate some starting provinces and can easily switch to Dutch for 200 dip points and no time required
All nations with Flemish or Dutch culture that are not the pope or the HRE can form the Netherlands, as well as Burgundy with any culture
I'm actually fine with that. Burgundy can start integrating their unions after 50 years and still need land inside the HRE. This will allow a wide range of nations to be played so I'm curious to see which will be the most efficient.
I suppose Austria has a good shot at fastest outcome because it can declare war on Burgundy immediately and get BI. Not sure if BI is enough to elevate it to Great Power status but if so you can use Break Alliance and additionally Bestow Imperial Grace to prevent coalitions when taking the other required provinces. Heavily RNG dependent of course, but I suppose it could be done in around 5 years. I once got BI two days after declaring war in December 1444, too bad I don't have that save anymore 
By all means try it. I'll be quite busy this week but I'll try and have some entries myself.
Not quite 5 years, but somewhat close
14 January 1452. Wanted to count how many restarts where needed for early BI but lost it after around 15 unsuccessful attempts. BI fired in June 1446 in third attempt but it all went to Castile 1 Thing I'm curious about. How much AE did you pick up by taking Utrecht, Gelre and Friesland?
AE is huge, almost 70 when taking all provinces directly, more if one of them is co-belligerent. But Imperial Grace, Influence Nation and Break Alliance (to create truces) helps to prevent coalition. I also allied everyone who was willing after BI and before declaring the other wars, which explains my -500 dip points from being totally over relations limit. Of course sending out so many alliance offers is another 2-3 months I could have shaved off from the finishing time, but I didn't want to gamble after finally getting the BI to fire
Fair enough. I'm seeing to see a pattern here. Since it's possible to so easily go over relationship limit, it's quite easy to rush some early milestones with some majors. Same with the first challenge.
i feel like this one is just a test of patience how many times can you restart to try and get the BI before 1446 ish, just done five runs, beaten burgundy to a pulp in each one, nothing before 1450 ><
Indeed. Might be more interesting to have some restrictions for the next challenge, and something not so RNG dependent
It took me around 2 hours of retries to get this result, so yeah it's all about patience. Actually got BI in June 1448, you can core the other provinces in 16 months witch dutch as primary culture
Please don't take offence, I love the thread, and the ideas, but I feel like this one should have a limit on it, such as (as a Dutch minor) or excluding use of the BI.
It just makes it all about luck rather than skill.
It just makes it all about luck rather than skill.
You might be right. For some reason I did not think it would generate so much cheese. Then again, it might be educational for Paradox in case they read along. We could "repeat" this challenge somewhere in the future with different rules. Next challenge will definately not include anything requiring the Burgundian Inheritance or something similar. I expect people able to prevent the Shadow Kingdom as well in a similar way.
Any sort of competition will generally bring out the competitiveness in people and as such the cheese xd.
I don't think there is too much cheese that can be used to prevent shadow kingdom. I mean all the BI does is make you stronger.
I actually tried an attempt at the Dutch stuff with france, but you can't declare immediately so it's probably slower. And you need to win the emperor ship off Austria
I also wondered if you could do a run with Castile, ally and royal marriage burgundy, attack France and hope they crush burgundy and give you the inheritance haha
I honestly don't think you can beat my time with anything other than Austria, because without BI the AE from taking all required provinces becomes too large. If you start outside the Empire you have the additional problem of the Emperor protecting your targets or becoming Emperor yourself. If you start inside the Empire you're not a Great Power and can't get as many allies as I did nor use Great power interactions to prevent coalition. If you start as a dutch minor you will either have to fight independence war or fight a regular war against Burgundy for the required provinces, with much less resources than Austria has
I blame bbq, he gave me the idea to try it with BI
For Shadow Kingdom I would of course start as Austria again, ally everyone and rival Venice to get mission on one of their provinces. Attack ASAP and build spy network in the Papal States in the meantime. Attack when claim is finished, peace out for as much as possible and truce break immediately. Even if a restriction was to not go over relations limit you could just release Styria if a coalition declares. Should again be doable in 5 years or less
Seems really difficult to find a challenge you can't cheese easily. Maybe forming Mughals? That requires 600 dev so you can't just release stuff to appease possible coaltions