How to avoid coalitions?

[Dron22]

I recently started a game as Teutonic Order in 1444, joined the Holy Roman Empire and allied to Austria. As usual in the first 5 years Poland declared war on me and with the help of Austria and Hungary I defeated them and took 2-3 Polish provinces in the peace deal. I made sure to fabricate claims on the provinces I took before the war. Soon after that a coalition involving Sweden, Bohemia and a few minor countries attacked me, and again after winning I took a couple of provinces that I had a claim on. And again a new coalition formed against me, so it seems like an endless cycle. I took land I had a claim on in defensive wars, and I could have taken a lot more if I wanted to but I did not to avoid acquiring aggressive expansion and save administrative points I would have to spend on coring.

 

[Aries666]

Coalitions are best dealt with now by stamping them out as soon as new members join you dont necessarily have to take land off each one, release nations etc, just dont let a large coalition coalesce and you will be fine.

 

[Blindbohemian]

Improve relations with everyone and anyone, cycle your wars so that you're not constantly attacking people who are all close to one another (less AE depending how far away people are), force vassalisation and annex instead of outright taking land, take downtime to let your AE tick down.

Improve relations hard. Especially with people your scared of. I seem to recall there's some breakpoint where it becomes impossible for an ai to join a coalition against you (maybe if relations are about zero or something?).

 

[Blindbohemian]

Coalitions are best dealt with now by stamping them out as soon as new members join you dont necessarily have to take land off each one, release nations etc, just dont let a large coalition coalesce and you will be fine.

Really good point. Bash them when they're just one or two countries and you'll have a staggered truce so that they can never all come at you at once.

 

[gothos]

I believe the break point is +50 relations, that's when they leave at least (if they don't have a truce - they can't leave or join a coalition if they have a truce with you).
Note that Hostile countries will never join a coalition against you.
If a Rival joins a coalition, well, they're there to stay until all AE burns off I think.
Improve relations with everyone you can. And yeah, stomping over them will work too. Make sure you have big friends and you can think of this as just a cooldown.

Also, don't play the teutonic bastards

 

[Dron22]

Really good point. Bash them when they're just one or two countries and you'll have a staggered truce so that they can never all come at you at once.

Is it because there can only be one coalition against you at a time? I thought so but was never sure about that, although I never had more than one coalition emerge against me. I might have to think about having Diplomacy and Influence as Ideas, I used to think they are not worth it unless you aim to become HRE Emperor.

 

[Aries666]

Is it because there can only be one coalition against you at a time? I thought so but was never sure about that, although I never had more than one coalition emerge against me. I might have to think about having Diplomacy and Influence as Ideas, I used to think they are not worth it unless you aim to become HRE Emperor.

Yes you can only have one coalition against you at a time, and any nation you have a truce with can't be in the coalition. This is why declaring small wars against new coalition members is helpful it means that they wont be part of the coalition when your intended targets rejoin the coalition after their truce expires. Another thing to bear in mind is that if you release a nation for 100% WS all coalition members will be on a 15 year truce meanning that most AE accrued with them will have disapated by the time the truce ends.

 

[lolada]

You should also use that advisors that gives Better relations over time, he helps to remove aggressive expansion. Influence and/or diplomatic would be good way to go, probably both.

 

[Dron22]

I believe the break point is +50 relations, that's when they leave at least (if they don't have a truce - they can't leave or join a coalition if they have a truce with you).
Note that Hostile countries will never join a coalition against you.
If a Rival joins a coalition, well, they're there to stay until all AE burns off I think.
Improve relations with everyone you can. And yeah, stomping over them will work too. Make sure you have big friends and you can think of this as just a cooldown.

Also, don't play the teutonic bastards

I think I had nations who had over 50 relations with me and they did not leave the coalition till my aggressive expansion lowered to a point. Sometimes they leave coalitions not because they like you but because they have their own problems. lol whats wrong with Teutonic Order? I always enjoyed playing as them since EUII, start of as a Theocracy, grow strong, convert to Protestant, form Prussia and unify Germany in 1600s. With huge manpower and a Prussian style quality army you can then go beating up pretty much anyone you want.

 

[Aries666]

I think I had nations who had over 50 relations with me and they did not leave the coalition till my aggressive expansion lowered to a point. Sometimes they leave coalitions not because they like you but because they have their own problems. lol whats wrong with Teutonic Order? I always enjoyed playing as them since EUII, start of as a Theocracy, grow strong, convert to Protestant, form Prussia and unify Germany in 1600s. With huge manpower and a Prussian style quality army you can then go beating up pretty much anyone you want.

I believe it is 50+ relations to remove the outraged attitude which is what determines when a nation will leave a coalition. There can be delays though such as that nation's currently at war.

 

[gothos]

I think I had nations who had over 50 relations with me and they did not leave the coalition till my aggressive expansion lowered to a point. Sometimes they leave coalitions not because they like you but because they have their own problems. lol whats wrong with Teutonic Order? I always enjoyed playing as them since EUII, start of as a Theocracy, grow strong, convert to Protestant, form Prussia and unify Germany in 1600s. With huge manpower and a Prussian style quality army you can then go beating up pretty much anyone you want.

Same reason I never play Muscovy - historical animosity
On a more serious note, always found founding Prussia and Germany as Brandenburg more fun.

 

[Dron22]

Same reason I never play Muscovy - historical animosity
On a more serious note, always found founding Prussia and Germany as Brandenburg more fun.

Historical animosity against Teutonic Order and Muscovy? What do the two have in common, very little as far as I know at the time. Why take the game so serious though, I find it quite fun to play as any country or empire, even one you view negatively, playing as them in EUIV sometimes helps to see things through their viewpoint, or do things differently then they did historically.

 

[gothos]

Historical animosity against Teutonic Order and Muscovy? What do the two have in common, very little as far as I know at the time. Why take the game so serious though, I find it quite fun to play as any country or empire, even one you view negatively, playing as them in EUIV sometimes helps to see things through their viewpoint, or do things differently then they did historically.

TO for medieval times, Muscovy for EU-Today timeline, especially 18th century onwards. For some reason I can't bring the same amount of animosity for Prussia, I guess you got to love the underdog becoming successful.

 

[Dron22]

TO for medieval times, Muscovy for EU-Today timeline, especially 18th century onwards. For some reason I can't bring the same amount of animosity for Prussia, I guess you got to love the underdog becoming successful.

Muscovy did what since 18th Century? They were probably the least expansionist in after 18th Century, at least if you compare them to other powers.

 

[gothos]

Muscovy did what since 18th Century? They were probably the least expansionist in after 18th Century, at least if you compare them to other powers.

I'll just drop a few terms here, look them up if you feel like reading:
Partitions of Poland
Russification
Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1921
Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, Katyń massacre, treatment of AK soldiers (Armia Krajowa, not Afrika Korps)
Cold War / Eastern Bloc politics

That's just with us. But hey, shouldn't get political in these forums, should we? Getting off-topic anyway.