New EUIV player wondering how best to play as Milan

[Marshall Thomas]

I'm playing my first game of EUIV (played lots of EUIII).

I'm playing as Milan with a 1444 start; it's now 1552. My question is: Is it good to do any colonizing with Milan? Or are they better off sticking to Europe?

The new trading system looks like it's a great improvement, but I don't really understand it yet. For my three idea groups, I've taken Trade, Economic and Quantity. How should Milan go about trading (I've already finished all the Trade ideas).

Am I too late to start colonizing? My fourth idea group is coming soon. I wonder if I should pick Exploration.

I've been allied with France and England (already GB) for most of the game and I've use them (well mainly France) to help me deal with Austria (the HRE). I have almost all of Northern Italy under my control. Should I forget about a colonial empire and just concern myself with becoming HRE or forming Italy? Both of those choices puts me at odds with a powerful Austria, who inherited Burgundy long ago.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Viperswhip]

Allying with Spain or Portugal can get you a chance to grab some land in the Western area of North Africa early, just don't grab Tangiers or the other ones Portugal and Spain get missions for.

So, you can colonize, but it's really only worth it if you get to it early.

Are you too late? I would say yes, but I am normally heading to the Carib by 1500 at the latest.

I am not a master of trade so I can't help you there. I do think the game is much more fun if you just skip colonization or leave it to the AI because it puts too much power in player hands and also Europe, especially that area is more fun.

You get so much opportunity for action, tons of 1-3 province minors around, you have great manpower, can fight in wars against Austria and France, if Burgandy starts to get swallowed you can grab those, just tons of fun. I'd rather play Milan than Venice.

 

[Xara]

My opening moves for Milan are thus :

-Set Burgundy as Rival
-Improve relations with Austria; Marry & Ally asap, you need them as your heavy hitter, rivalry with Burgundy will help
-Ally/Marry Savoy
-Ally/Marry (your choice)
-Ask for military access from someone at random (prevent incoming alliance requests)
-When your diplomat is not needed for DoW/Peace, use it to boost relations with Ferrara (DO NOT ALLY OR MARRY)
-Set Venice as Rival
-DoW Venice for Reconquest ASAP, pray that Austria hasn't started or gotten involved in their own war and will come to yours
-Let Austria smash Venice's army
-Make absolutely sure you are the one occupying Brescia + (preferably) Istria (because it's not an HRE territory)
-Recapture your core on Brescia, take Istria, core Istria
-Now you have 5 provinces and can generate subjugation missions
-Here is the tricksy and clever part : Savoy typically guarantees Ferrara. Generate a subjugation mission vs. Ferrara and Savoy will take war leader from it. This lets you vassalize Savoy AND Ferrara for ~90% warscore. Since Savoy is bigger than you are, winning this war (rely on Austria/other ally to break their army) is a huge benefit
-Cancel the war access to drop down to relations limit again

And from there, keep using subjugation on the nearby 3 or fewer nations, beat up on Venice if you need to drain Admin points