(...)
At the same time this is a historical game, so instead of adding in hard coded scripts to steer a country, we add game mechanics that place historical constraints on your freedom of action. Let’s take Russia here as a very good example of a country that was considered by many to be overpowered in Victoria and I’ll talk a little bit about what we mean here. First off is POP promotion; it is going to be automatic. Now there are various things you as a player can do to influence it and I will return to this subject in future developer diaries, but for now just take my word for it. The population of Russia has lower literacy than Western European powers; because of this they are less aware of opportunities than Western European POPs. This in turn makes them less likely to promote. We are trying to model Russia’s relative backwardness in the period, and at the same time giving means for the player to overcome them.
(...)
We’ve also mentioned somewhere that we have bureaucrat POPs who represent the administration. However, absolute monarchies have aristocrats who will serve in the administration (and unlike bureaucrats do it free of charge),
What I am afraid King (hopefully it is not true), that with Tsar Russia you will do the same mistake like a lot of others in the West. You simply look at Tsar Russia from the Western perspective. Set up of Tsar Russia was not really similar to setup in the West.
In terms of organisation of the ruling and governign Russia was more closer to Asisan absolute monarchies than to West monerchies. HOwever I agree in 2nd half of XIX century started to convert governing system to more simliar to Western.
What is the problem with Russia?
It's a very large subject so very briefly:
We have to understand that until beginning of XIX century private property concept was not really an issue in Russia. Tsar was the owner of whole land - so unlike it was at West (feudal system which evolve then in more capitalists relationship). BTW - feudal system we know (monarchy, liege etc.) was NEVER existing in Russia.
Population - basically until 20th of XX century Russia was farmland with some small industry (surprise - Bolsheviks did proletariat revolution in country with 90% of peasants population and around 5% of industrial workers
)
If you look at the map you can observe the geografical situation of Russia - the cores laying in not really good climate zone with the lands which were not really fertile. The fertile humus was basically "aquired" by Russian empire in XVIII century. Also one have to remember that warm period for the agriculture is much shorter than in Europe (2,3 months less). For those reasons Russian farming was always extensive, not intensive (so to get the same crops vs. western farm you need more land). Not because they were lazy or something - simple natural causes.
Farm in Russian was 2 to 3 time less efficient than in Prussia for example or in France or Holland.
Not without meaning is the custom of equal splitting the land among male heirs (also in aristocracy but about this a bit later) ; so land plots becoming less and less and this encurages colonization (exstensification).
BTW - this was also the reason why there was not that much person for the work in factories. Male heirs could always count on inheritance not only the oldest son. Not education. I am sure there was no big education difference between Polish and Russian peasant
Coming back to aristocracy - as mentioned above for the peasants, inherinting rules were similar - equal splitting so no primogeniture. So in Russia never existed big latifundia of aristocracy. Additionally - aristocracy was granted a land not forever but until the end of life of the beneficiary . Than Tsar could revoke it or confirm the usage of land. Land was also never consolidated but dispersed, frequently in very distant locations. That's why Tsar in reality had never "internal competition' of aristocracy. Aristocracy in Russian was simply "higher rank" servants of Tsar. And the real money they make serving as "clerks" in Tsar administration.
The real plague of XIX century Russia was system of administrative ranks - promotion was done on the basis of the years you served not on the basis of your skills. Promotion was AUTOMATIC!
This meant that to be promoted it was enough to make entry exam (easy) to adminsitration and then be just obedient. In reality you could be an idiot
This resulted in situation that the most valuable persons usually never applied for government position, knowing thay will be competing medicore individuals which only merit is to serve without a questioning.
I know it's very, very brief however I would like to mention that to simulate properly Russia in Viki 2 you should take different perspective - not western one
otherwise you will show not Russia but western imagination what was the Russia.
Final note: I am just amatour historian so professional always can challange me, however I am sure my opinion is not realy far from reality.
My main source of knowledge are books of Richard Pipes, Simon Sebag Montefiore and various articles from internet and press.
Any discussion is welcome!
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