Ottomans are unplayable.

[unmerged(80402)]

That's an excellent idea. Maybe one for viewing the same nation as a treat too? It'd be lower than the bonus for rivalry.

Another thing is that your and the other countries tolerance should affect the religious decrease. If both countries have positive tolerance for each others religions there wouldn't be any drop from religion.

I think bonus for threat should be higher than for rivalry. Cause you both FEAR THEM.

 

[Bebo1026]

I think it would be cool if Muslim nations had a sort of "counter" crusade option when one of them is getting harassed by 3+ European powers.

Ahistorical, yeah, but it would enable the Ottos and more to actually survive past 1500 in most games.

 

[unmerged(204522)]

I can tell you here what you are doing wrong. As the Ottomans, you want to close the Straits of Messina and the Gulf of Sirt. If you make your navy patrol between these two sea zones during war with the major naval powers of Europe, and if you have a strong navy, you can block their landing parties long before they even reach the Ionian Sea. This is the narrowest sea zone through which all ships of Western Europeans must pass through before reaching your coast.

if you conquer the entire mediterranean coastline, you can block them off at gibraltar....

 

[unmerged(204522)]

try setting aggression to high-maybe the catholics will be too busy fighting each other.....

 

[-Jester-]

Constant massive wars can be challenging, but you have superior units and a lot of manpower right away, so they should be navigable

In a different game, I have almost unified Italy as the Papal State and have had to deal with an Austrian emperor + France + Castille-sized Portugal + 20ish minors DOWing me every 5 years because of Austria's mission, French cores, and alliances. Probably the hardest wars I've ever fought. I was finally able to break up Austria and just got France to revoke it's cores. After 50ish years of constant warfare where my WE never went below 10. Much worse than the Ottomans.