First time playing EU IV - best tips wanted

[Wizzington]

- Get some big allies that are in a position to defend you. Do this ASAP.
- If you're losing a war, try to get out of it quickly instead of waiting until your army is gone and your land is ravaged.
- Rival people who rival you or who you want to conquer.
- Don't let stability stay below 0.
- Don't let war exhaustion stay above 5.
- Don't let disasters trigger.
- Don't fall behind on mil tech.
- Have fun.

 

[neondt]

- Lower army maintenance when you're not at war
- After a big battle, shift-click the "consolidate regiments" button. You don't need to understand why.
- When you have an army 10x larger than an enemy army, you instantly destroy it. Take this opportunity whenever possible.
- In the early game, the only important stat for generals is shock. You might want to re-roll generals until you get one with decent shock.
- You don't need very much cavalry if you're not playing a horde. Just keep a few regiments in your armies and you'll be fine.
- Don't attack enemies on mountains unless you have overwhelmingly greater numbers or a much, much better general.
- Before you attack an enemy army, check the province they're standing on to see where the river crossings are. Avoid these if you can.
- Construct buildings in the most worthwhile provinces. e.g. you want to build your temples in provinces with the most base tax, markets in provinces with high trade power, and workshops in provinces with the best trade goods.