Chapter 25: Adapting to a Changing World.
This session starts with patch 1.6, and that becomes immediately obvious for a number of reasons.
First Kathiawar asks for Military access. They are on the modern-day border between India and Pakistan. They are at war with, among others, Portugal, and allready have 1 province occupied. What do they expect to do? Go on a massive counterattack? I accept, just for laughs. It would be hilarious if they actually landed troops in Portugal.
The second reason that the new patch becomes obvious, is because the second-largest navy in Europe, the Spanish, decides it would be fun to send privateers to harass me in the Bordeaux trade node. It gives me a CB, but my army and MP are in no shape to go to war just yet.
Third reason. My income drops from +16 or so, to barely +0.85 ducats. In order to stay afloat, I will have to replace my advisors with less expensive ones. I have no idea, why that happened, but I was not amused.
I stop for lunch, and when I fire up the game again, the game ends my alliance with Brabant and happily tells me that “You broke the alliance”.
As you can see, it reacts as if I send a diplomat there, which I did not. Then there is the massively stupid relations hit of – 162 because they desire 3 of my provinces. That is 150 years of peaceful coexistence down the drain. Thank you, PDS. And, by the way, they were about to get another Habsburg on the throne. Yeah, a second chance at a PU with the same country in the same game down the drain. Thank you very much.
I am still reeling from the surprise, when it happens again, only this time with Savoy. “I” break the alliance, again. For some reason, they only get a -12 relations hit because they want Nice. Why is that? I know that Nice is not Antwerp or Holland, in terms of taxes or trade power, but the difference between -12 for one province and -162 for 3 baffles me.
In a slight fit of rage (ok, maybe not so small), I divorce Brabant and end the game.
It takes a couple of private sessions as England and Venice before I feel comfortable enough to play on, this time under the hotfix 1.6.1.
And, with that, it’s back to business.
I am still losing money, but the worst seems behind us now and I am hoping that the global economy will recover on its own. For now, I have my army at half-maintenance. Any further rebuilding will have to wait.
Just in case I have to take a loan, I unlock Boockkeeping, giving me -1 interest per year.
With all that economical upheaval, I have neglected the diplomacy. Envoys are send to Improve Relations with the Ottomans, Russia and Austria. My last envoy is send to fabricate new claims in Spain; the old ones will run out in a couple of years.
Yamasee grows enough to become part of Outremer in June 1632, and I get to work on Seminole, the last province on the East coast of the northern Americas.
The king dies in August, and is succeeded by Louis XV, who is a 1-2-5. His father had been about the reverse of those numbers, so that evens out nicely. A pretender rises, but is quickly taken care of.
Cardinal Richelieu is the last of my high-level advisors to go. As I have only +2 advisors available, I will spend the rest of the chapter without a Diplomatic Advisor. That costs me 36 DP per year. Thank you, PDS.
Oh, right, business as usual. I forgot.
Antwerpen is converted just in time for Christmas, leaving me with only 2 heretic provinces: Ferrarra and Île De France.
The Papal State gets annexed by Spain and Tuscany, that 3-province minor, sees fit to rival me. How is that possible? I thought they were supposed to rival people in their own weight class? Let’s face it, they are not even in the same league as France.
The British colonies have reached Connecticut. I am half tempted to start a colony in Massachusetts, just to rattle their cage, but decide not to. It would be kind of hard to defend in case of war.
September 1634. Austria loses a war against Sweden. I don’t think I will be counting on them in case of war. 228 Ducats is a lot of money, even for Austria.
Ferrarra is converted in 1635. I send my missionary to Paris. It will take a long, long time before he finished his work there. I spend a ton of Admin on increasing my stability to +3. Every little bit helps.
Brabant loses a war against Austria and is forced to release Gelre as a sovereign state. I try no to care.
A random border dispute gives me a claim on Cuneo. Good, because I had run out of CBs against them. You never know what it might be good for.
I RM and Ally with Lüneberg, who have grown to a respectable size.
June, 1637. I get Military Tech level 19. Among the choices of new infantry, I select the Gustavian Infantry.
I select the mission to colonise Powhatan,w hich will give me 5 years of colonial enthusiasm.
Things are finally on the mend again. I am, once again, making enough money to be able to finish expanding the army, but I am hoping to save enough money so that I can build a Grain Depot. It costs 802 ducats, but the benefits are not to be sneezed at: 10% Land Force Limit and -10% Land Maintenance. Or should I take a loan for that?
A Royal Palace would be nice. I would really like to have a Legitimacy higher than 45 again.
Save up or loan? Choices, choices.
Here you can see the new French army and navy.
This is a rather short chapter, but it has been very eventful, even though not a shot has been fired in France. Maybe next time, I will be a bit more active again. See you then.
Even though it is somewhat hard not to glance about on what's going on in 1630...
