Aetius said:
This is extremely skewed but anyway to illustate what I meant for the north of Russia (using the map provided by almoravid plus a map I skewed in using MS paint)
1 Kola
2 Karelia
3 Olonets
4 Kholmogory
5 Arkhangelsk
6 Pustozersk
7 Obdorsk
8 Berezov
9 Tobolsk
10 Tyumen (too far south though)
11 Verkhoturye
12 Solikamsk
13 Cherdyn (too far north)
14 Ust-Vym
15 Ustyug
16 Vologda
17 Novgorod
OK. Let's check in your proposition, taking in mind two most important issues -
1) Muscovy/Russia playability as result of our modding. Only way for this is DECREASING whole number of Russian provinces. Russian core-lands is rather important in game sense due to their influence onto course of Napoleon or Polish Invasions - then we would like to keep them rather intact. It means we MUST decimate:
A) Russian North provinces;
B) Russian Volga provinces;
c) Russian Steppe provinces.
2) General direction of High AGC/EEP Council which determine necessity of inclusion of any new province in game by its historical/game influence. In other words - if some region/province made huge impact on Real History it must be in game, if it's not - then it's must drop out.
It means:
A) Nifty by its territory "Holland" province/region influed whole course of World History in 1419-1819 timespan in big way - then it must be IN;
B) Huge Yakut ASSR region of modern Russian Federation, which is roughly equal by its territory to WHOLE EUROPE (from Nordcap to Gibraltar - anyway) had absolutely nil influence on World History in 1419-1819 timespan - then Yakutia must be OUT.
Fine.
Let's check in your proposition in accordance with this two principles.
1) Kola. What's reason for inclusion of this province in Game?
Did Russia spend a lot of resources trying to colonize these lands? Did Russian enemies tried to steal this province from Russia in any determinate way? (One-two robbing raids is quite lame excuse for clogging up Russian economical engine by shitty lands - I'm afraid. Kola must go. 1 is OUT. Land transferred to big "3" province.
2) Karelia. The same questions as above.
Yep, this region had more activities, but not enough - anyway for our purposes. 2 province is OUT. Land transferred to big "3" province. "Karelia" Name must be IN.
3) Olonetz. Do you realize - Olonetz is historical Capital of Karelia? If we start to go by your/Paradox method of naming provinces we would get one province of "France" in France territory and another - "Paris" somewhere around of "France" province
.
Your proposition is in the same league - like "Alice in Wonderland" statements - like - London is Capital of Paris, Paris is Capital of Rome, Rome is Capital of... etc.
"1" "2" "3" provinces must be melted in one big entity with "Karelia" name and Olonetz as Capital of Karelia. Give this big province some ridiculous time for crossing - like 2 or 2,5 month for Cavalry and you wil "freeze" any possible military activity in this huge Region for good - like in real History.
Dixi.
4) Kholmogory and 5) Arkhangelsk - weird names without any game purposes in mind while creation these provinces. I would prefer to have just one big province in these lands with "Vjatka" name and PTI from latitudal mid-section of combined 4 and 5 provinces to North from mid-section. If we've got universal understanding of bad idea of Russian (or any other fleet in White Sea, then - close White Sea shores by PTI zone.
In other way - while you've got open seashore in these lands - you will get the same FAQ - why do you haven't port in Arkhangelsk? For making this question impossible - Scandinavian peninsula must hit upper edge of chart making White Sea as "closed lake" - and whole issue would be completely dropped. But if you can't have any port in Arkhangelsk - any purpose of having "Kholmogory"/"Kargopol"/"Arkhangelsk" provinces are dropped as well. Hide them in PTI and forget about them for good. OUT.
16) Southern part of "4" as well as "15" must go to "Vologda" (16) province.
14) Southern part of "5" and whole "14" province must be one unity with "Vjatka" name. Forget about North Dvina presentation in AGC/EEP mod - if you like to make Russian player life harder - include it, if not - drop it for good - there wouldn't any big fightings in these lands between any Powers, then purpose of this River is mysterious.
17) Novgorod province. Fine.
6) 11) 12) and 13) provinces are huge mountainous/forest country which had rather universal for Russian annales name - "Greater Barmia" or "Perm". Mind you modern "Perm region" of modern Russian Federation is just nifty bit of this whole huge unity. For realizing this - pls, check in modern Geology terms: "Permian geological epoch" received its name by geological finding in this region. Most funny thing is - absolute majority of "Permian" geological sites/founding/sediments are situated OUT of modern "Perm region" of modern Russian Federation. Reason is - all these geological discoveries was made in previous centuries when "Perm" name was applied to whole - big local region. If you like to check this situation yourself - check in please - Whole Komi SSR Permian region and lesser modern national SSRs lands here was considered as "Greater Barmia" in end of XVIII century. Little hint: "permians" are Ugric people - part of modern "Komi" nationality, then whole bunch of local Ugric guys - like Komi-zyrans, Udmurts, Mariy, Mordva and so on - was considered as "permians" by Russian administration as "whole community" with lesser (more fine) definitions as "mordvins" or "udmurts".
Yep, 6) 11) 12) and 13) is one huge "Perm" entity.
7) and 8) is Upper Obj or more exact - "Obskaya Guba" province with capital in Berezov.
9) I would vote for ancient name for this province - "Sibir". Plain and -exact
. Capital is Tobolsk of course.
10) "Ural" or "Kamenny Poyas" or "Upper Obj" will do with Omsk as Capital.
It means I've got only 8 provinces - where you saw 17 and Paradoxes made 22-24.
It's my point of view.
Dixi