When I first read about the 0.25 penalty, I didn't realize that only HRE members get it. My gaming experience is, that the threat for the HRE lies outside of it. Denmark, Poland and Burgundy try to conquer the HRE minors from the very start, Bohemia is wiped out in the first 50 years, being constantly in wars with Austria and/or Poland and worn out by various wars between the minors. When France is united, they soon destroy Burgundy and run over the HRE minors like mad. At 1500 - 1550 the whole south is conquered by them (Savoy, parts of Milan, Sitzerland, Alsace, Baden, Württemberg and more) and they go for MORE.
The only power strong enough to fight the threat from the outsiders used to be me, but not anymore. It is now impossible to get strong enough within the HRE to fight a united France. If you want to grow, you have to either leave HRE or bust. The whole penalty just weakens the HRE.
And this whole penalty just for HRE members is simply not realistic. If there was a threat from the outside, the HRE members did in fact fight it together, like the turkish army at Vienna in 1683. And when Louis XIV thought, that this was an opportunity to get some land in Baden and Württemberg, he was driven back by the homecoming armies. With this penalty the opposite is the case: The members think of each other as a permanent threat to be fought against while the conquering armies from outside are OK.
Two counsellors in Württemberg talking together:
- "Did you hear that Brandenburg conquered Mecklenburg?"
- "What? Oh, the buggers! We will hate them for ever for this!"
- "Yes, and France took over Savoy!"
- "So what? Let them do it if they want!"
Some time later:
- "Now France conquered Baden!"
- "Ha, I never liked these guys! Let our lands be influenced by the supreme french culture!"
Another few months later:
- "Now France declared war upon us! They want to conquer our land, too!"
- "What... And noone cares about it? How can this happen?"
It doesn't make sense. I think the whole bb system needs a revision. It was included in EU to make blobbism harder, but one value for a country for the whole world is not appropriate any more with all the other changes made in EU3 now.
Here is my faithful and stronger ally in many wars leaving us both with some bb. Then another stronger country tries to crush me. Instead it is crushed by my ally, which destroys its armies, conquers some provinces and saves my butt once again. What would be my next diplomatic act?
- "Hear, my faithful ally, whom I have to pay credits for helping me out of deep trouble again, I have to tell you that you are miserable scum which has to be wiped out."
Now bb for wars without a cb is much higher, but with the proper cb you can just conquer and annex without much penalty. But why should i get less bb for annexing a country just for having a counsellor telling me to do so? And why should a Muslim country be content with my cb "holy war"?
- "Have you heard? This heathens from the north have annexed our Muslim brothers!"
- "Yes, but they are right to do so because they want to wipe out our religion."
- "Oh, I didn't knew that, that changes everything! Let's get some bread and fruits and bring them a welcome gift!"
Ridiculous! The only possible answer would be:
"TO THE WEAPONS! This heathen scum must vanish!"
I think, bb and cb should be influenced by region, culture and religion to reflect the different ways to rate the same thing depending on the view. The same act will be loved by one, hated by others and ignored by the rest. Why should a HRE member bother whether Ming conquers some provinces in Tibet? Let them have some fun.
And relation is not the same as bb. One is the diplomatic handling, the other the feeling I have about the other nation. They have influence on each other, but are not the same. So a different bb rating for every nation is not equal to the relations. I think, this would reflect much better what nations really think about what the others are doing and would lead to much more reasonable diplomatic actions.
By the way, I don't think I really like the new annexing rules, too. England annexed Scotland in the very first war after 4 years. Now England owns some provinces in Iberia, too. Poland was annexed by Bohemia, Hungary by Austria, all before 1440. Nations are to easily destroyed now, while the victor will implode after a few years, because he cannot handle the bb and the rebels. While the palyer is slowed, especially as HRE member, the AI nations behave like fireworks.
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