I have a little list of people who will not be missed

[Joecon]

Having lurked on this forum for a very long time and played a couple of games of PoN, never getting farther then 1855, I thought it was time to post my version of a Great Britain campaign.
The title is from a Gilbert & Sullivan song, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NLV24qTnlg.

So to start:
Great Britain is the Elephant in this game having a good economy and a very large colonial empire, mostly acquired without a plan.
So in following this tradition I will have little of a plan other than to take advantage of any opportunities that occur.

However, I will keep a list, the first entry:
Rebellious colonists

It seems I have possessions everywhere, based on a previous play through I found that I will be constrained by money to perform colonial actions and build up the military.
The first order of business will be to garrison bits that seem to like to rebel.
Also, I know Burma will be upset so I aim to garrison the coast with brigades. Starngely, you seem to end up with a situation of war/no war where the troops fight but no military control changes.
Meanwhile, I will build farms, mines and factories as quickly as possible.
I do not think it possible to win by prestige points but I will spam options to get as many of these so I can at least feel good about being number one in something.

I aim to load an update every night to cover 3 months. I tend to record turn information on a spreadsheet so I will upload this each time with the latest information added.
I will also do a summary of activity.
Since this is a bit different from the normal AAR let me know if you want any changes?
As I have already played 5 quarters if you have any suggestions then I will not be able to react to these until after then.
Hopefully, I will show how not to play so my kind reader can avoid my mistakes.

I will load the first quarter a bit later.

The game in numbers: View attachment 62571

The quarterly reports:
First Quarter 1850
Second Quarter 1850
Third Quarter 1850
Navy Board
Army Board
Colonial Office
Fourth Quarter 1850
First Quarter 1851
Second Quarter 1851
Third Quarter 1851
Fourth Quarter 1851
First Quarter 1852
Second Quarter 1852
Third Quarter 1852
Fourth Quarter 1852
First Quarter 1853
Second Quarter 1853
Third Quarter 1853
Fourth Quarter 1853
First Quarter 1854
Second Quarter 1854
Third Quarter 1854
Fourth Quarter 1854
First Quarter 1855
Second Quarter 1855
Third Quarter 1855
Fourth Quarter 1855
First Quarter 1856
Second Quarter 1856
Third Quarter 1856
Fourth Quarter 1856
First Quarter 1857
Second Quarter 1857
Third Quater 1857
Fourth Quarter 1857
First Quarter 1858
Second Quarter 1858
Third Quarter 1858
Fourth Quarter 1858
First Quarter 1859

So there it is, victory has been achieved in 221 turns. Perhaps others could take this as a challenge to create an AAR showing how they have done it quicker?

The last quarter was chaotic with a crisis between Austria and Russia leading to a big gain for Russia.
Then I bullied the international criminals in charge of Nicaragua, even though I was awarded a massive number of prestige points I did not actually get much as Nicaragua did not have much.
Then France went head to head with Prussia, as the first step prestige points are deducted from both sides and this in effect gave me victory as the target was suddenly reduced.

The lessons I have learnt:
It is a good idea to have a plan, I tended to get distracted and failed to focus my efforts to achieve the different aims.
Develop a reserve in key points with transport fleets to react to opportunities/threats.
Use the relationship view to identify opportunities on the coast where there is a rebel held province and then invade.
Always take a supply wagon with you so you can build a depot.
Assume natives will be equipped with big guns and will know how to use them, do not ever attack fort artillery in mountains.
Natives will often be better than your troops until you get muzzle loading rifles.
Build shipbuilding as soon as possible, it is cheap for the prestige it gives you and the annual replacements provided will always be needed.
Keep fleets in port until you need to move them, the weather is always bad and causes damage.
Do not expect to win by colonial action as after 10 years I had managed to double the points earned from objectives and colonial possessions.
Always form a column with guns in it, this will usually win the battle against natives.
When you lack conscript companies build colonial units as these often use less.

 

[loki100]

this seems very promising. I think GB daunting in Vicky and utterly baffling in PoN so really looking forward to see how you develop this

 

[Joecon]

View attachment GBR01.rarAnd so it begins.. 1st Quarter 1850

My Plans:
Short
Defend Burma, other colony's
Medium
Grow economy
Long
Occupy Burma, Afghanistan

Military:
Moved brigades to various provinces to suppress revolt risk and protect against maurauding natives.

Actions by turn:
1. 3 x Customs, stop selling sugar, tea, wood, chemicals, mfg goods, cut dyes to 4, textiles to 15, mech parts to 4, coal to 5, brig to belsize, fleet to calcutta, gold field St Maurice, wood belfast, cereals south east, 10x Merch
2. Brig Puerto Cabezas,brig Arakan, demo Pegu+Moulmien,TP Banjul,Rangoon,Mombasa
3. brig pegu, fleet gulf guinea, demo Pegu+Moulmien, geog srinagar
4. brig moulmein
5. geog chitral, rescue brig gulf guinea
6. Brig Banjul, Brig Freetown, Brig Pegu, 7 x TP, geog basuto+ulundi, 2 x demo
Brig is short for brigade
TP for trade-post
merch for Merchant
demo for Naval demo (cost 20 money get 20 PP)
geog Geographical Expedition (cost 125 capital get 100 PP)
PP prestige points
Number after province means increase of colonial pentration
Province on own means gained in size of city

Results by turn:
So on turn 1 I was set the following missions:
1. largest fleet
2. largest merchant fleet
3. largest production of coal
4. largest ship building
5. largest colonial empire
New measures available:
1. Send in troops to reduce militanism
2. limit nobility priveleges
3. no children at work
4. electoral law change
5. drainage of wetlands
Various people made peace with me Mahrata, awadi, bastar, natalian, sindhitasman.
Burma decided on war
Gained control of some places Indore,jodpure,udiapur,nagpur,bhopal.gwalior,trivandrum,hyderabad, nizamabad,rangoon, and lost basuto
Made some discoveries and started on others Molasses,screw,saw,communism.
2. Siam brig, pirate malaya,indonesia, 2 repl belize, arakan lost indore,bhopal,gwalior trans supplies demo Pegu+Moulmien,punjab 6, calcutta 6,
3. pirate malaya pegu, puerta cabezas governor umtata,natal Hesse-Kassel local prussia, geog failed, demo Pegu+Moulmien,
4. Belgium subsidy goods Moulmein, gulf guinea 2 x gurhkas trans supplies,california gold, colony ministry, john snow State visit France to Haiti, Denmark local holstein,lome merch failed,victoria 6, quebec 6
5. Belgium subsidy steel, Adelaide Calcutta, gulf, SW Brig SW geog failed, spain merch fernando po
6. Italy subsidy goods Pegu, freetown, banjul, calcutta Goldfield St Maurice trans supplies, meat, minie, muzzle loaded France state Hannover, geog failed, 2 x demo, merch failed ibadan, france miss nouakchott+antanarivo

Notes:
1. gurhkas are cost 10 money with a combat power of 50, a colonial brigade is cost 37 plus some mfg for a similar power
2. build up wood as there can be a shortage of this
3. not sure if it is good but I always deploy as many merchants as possible, build up colonial penetration and where there are resources allows you to delpoy a trade-post
4. have now got brigades deployed in Arakan, belize, pegu, puerta cabezas, Moulmein, freetown, banjul

Progress:
I started with 1,000 PP and now have 1,616, however, the target has moved from 3,200 to 3,856. So I have gone down by 40.
I am running out of money so will have to stop the demos which is my main way of boosting PP acquisition.
Initially I sold 200 items on national and colonial markets and this has now risen to 241, satisfaction generated rising from 35% to 48%, so my population should be happier.
Managing to buy goods so avoiding having to produce them.

The list:
1. Rebellious colonists
2. Mahrata
3. awadi
4. bastar
5. natalian
6. sindhitasman
7. burma
8. afghanistan

Not really much happening.
My end of turn checklist:
Write down data on spreadsheet, look through log one section at a time.
Then make moves, buy more stuff looking at B screen to buy whatever it says, also where there is a red line, apply colonial measures

Have problem I cannot attach the spreadsheet with the details, does anyone know how to do this?

 

[Stuyvesant]

Seconding loki's comment - Great Britain seems like a terrifying beast in Vicky, let alone in PON. So good luck to you and let's see what can be accomplished with a true superpower (playing whack-a-mole with rebels, it seems from your description).

PS: Also glad to see that the title is from a Gilbert & Sullivan song (which I don't know), as opposed to some kind of grudge-holding forum hit list: I had fears of some thoroughly unpleasant inside. Glad I clicked on the link anyway.

 

[loki100]

Have problem I cannot attach the spreadsheet with the details, does anyone know how to do this?

its probably a format issue. To save server space, the forum won't accept .xls or .ods type files so you need to convert to 7z or zip. The best solution to be honest is to cut and paste the interesting stuff out of your spreadsheet into an image editor (paint.net is both free and pretty good), save to an image hosting site and then upload that. That way you can link up the information to your text as well.

If you are having problems taking images from PoN try faststone capture. I use this, the freeware version allows all screen images (that you can edit down), the paid version allows quite a range of actions.

 

[Joecon]

its probably a format issue. To save server space, the forum won't accept .xls or .ods type files so you need to convert to 7z or zip. The best solution to be honest is to cut and paste the interesting stuff out of your spreadsheet into an image editor (paint.net is both free and pretty good), save to an image hosting site and then upload that. That way you can link up the information to your text as well.

If you are having problems taking images from PoN try faststone capture. I use this, the freeware version allows all screen images (that you can edit down), the paid version allows quite a range of actions.

Thanks, I was able to upload the file, there is rather too much for a picture to show.

 

[Sir Garnet]

I have always thought it would be a daunting task and an exercise in self-discipline to play Great Britain in a historical mode. Aggressive Prussia, imperious Imperial France, the USA - all easy. But Britain, as you suggest, acquired an empire while (at least pretending to be) looking the other way, with a back and forth tussle of liberals and conservatives and Queen Victoria's weight in the scales pushing moderately in the direction of empire. Imperial fever did accumulate over time, but the role of arbiter and strategy of balance of power that served it well (and requires some guidelines and some principles of intervention to follow to carry through without becoming overtly hegemonic or inconsistently inert - maybe some randomized die rolls to simulate Parliamentary decision making and deferral) was continued until the locked alliances that spawned WW1. In a multiplayer PBEM the creation of alliances and big wards came decades early. Colonialism is also too fast without resetting the colonial card levels in PBEM, but probably not a problem in SP.

 

[Joecon]

Seconding loki's comment - Great Britain seems like a terrifying beast in Vicky, let alone in PON. So good luck to you and let's see what can be accomplished with a true superpower (playing whack-a-mole with rebels, it seems from your description).

PS: Also glad to see that the title is from a Gilbert & Sullivan song (which I don't know), as opposed to some kind of grudge-holding forum hit list: I had fears of some thoroughly unpleasant inside. Glad I clicked on the link anyway.

After your suggestion I tried to amend the title, but couldn't see how to do this.
Yes it will be attempting not to let go of anything, mainly to represent the inability of Britain in this period to think strategically, it seems to me everything was done ad hoc in reaction mode.

 

[Joecon]

I have always thought it would be a daunting task and an exercise in self-discipline to play Great Britain in a historical mode. Aggressive Prussia, imperious Imperial France, the USA - all easy. But Britain, as you suggest, acquired an empire while (at least pretending to be) looking the other way, with a back and forth tussle of liberals and conservatives and Queen Victoria's weight in the scales pushing moderately in the direction of empire. Imperial fever did accumulate over time, but the role of arbiter and strategy of balance of power that served it well (and requires some guidelines and some principles of intervention to follow to carry through without becoming overtly hegemonic or inconsistently inert - maybe some randomized die rolls to simulate Parliamentary decision making and deferral) was continued until the locked alliances that spawned WW1. In a multiplayer PBEM the creation of alliances and big wards came decades early. Colonialism is also too fast without resetting the colonial card levels in PBEM, but probably not a problem in SP.

I thought it would be a daunting task, certainly to do it properly tracking many local situations in detail I think it would be very challenging.
So I adopted the overall approach of just reacting and hoping rather than having a proper strategy.
It seems to me in this period the British Army often succeded mainly because the opposition was even more incompetent.
I suspect I will end up progressing too fast with colonial matters as once the money starts flooding in you have to spend it.......
Still if any readers have suggestions on strategy I will attempt to follow those, chopping and changing as new ideas are suggested to represent the effect of confused government priorities.

 

[Joecon]

The second quarter 1850

So at the end of the first quarter I had spent too much money and this was about to hit home.
Additionally, with the idea of gaining as much prestige as possible I had fallen only 40 points behind in the quarter.

My Plans:
Nothing special other than to continue sending brigades to occupy potential trouble spots.
Continue to develop the economy and perhaps start on improving relations when I get some diplomats in the next quarter.
As the saying goes "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer".

Actions by turn:
6. 2 x demo, merch ibadan, fruits NE scotland, geog chitral
7. geog chitral, fruits highlands
8. gem colombo, brig to tricomalee
9. gem hyderabad, brig to trivandrum
10. cattle munster, merch lome
11. Cereals london

Key:
Brig is short for brigade
TP for trade-post
merch for Merchant
demo for Naval demo (cost 20 money get 20 PP)
geog Geographical Expedition (cost 125 capital get 100 PP)
PP prestige points
Number after province means increase of colonial pentration
Province on own means gained in size of city

Results by turn:
7. Events: Fezzan, burma, 2 x malaya; Battles:Burma retreated Arakan; Movement:Calcutta, SW New:Fruits; System:Army leadership, military decorations Colonial:Russia state china, geog failed, 2 x demo, merch ibadan, TP failed, TP Mombasa, Rangoon, Banjul, manitoba 6, from trade posts 21
8. Events:RR Coquimbo; New:Fruits; System:Grain mower, jomnian; Trade: 11 elements unpaid; Colonial: Moldovia state wallachia, US merch shosone, Spain miss canaries, from trade posts 21
9. Eventserth, France roads; Movement:Trincomalee; New:Gems, 3 x TP built, brig SW; Trade:52 elements unpaid; Colonial:Sardinia forge CB two scillies, TP destroyed dar es salaam, france cede lagouhat, russia bribe kizil, portugal miss maputo, spain miss agadir, from trade posts 21
10. Events:50k Aus and NZ, 130K Can, 20K SA, nguni, italy subsidy coal, RR saejland; Movement:trivandrum; New:gems; System:Navy guns, dahlgren, tourism, health spas, thomas cooke; Colonialapal mutual supply two scillies, merch fail lome, victoria 7 ontario 8, from trade posts 21
11. Events:EIC 200k, somali, japan, RR cataluna, belgium reject roads; Movement:Walvis; New:cattle; System:nitroglycerin, military organisation;Colonial:Keralan ceased hostilities, TP lost lome, 4 x TP, singapore 6, victoria 8, from trade posts 22
12. Events:Tuareg, social protection; Movement:Calcutta; New:cereals london, completed wood and cereals; System:trans supplies, ironclads, ironcladding wood ships, petroleum fractionation; Colonial:merch destroyed dar es salaam, france tele antilles, turk pacify syria, spain colonists el rif, from trade posts 22

Notes:
1. You can see I ended up shorting my army in turn 8 and 9 luckily the East India company supplied £200k in turn 11 to sort out my finances.
2. Kerala gets added to the list, didn't even know they were against me, they made peace in turn 11. How rude they didn't even talk to me, just did it!
3. Nice to see the colonies growing on turn 10.
4. dar es salaam gets added to the list for destroying my trade post.

Progress:
I have fallen behind by an additional 298 prestige points in this quarter, so now 338 behind. Mainly because I could not afford the colonial decisions.
Otherwise fairly quiet.

Summary:
Haven't added much this quarter, lack of money is the main issue, perhaps I should have changed the settings for tax etc.

The list:
1. Rebellious colonists
2. Mahrata
3. awadi
4. bastar
5. natalian
6. sindhitasman
7. burma
8. afghanistan
9. Kerala
10. dar es salaam

 

[Sir Garnet]

One explicit element of deliberate British strategy was to establish secure naval bases at various spots around the world. With good facilities they can make and repair ships and serve as major depot/bases for troops and can be fortified to be difficult to disturb.

Something not driven by government but the private sector, but the player's responsibility, is trade. Britain was the workshop, financial center and marketplace of the world. For this reason, and practical game and strategic reasons, the player country - and especially Britain - is well served by being the middleman between markets. The ability of AI countries to trade with other countries rather than sit on useless stocks of wares is essential to their development as trading partners and domestic contentment (rather than unrest and rebellion). Development makes them trading partners and places with enough infrastructure to be worth investing in, if you wish. Trade with their neighbors and other powers with merchants who usually only trade what they need is fairly limiting and is not focused on moving goods around the world to where they are in demand. That is the player's role.

This is discussed more in some excellent posts in the forums and in the manual, but basically the leading trading power can sell everything everywhere in quantities well beyond its own needs, and buy enough to stock its warehouses and supply the developing demand. There is the ability to buy low and sell high, and to manipulate the market to some extent if the dominant player, but the baseline return is the maritime tax to government and the compensation to your merchants for carrying all those goods.

Also, if you need quick state funds, use part of the large stockpile of gold and gems you will surely accumulate to convert into cash the next turn.

 

[Stuyvesant]

Sir Garnet, you really know your PON, don't you? Good to see.

Joecon, how large a part of your army was affected by those unpaid elements? The 52 unpaid elements in turn 9, does that constitute a major part of your army, or is it managable?

Oh, and I'd like to see Dar Es Salaam 'civilized' post-haste by a healthy number of British troops. Such a stain on British honor should not go unpunished!

 

[Sir Garnet]

Oh, and I'd like to see Dar Es Salaam 'civilized' post-haste by a healthy number of British troops. Such a stain on British honor should not go unpunished!

Let's not forget the British penchant for sending too few troops under a dashing leader, then needing to double down or more later to bail them out.

 

[Joecon]

Third quarter 1850

My Plans:
Short
Continue to develop the economy, defend colonial possessions.
Medium
Start to increase colonial pentration in Afghanistan as it is currently the only objective I have that is not occupied.
Start to improve relations with key countries.
Long
Take advantage of opportunites as they arrive, wait for more money to start flowing so I can expand army and navy and invest in colonial possessions

Military:
Continue to defend and wait.

Actions by turn:
12. Local france,use,turkey, merch kabul, goods birmingham
13. wood ulster, merchant bamyan
14. merch herat, TP bamyan, cattle south
15. State france, us, turkey, geog sringar, cattle ulster, 2 x demo
16. 2 x demo, geog sringar, merch kandahar, TP herat, wool ne scotland
17. 2 x demo, geog basuto, customs haiti, TP kandahar

Key:
Brig is short for brigade
TP for trade-post
merch for Merchant
demo for Naval demo (cost 20 money get 20 PP)
geog Geographical Expedition (cost 125 capital get 100 PP)
PP prestige points
Number after province means increase of colonial pentration
Province on own means gained in size of city

Results by turn:
13. Events:Melbourne +6, education, roads, austria reject conscription, roads, nobility, belgium reject conscription, belgium roads; Battle:Napier wounded; Movement:bombay; New:goods, 4 x TP; Trade:minerals temiscanigue; Colonial:local france+us+turkey, pop delhi, benares,singapore, haiti customs failed, falklands 6, rangoon merch failed; Resources from TPs:20;
14. Events:cherokee, us reject army, navy, france subsidy goods; Movement: bombay; New:wood, gems completed colombo; System:trans supplies, livingstone; Colonial:merch failed mombassa, prussia merch luanda, italy ethno tripoli, calcutta 7; Resources from TPs:17
15. Events:cherokee, us reject army, navy, france subsidy goods; Movement: gulf guinea; New:cattle, Completed TP, gems Hyderabad; Control:rebels catptured TP mombassa; Colonial:Wallachia local turkey, geog sringar, merch failed biafra, russia bribe kizil, bhopal 6, hyderabad 6, jamaica 6; Resources from TPs:19
16. Events:somali, hottentot; Movement:gulf guinea; New:cattle; System:trans supplies, currency regulation, monetary unions; Colonial:geog failed, merch failed, 2 x demo, spain miss el rif, state france, us, turkey; Resources from TPs:21
17. Events:FRANCE subsidy coal, austria ban children; Movement:mauritius; New:wool; Colonial:france and turkey declined, us accepted, 2 x demo, haiti failed, TP lome, geog basuto, france cede antananarivo, us treaty okmulgee; Resources from TPs:16
18. catholic hierarchy, hottentot, us reject premium, austria roads; Battle:lost battle arakan 1523/1025; Movement:bombay; New:fruits complete; Control:burma arakan harbour; System:trans supplies; Colonial:us state expired, geog failed, customs haiti, 2 x demo, merch banyan failed, south australia 6; Resources from TPs:19

Notes:
1. The destruction of the TP at Mombassa on turn 15 adds a new item to the list
2. The resources from trade-posts continues to make a very useful contribution
3. Lost a battle to Burma on turn 18, this must be revenged. Oddly, because I am not at war with them military control remains with me.
4. I picked up some inflation, as soon as I can I would like to get rid of this
5. Lack of money continues to constrain activity, at least this quarter I was able to pay all my forces

Progress:
Overall this quarter I gained 794 PP, whilst the target grew by 756, first quarter where I have reduced the gap.
Since the start of the game the gap has increased by 300 PP.

Summary:
Continue to play ad hoc approach hoping to be able to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

Navy Board:
As recorded in Hansard:
On receiving the report from the secretary of the navy Sir Garnet MP demanded that a summary be prepared of the plans to develop the navy, particulary relating to the establishment and expanasion of bases worldwide to enable the Royal Navy to operate wherever it may be needed.

Army board:
As recorded in Hansard:
At question time for the secretary of the army, Sir Stuyvesant MP recorded his displeasure at the lack of reaction to the disgraceful events happening in East Africa. He urgently recommended that arrangements be made to rectify this situation.

Trade board:
The secretary reported that in the first month of 1850 200 goods were sold to national and colonial markets whereas the most recent figures show over 260.

Colonial office:
The secretary reported the initiation of the policy of establishing closer ties with Afghanistan.

Foreign office:
The policy of improving relations with key nations has started and will be developed in future.

The list:
1. Rebellious colonists
2. Mahrata
3. awadi
4. bastar
5. natalian
6. sindhitasman
7. burma
8. afghanistan
9. kerala
10. Dar-es-Salaam
11. Mombassa

 

[Joecon]

Sir Garnet, you really know your PON, don't you? Good to see.

Joecon, how large a part of your army was affected by those unpaid elements? The 52 unpaid elements in turn 9, does that constitute a major part of your army, or is it managable?

Oh, and I'd like to see Dar Es Salaam 'civilized' post-haste by a healthy number of British troops. Such a stain on British honor should not go unpunished!

There are 600+ elements in the force, as you can see I have added this to the latest report.

 

[Joecon]

One explicit element of deliberate British strategy was to establish secure naval bases at various spots around the world. With good facilities they can make and repair ships and serve as major depot/bases for troops and can be fortified to be difficult to disturb.

Something not driven by government but the private sector, but the player's responsibility, is trade. Britain was the workshop, financial center and marketplace of the world. For this reason, and practical game and strategic reasons, the player country - and especially Britain - is well served by being the middleman between markets. The ability of AI countries to trade with other countries rather than sit on useless stocks of wares is essential to their development as trading partners and domestic contentment (rather than unrest and rebellion). Development makes them trading partners and places with enough infrastructure to be worth investing in, if you wish. Trade with their neighbors and other powers with merchants who usually only trade what they need is fairly limiting and is not focused on moving goods around the world to where they are in demand. That is the player's role.

This is discussed more in some excellent posts in the forums and in the manual, but basically the leading trading power can sell everything everywhere in quantities well beyond its own needs, and buy enough to stock its warehouses and supply the developing demand. There is the ability to buy low and sell high, and to manipulate the market to some extent if the dominant player, but the baseline return is the maritime tax to government and the compensation to your merchants for carrying all those goods.

Also, if you need quick state funds, use part of the large stockpile of gold and gems you will surely accumulate to convert into cash the next turn.

I have added your suggestion onm producing a report on the state of the navy and will do this in the next report.
Will also do a quick analysis of the army and the general strategic postion.
My apporach to trade is to buy anyhting I think I can use and gradually manage stocks at no more than 100 for most things.

 

[Joecon]

Let's not forget the British penchant for sending too few troops under a dashing leader, then needing to double down or more later to bail them out.

As you can see from the latest report I managed to lose a battle already, strangely the burmese warriors were more disciplined than mine?

 

[Stuyvesant]

As you can see from the latest report I managed to lose a battle already, strangely the burmese warriors were more disciplined than mine?

I can only respond to that with a single, monosyllabic word: ouch.

52 out of 600+ elements isn't that bad, then. Good to see that you can at least afford to pay all of them, this time round, even if their discipline was found lacking against the Burmese (which makes me wonder: were the troops that were defeated affected by non-payment in the earlier cycle? Could that explain why their discipline was less than that of the Burmese pointy-stick-brigade?).

I foresee your little list is going to get a lot bigger before this thing is done with. Of course, if it all works out as planned, in the end the list will be completely empty.

 

[loki100]

There's been a useful discussion about Burma on the main PoN forum that you may want to check out. Its probably due to low cohesion of your troops.

 

[Joecon]

As promised the report from the Naval Board:

Fleet deployment:

35 fleets

Merchant fleets:
South pacific
North Asia
Gulf of Mexico
Baltic
Caribbean
La Plata
Western Europe
Mediterranean
Gulf of Guinea
South China
Oceania
American
Southern Africa
Indian Ocean
Bay of Bengal
North Sea

Royal Navy:
Halifax
Malta
Kaapstadt
South West
Kingston
Valparaiso
Falklands
South East
Singapore
Wollongong
Freetown
Gibraltar
Bombay
Calcutta

Bases: (Harbour)
Halifax 3
Malta 2
Kaapstadt 4
South West 5
Kingston 3
Valparaiso 3
Falklands 1
South East 4
Singapore 9
Wollongong 3
Freetown 1
Gibraltar 2
Bombay 5
Calcutta 5
Newfoundland 2
Bahamas 1
Aukland 2
Perth 1
Hong Kong 9
Darwin 1

Desired bases:
Hawaii
Aden
Alexandria
Samoa
Zanzibar
Madeira

Future actions:
Build up harbours to support a reasonable size of fleet, minimum 2 initially eventually growing to 10.
Look for opportunities to establish bases in above areas and possibly others?