Playing a game as France...for the first time...

[heroforhirerob]

I'm going to be trying France for the first time playing EU 4. I'm basically wanting to form the current French borders while remaining the dominant power on the continent. I do NOT want to go on a mad "blobbing" spree. That said....anyone have recommendations for idea groups or general tips?

 

[User29]

I'd say to try and synergize different idea groups, read through them, stack buffs, try to immerse yourself in all of it so when you play a harder game you'll feel like you know what works and doesn't. Experiment, cause sometimes the forum has a knack of telling people how to play but really all the ideas are fairly balanced.

 

[ChildeR]

Consider influence early, I took it as the first group to annex the minors more quickly. If you want exploration at all, that's another early choice and you may not want influence at all even.

Admin-wise you may want expansion to go with exploration. If not, innovative is the only one that's really useful before the reformation hits (administrative is unnecessary if you aren't blobbing). If you want to stay Catholic and get a close center of reformation you may want humanist ideas to go with your final NI. If you convert you don't really need it.

Military groups aren't a priority because your NIs alone will allow you to go up against anyone early on. You likely don't really need quantity or defensive, but anything you pick will work.

 

[dvandyke]

Don’t underestimate the power of enemy alliances and coalitions.
A lot of people call France “easy mode”, because you are so powerful.
The danger is that you get overconfident and bite off more than you can chew.
The AI will not hesitate to dogpile when you are exposed.

 

[Pukovnik]

I always go Offensive/Defensive as first idea, second Exploration (I do agree influence is a good first idea group if you want to annex your vassals ASAP).

Basically kick the English of the continent, wait for Burgundian King to die, or else DoW them and rape them to make that happen sooner. Go for Brittany, Provence (you can diplo-vassalize Liege & Lorraine and later feed them with HRE territories). French current borders? No, no, my friend! We all know where the French perfect border lays. Rhine. While you're waiting for your AE to pacify, go Exploration, colonize Canada, TC etc. I'd personally go for Africa too, stopping everyone else to get close to French India, China, Indochina, Indonesia, etc etc