Mongolia without MoH installed - plan?

[grommile]

So I'm playing Mongolia.

And I don't have Mandate of Heaven installed, because all the stuff around Age Abilities doesn't really appeal, so Tributaries and the EoC system don't exist.

Getting Chagatai and Uzbek (yes, both at once; Suggest Support Independence doesn't check whether your existing supporters are rivals of whoever you're asking to support you) is easy enough, but I'm a bit fuzzy on what my plan beyond that should be, since the guides seem to be predicated on "break free, become Ming's tributary".

So, what's a good next step?

 

[EarlKonrad]

I'd highly advise you to get MoH. The Diplomatic Macro builder is a blessing which will save you many, many, many clicks.

That's a tricky question. I think (and I might be wrong) that without MoH Ming is much more stable but also economically weaker. Mandate means that their provinces have a base autonomy of 50% so they shouldn't be able to field nor afford so many troops. Thing is, without the Nomadic Frontier disaster and the low Mandare penalty your life will be harder when going up against them.

I think your best bet is to break free from Oirat, eat all of Manchuria and then hope for the best against Ming. See what disasters they can get and how strong they are (load a non-ironman game or tag switch).

 

[prismaticmarcus]

I'd highly advise you to get MoH. The Diplomatic Macro builder is a blessing which will save you many, many, many clicks.

very much this

 

[grommile]

MoH is "I'll turn it on if I win it in a raffle or something, but I'm not buying it" material.

(As opposed to MN, which is "if I win it in a raffle I will give it to some poor unsuspecting schmuck" material )

... whee. Ming has 130 force limit, and is using basically all of it.

OK, I'm knocking this one on the head and playing someone else instead.

 

[BlazeKnight_]

East Asia is pretty much the only region that is unplayable without the DLC. And I don't mean unplayable as in "not very flavorful or enjoyable," I mean unplayable as in "oh, I am playing a tag near Ming, guess I'll die."

You basically have to praise to the RNGesus lords that Ming gets a low legitimacy ruler, because then they will gain a triggered modifier "Lost the Mandate of Heaven" which makes the AI typically explode. Or you can pray for AI Ming liking you so that you can maybe become allies with them. If you ally Ming, game becomes easy mode deluxe.