All this angst over Byzantium is so strange.
It's a fun nation to play, turning the tide of history is absolutely the reason that many people play. I enjoyed my Basileus run immensely. Byzantium's start is not exactly hard, but it isn't exactly easy either. We only think so because some people -- BudgetMonk in particular -- made his name posting excellent and creative Byzantium starting strategies and variations thereof have spread far and wide. In fact, it's almost a rite of passage. You are a "real EUIV" player if you can crush the Ottomans as Byzantium.
That being said, I don't think their mission tree needs to be updated. It's mission tree is one of the first "real" mission trees and it is well-suited for them. Given their potential as a nation I think giving them a Mughal's style mission tree would make them insane. Currently, even if you win your Ottoman wars Austria-Hungary, Poland, the Mamelukes and the Timurids are going to start giving you the side-eye. AI Muscovy is likely to be your only friend and AI Muscovy does not have a great track record -- at least in my games. Byzantium also essentially has one its national ideas buried in the mission tree and IMHO the nation isn't "complete" until you can click the "Re-establish the Theme System" button. Watch your AE carefully if you can get past the Ottomans.
It's a fun nation to play, turning the tide of history is absolutely the reason that many people play. I enjoyed my Basileus run immensely. Byzantium's start is not exactly hard, but it isn't exactly easy either. We only think so because some people -- BudgetMonk in particular -- made his name posting excellent and creative Byzantium starting strategies and variations thereof have spread far and wide. In fact, it's almost a rite of passage. You are a "real EUIV" player if you can crush the Ottomans as Byzantium.
That being said, I don't think their mission tree needs to be updated. It's mission tree is one of the first "real" mission trees and it is well-suited for them. Given their potential as a nation I think giving them a Mughal's style mission tree would make them insane. Currently, even if you win your Ottoman wars Austria-Hungary, Poland, the Mamelukes and the Timurids are going to start giving you the side-eye. AI Muscovy is likely to be your only friend and AI Muscovy does not have a great track record -- at least in my games. Byzantium also essentially has one its national ideas buried in the mission tree and IMHO the nation isn't "complete" until you can click the "Re-establish the Theme System" button. Watch your AE carefully if you can get past the Ottomans.
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