There's a few discussions going on in here regarding the handing out of cores, and the distributions of culture. Particularly, both of them in regards to expected player or AI behaviour, most notably, expansion or lack thereof.
From personal experience, my conquests are mainly directed by culture and cores.
Cores, unless in very poor areas, will usually prompt a military "solution", though rump states may be force-vasalised, then diplo-annexed. That is to say, when there are cores I don't own yet, and they're not in extremely poor provinces (or provinces that will cause bad things to happen), I'll usually go after the owner with my military.
Culture, the prime motivator for expansion outside of core areas. The reason is simple: there are two primary resources in this game: money and manpower. Money can be made from a LOT of things, but manpower mainly comes from provinces that have your culture- the penalty for wrong culture cannot be negated, and is often a relatively large part of the actual value, (far) more than the 30% that you lose off tax income. It depends on all kinds of things, ofcourse, but my preferred method for expansion in the own culture is usually (pure) diplomacy. Allying, building relations, vasalisation, annexation.
As sole motivators, religion and particular richness (CoT, gold, CC, manus) seldom come into play, although they may be factors in deciding what to go for first. I'll seldom go for a CoT just because it's there.
And some personal observations regarding AI expansion behaviour.
The AI seems to have two totally different approaches of expansion.
The first is the military way, ofcourse. This, in my experience, is *largely* directed by the AI hitlist, cores, and the strength of the possible opponent. The value of the conquest (due to it's culture, tax value, manpower, etc.) seems like very little of a factor to the AI. The AI also seems to largely ignore the costs involved, in particular, the incurred BB.
The second way the AI expands is through diploannexation. As this is a factor of good relations, and relative size, the AI will *often* expand in directions that it does NOT have cores in, but that have a few weak powers, with the proper religion.
Then there is the matter of larger powers "colliding".
In the case of human-human interaction, much depends on the value of the border area to the two neighbours, in particular through culture, with cores and religion usually playing a lesser role.
In the case of human-ai interaction, there is no such things as larger powers colliding, either the AI is so much stronger that the inherent weakness of the AI is compensated by sheer mass, or the human player can (eventually) dictate the border.
In the case of ai-ai interaction, the primary factor is relations. the AI won't care much about culture, but cores, and to a lesser degree religion, will affect greatly what is the most likely outcome.
Good relations (no cores on eachother, compatible religions) will usually lead to cooperation, and thus often a great powerblock, that WILL eventually go on a rampage. If one is smaller than the other, the smaller one will usually get absorbed sooner or later.
Bad relations (Cores on eachother, incompatible religions) will either lead to a standoff/standstill if the two are fairly balanced, OR they will lead to the eventual military destruction of one or the other.
Summed up, what I believe would be reasons to decide what to distribute, and what not to distribute.
The AI "needs" cores to guide military conquest, but will often not see the costs and benefits-- cores should not be handed out too much on one province countries (Annexation= BB; alternatively: don't put too many 1 prov countries in the way), and not too much in worthless areas.
The AI doesn't evaluate the value of conquests much, it'll need proper culture to have any use for it's conquests.
Likewise, I believe that human players will mostly conquer cores and culture.
In short, I think that the "minimum" size for countries needs cores, and the "maximum" size for countries needs the right culture.
This includes, imo, the possible expansion of some cultures, or the granting of some cultures, to some nations that are on the border of two cultures. The AI usually ignores cultural borders, and strives more to create a "round" empire; equal expansion in every direction.
make of that what you wish- ignore, flame, discuss, whatever
From personal experience, my conquests are mainly directed by culture and cores.
Cores, unless in very poor areas, will usually prompt a military "solution", though rump states may be force-vasalised, then diplo-annexed. That is to say, when there are cores I don't own yet, and they're not in extremely poor provinces (or provinces that will cause bad things to happen), I'll usually go after the owner with my military.
Culture, the prime motivator for expansion outside of core areas. The reason is simple: there are two primary resources in this game: money and manpower. Money can be made from a LOT of things, but manpower mainly comes from provinces that have your culture- the penalty for wrong culture cannot be negated, and is often a relatively large part of the actual value, (far) more than the 30% that you lose off tax income. It depends on all kinds of things, ofcourse, but my preferred method for expansion in the own culture is usually (pure) diplomacy. Allying, building relations, vasalisation, annexation.
As sole motivators, religion and particular richness (CoT, gold, CC, manus) seldom come into play, although they may be factors in deciding what to go for first. I'll seldom go for a CoT just because it's there.
And some personal observations regarding AI expansion behaviour.
The AI seems to have two totally different approaches of expansion.
The first is the military way, ofcourse. This, in my experience, is *largely* directed by the AI hitlist, cores, and the strength of the possible opponent. The value of the conquest (due to it's culture, tax value, manpower, etc.) seems like very little of a factor to the AI. The AI also seems to largely ignore the costs involved, in particular, the incurred BB.
The second way the AI expands is through diploannexation. As this is a factor of good relations, and relative size, the AI will *often* expand in directions that it does NOT have cores in, but that have a few weak powers, with the proper religion.
Then there is the matter of larger powers "colliding".
In the case of human-human interaction, much depends on the value of the border area to the two neighbours, in particular through culture, with cores and religion usually playing a lesser role.
In the case of human-ai interaction, there is no such things as larger powers colliding, either the AI is so much stronger that the inherent weakness of the AI is compensated by sheer mass, or the human player can (eventually) dictate the border.
In the case of ai-ai interaction, the primary factor is relations. the AI won't care much about culture, but cores, and to a lesser degree religion, will affect greatly what is the most likely outcome.
Good relations (no cores on eachother, compatible religions) will usually lead to cooperation, and thus often a great powerblock, that WILL eventually go on a rampage. If one is smaller than the other, the smaller one will usually get absorbed sooner or later.
Bad relations (Cores on eachother, incompatible religions) will either lead to a standoff/standstill if the two are fairly balanced, OR they will lead to the eventual military destruction of one or the other.
Summed up, what I believe would be reasons to decide what to distribute, and what not to distribute.
The AI "needs" cores to guide military conquest, but will often not see the costs and benefits-- cores should not be handed out too much on one province countries (Annexation= BB; alternatively: don't put too many 1 prov countries in the way), and not too much in worthless areas.
The AI doesn't evaluate the value of conquests much, it'll need proper culture to have any use for it's conquests.
Likewise, I believe that human players will mostly conquer cores and culture.
In short, I think that the "minimum" size for countries needs cores, and the "maximum" size for countries needs the right culture.
This includes, imo, the possible expansion of some cultures, or the granting of some cultures, to some nations that are on the border of two cultures. The AI usually ignores cultural borders, and strives more to create a "round" empire; equal expansion in every direction.
make of that what you wish- ignore, flame, discuss, whatever
