- Dec 14, 1999
- 19.187
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“Everything in war is very simple. But the simplest thing is difficult.”
Karl Von Clausewitz
Karl Von Clausewitz
Welcome to the new developer diary for March of the Eagles! Today we´re going to reveal in-depth information regarding military access, expeditionary forces and guarantees.
Military Access
Just as in many Paradox grand strategy games, you can grant and request military access. In other words, you can give another country permission to cross your provinces or ask someone to give you permission to cross their provinces. If granted, military access will enable you or the country who asks for it to march through another country's provinces as well as dock at its ports. You can't declare war on a country that has granted you military access so don´t worry about sneak attacks. By granting military access you are not letting your enemies come running up your doorstep.
Expeditionary Forces
Like Hearts of Iron III, March of the Eagles allows you to use Expeditionary Forces, though they are handled a little differently. An Expeditionary Force is a military detachment dispatched by one country to fight in another and are controlled by the receiving nation. When it comes to expeditionary forces, you basically have three different actions at your hands: Send, request and return forces.
Members of your coalition may ask you to send an Expeditionary Force, and this force will then controlled by the country who asked for it. The force can be either a land force or a naval force, and can be merged with their armies or navies to buttress their military strength. The country that controls the Expeditionary Force is responsible for any reinforcements or maintenance costs. The Expeditionary Force can, of course, be returned to the country that provided it.
When it comes to Expeditionary Forces from your satellites and vassals, you don´t need to ask or even be polite. They are yours to command and you can pick and choose from those nations to get Expeditionary forces, effectively drafting their men to serve in your armies.
Proclaim Guarantees
We wrote about coalitions in last week's developer's diary and outlined the consequences for entering a coalition, including a promise to join them in their wars. However you may also proclaim guarantees to weaker countries outside of your coalition. If you choose to proclaim a guarantee that means that you will defend a weaker country and come to its defense by joining the war if the country is attacked.
This differs from coalitions between states which are always bilateral: those are mutual agreement where both sides trust each other to come to each other’s defense when attacked.
A guarantee on the other hand is a unilateral defensive alliance. Only the country that proclaimed the guarantee has an obligation to come to the weaker country's support in war.
You can renege on this obligation, of course, and choose not to join the war – breaking your promise and your guarantee. Doing this will cost you some prestige, however. Nobody respects a nation that doesn't back its words with actions.
Next week, we'll be back and talk about the armies...