Italian minors need better military national ideas

[Dnote]

What exactly is the goal here? In MP, small nations don't survive without the help of large nations, it's a blobbing game. Adjusting the NI of a bunch of Italian minors isn't going to change anything. Though I wouldn't mind seeing a bonus to Catholic nations if the Kingdom of God is formed, to encourage players to help the Papal States acheive that in MP.

However, if there was a need to change the Italian minors, it should be a single NI that makes mercenaries more powerful for them, because that essentially what the region was renowned for in this era. Constant warfare with heavy utilization of mercs, not regular standing armies.

 

[Dnote]

MP Italy is weak because Naples is under PU with Aragon, Catholic larger nations tend to help the Papal State a little, Austria or Emperor gets mission to keep Northern Italy in HRE, France gets claims on Southern Italy, all the provinces are well developed and finally, no one likes Venice.

Germany would suffer a similar fate if it wasn't for the HRE, minors just won't survive in MP without a big ally protecting them.

 

[Dnote]

Basically giving a nation only one military bonus when all around have 2-4 is like gimping that nation.

New fort defence system is like a double-edged sword: France will now have rush for Savoy to get Genoa asap. What chances will Italian player have while sieging French forts in Alps with -3 penalty?

Okay, so let's say that PDS gives some of the Italian minors stormtroopers, what does this actually change?

Nothing, because the major powers are still going to want Italian land for themselves and you'll still be wiped out.

 

[Dnote]

Perhaps you approaching this wrong then. Several nations have events which give modifiers that either last for a fixed period or until the end of the campaign. This could be done with some of the Italian minors and Italy itself as well.

For example, if Milan leaves the HRE, it could receive an event which three choices, one of which could be Unite Italy, which gives +2.5% Discipline until end of game. Then depending on which of the three you choose it could trigger other events. So Milan grows towards the goal the player chooses, rather than being permanently good at one thing or the other.