Hey there, fellow strategists. Allow me to introduce myself; I am an 18 year old guy who loves military strategy in games. I picked up Europa Universalis quite casually a certain number of months ago, and thought it was very good. It was pretty tough to get the hang of it, but I think I finally understands the way it works - except that I have a constant problem which inevitably leads me to defeat.
Simply said, when the cpu makes alliances, it means that if I attack a state I am sure to have other two or three declaring war on me. Fair enough. But why the heck is it that when I create an alliance with someone else, and someone declares war on me, the other states just sit there eating popcorn? Aren't they supposed to come to my aid? And another thing; When I get into an alliance and someone declares war on my allies, I can't find anywhere the command to join the war. Of course, I can declare war on my own, but then it does not count as a joint war, but as a separate one.
To give the best example, I was playing France (I always play France) in the Great Campaign. I went really well, I annexed loads of those little countries at my east, and organised an alliance with England, Venice, and Navarra. Suddenly Turkey declared war on Venice. England and Navarra joined. I wanted to join, but I couldn't find the command to do that. So I just went to diplomacy, Turkey, and Declare War. It did. But in the diplomacy table it treated it as a different war. Later in the game, still allied with them, Helvetia declared war on me. She was allied with Spain and someone else I can't remember. England & co. sat there and scratched themselves. I managed to handle it on my own, and achieve a victory. Then Hessen declared war on me. Again my allies did nothing. I began fighting on my own, although I was already strained from the previous war. I was just about to achieve victory, when Geneva declared war. Then Kleeves. Then Saxony. Then revolts began exploding all over my eastern provinces, despite a plus 2 stability. Now... I had had enough experience of the game to expect that thing to happen, and I had prepared as best I could. I went through something like twenty years of almost perpetually victorious wars, while crushing the revolts and maintaining the amount of investment on progress the highest in europe.
But it just wasn't enough. Countries kept declaring war, and I ended up in a situation where victory was no longer possible. And the only reason, the only reason why I could not handle it was because they were many and I was alone. So I have to know, if I am to get a victory someday, how on earth do you get your allies to fight with you when someone declares war? The help of Venice or England would have been enough in those cases to kick some european butt.
And since I'm at it, I'll ask a few questions more.
- Every now and then some provinces on the map seem to become white and shiny or something. What does that mean?
- Occasionally some very small rectangles with flags and weird simbols appear on the right hand side of the top of my screen. What do they mean?
- How in the most ungodly tree-hugging hippy crap do you REPAY DEBTS!!! In my last game I refused to make any debts in the first place, but in the past I remember making the debts, waiting five years, having the money ready to repay, and then not being able to. The result was that through all the debts which I strangely could not repay, interests began accumulating and my economy went to the barnyard. So let me get the process straight; I ask for a debt. I accumulate enough money to pay it back. I repay it - where?
If you Napoleons could answer my questions, you'll have a new king in Europe very soon.
Really, if someone can help, I'd really appreciate it. This would be such a great game if I could fight with fair rules.
Simply said, when the cpu makes alliances, it means that if I attack a state I am sure to have other two or three declaring war on me. Fair enough. But why the heck is it that when I create an alliance with someone else, and someone declares war on me, the other states just sit there eating popcorn? Aren't they supposed to come to my aid? And another thing; When I get into an alliance and someone declares war on my allies, I can't find anywhere the command to join the war. Of course, I can declare war on my own, but then it does not count as a joint war, but as a separate one.
To give the best example, I was playing France (I always play France) in the Great Campaign. I went really well, I annexed loads of those little countries at my east, and organised an alliance with England, Venice, and Navarra. Suddenly Turkey declared war on Venice. England and Navarra joined. I wanted to join, but I couldn't find the command to do that. So I just went to diplomacy, Turkey, and Declare War. It did. But in the diplomacy table it treated it as a different war. Later in the game, still allied with them, Helvetia declared war on me. She was allied with Spain and someone else I can't remember. England & co. sat there and scratched themselves. I managed to handle it on my own, and achieve a victory. Then Hessen declared war on me. Again my allies did nothing. I began fighting on my own, although I was already strained from the previous war. I was just about to achieve victory, when Geneva declared war. Then Kleeves. Then Saxony. Then revolts began exploding all over my eastern provinces, despite a plus 2 stability. Now... I had had enough experience of the game to expect that thing to happen, and I had prepared as best I could. I went through something like twenty years of almost perpetually victorious wars, while crushing the revolts and maintaining the amount of investment on progress the highest in europe.
But it just wasn't enough. Countries kept declaring war, and I ended up in a situation where victory was no longer possible. And the only reason, the only reason why I could not handle it was because they were many and I was alone. So I have to know, if I am to get a victory someday, how on earth do you get your allies to fight with you when someone declares war? The help of Venice or England would have been enough in those cases to kick some european butt.
And since I'm at it, I'll ask a few questions more.
- Every now and then some provinces on the map seem to become white and shiny or something. What does that mean?
- Occasionally some very small rectangles with flags and weird simbols appear on the right hand side of the top of my screen. What do they mean?
- How in the most ungodly tree-hugging hippy crap do you REPAY DEBTS!!! In my last game I refused to make any debts in the first place, but in the past I remember making the debts, waiting five years, having the money ready to repay, and then not being able to. The result was that through all the debts which I strangely could not repay, interests began accumulating and my economy went to the barnyard. So let me get the process straight; I ask for a debt. I accumulate enough money to pay it back. I repay it - where?
If you Napoleons could answer my questions, you'll have a new king in Europe very soon.
Really, if someone can help, I'd really appreciate it. This would be such a great game if I could fight with fair rules.
