PotiguAARa - How To Say Hello To Europeans, A Guide

[Webstantine]

PotiguAARa - How To Say Hello To Europeans

Hello, and welcome, to possibly the most masochistic thing I've ever done. I am embarking on a "journey" of sorts, exploring the limits of my willpower. The aim is to survive as Potiguara, I won't say to thrive, that's false advertising, but it might happen, no promises.
I wouldn't say I'm great at this game, in fact I'm not sure I've ever completed a game. Which is pretty bad considering I'm on my 1400th hour of play according to Steam. Don't expect me to go conquering China or something, that might be beyond me, but I'm not dreadful I don't think so we might see something happen in the Old World.

I guess I should set some goals:
Short term:

• Stay alive
• Prepare for Europe

Long term:

• Attain some form of Old World holding
• Take all of Brazil, and maybe all of South America.

That should do for goals, honestly I'm lucky if I get the first one. Now time to stop delaying the inevitable, time to start playing. Thank you for joining me and I hope you enjoy!

Contents:
Chapter 1 - Pre-preparations - just below
Chapter 2 - Meeting our new friends
Chapter 3 - Westernisation
Chapter 4 - Expansion
Chapter 5 - African Adventure
Chapter 6 - Colonising Congo
Chapter 7 - Stepping further East
Chapter 8 - Consolidating Africa
Chapter 9 - Home Expansion

 

[Webstantine]

Chapter 1 - Pre-Preparations​

Welcome to chapter 1, I'll start with what and where Potiguara is, because it usually doesn't survive very long so you might have missed it.

You probably best know Potiguara as the tribe that annoyingly always looks like a Portuguese colony. We are situated at the tip of Brazil, as the closest tribe to the Europeans in the Americas. It is ruled by a 3/5/1 who I can't remember the name of.

We will be heading westward to meet with the most feasible target at this point: Tupinamba. Helpfully the missions seem to share this aim so we bank 10 dip points, nice. Let's hope that luck doesn't fade.

Because of our leader's 5 in dip we are able to get migration cooldown fast enough to apply to our second ever migration, leading us straight towards Tupinamba in a matter of less than 5 years.

Tupinamba share the goal of getting eaten so have been kind enough to move towards me. Also fun fact, the province I happen to finish my march towards Tupinamba on, Maranhao, is 3 base tax. Very useful for when
our colonising starts, that's expensive.

First battle went flawlessly, the Tupinamba then proceeded into the uncolonised land and got wiped by natives, as you can see they aren't happy bunnies.

War won! However now we can't migrate, but that shouldn't matter there are more ways of moving for example colonies!

Colonist gained! But first here's which advancements we've got thus far:

Due to our 5 dip ruler, those advancements are steaming ahead, the military ones could be a problem if the Iberians arrive here early. But I'm sure they'll arrive late. It'll be fine.

I decided to colonise west until Para to cut off that avenue into the inland. Belem becomes our first colony, and with that the true preparation can begin!

 

[Webstantine]

Chapter 2 - Meeting our new friends!
​

Belem is going well, we're losing about half a ducat a month but we stocked up on them big time before starting to colonise, so we'll just ride out the debt.

The new leader has the opposite problem from the last guy. Why can't all the stats just be equal. Still, solves the military advancements problem so no real complaints here.

Belem is done, forgot to screenshot the actual pop-up so this'll have to do. Moving on to Para now. This part of the game is the significantly boring part.

Map of our progress so far, if you aren't keeping track of the 4 provinces taken so far. Colonisers can no longer get in to the inland from this side.

Para finished, Parnaiba is the current colony, we're advancing towards the east now, as far as possible before the Europeans get here.

Portugal has been sighted! It's only a matter of time now. I didn't get a screenshot of Castile, but rest assured, they are here too.

We're ready to reform when we meet Europeans, which shouldn't be too far away now.

Portugal has officially joined the game, still a bit far from us so we have a bit of breathing space. Also of not, Parnaiba finished and we are now colonising our starting province: Ceara!

This is the current plan, though it isn't set in stone, I will take more land if the opportunity is there. This is highly possible though, and looks nice, which is very important.

This man is the best thing to ever happen to Potiguara, definitely feeling more secure to westernise with him around.

It's one of those "Iberian buddies for life" worlds. Castile probably got Aragon as a union too. Oh well, can't be helped. Also of note, I'm heavily sweeting Portugal up.

We got a border with Portugal. This means we can reform and westernise when the colony in Crato is done.

Got this event, took the religion switch because why not. Might help me get friendly with some Europeans. Also increased relations with the Portuguese. What's not to love.

Minor problem. Everything is convertible though. Autonomy had to be raised everywhere though.

Got this weird event. No idea what it does, just thought it'd be fun to keep him around. Also the other option lowered my relations with Portugal, and who wants that.

That's it for now, tune in next time for westernisation/death. I'll definitely include one of those.

 

[Webstantine]

Chapter 3 - Westernisation
​

We start this chapter with a wedding! How nice. Caramuru died only 2 years after this which was very annoying because I lost my trade bonus. Oh and my daughter might be sad I guess.

Something is happening for once! We got the border with Portugal and reformed, westernisation would start but Portugal's tech is so bad that they aren't far enough ahead. Embarrassing Portugal, just embarrassing.

First idea set taken, reforming took our colonist, so we still sit at the grand total of one colonist. I keep typing communist instead of colonist. Please don't be angry USA.

Portugal has got good, and we start westernisation. I didn't take screenshots of all the events from westernising, but rest assured they were painful. I had to accept the loss to my progress on the rebel ones due to my army barely being able to beat natives in it's current state of funding. That's something I haven't mentioned yet. The economy is absolutely dreadful.

New heir, I think this one dies (spoiler alert) but I'm not sure, haven't edited the pics that far yet. So get moderately attached to him.

Religious unity achieve. Not much else to say on this one. Fairly self-explanatory.

New plan due to Portugal not chasing the temperate lands like I thought they would. Gives us a good chunk of inland to slowly take in only 6 provinces time

Westernisation done in 1529. Included the top-bar in this picture so you can laugh at my 0 legitimacy! Happy times. Feeling more secure than ever though because the native CB is taken from my neighbours, and eventhough Portugal hate me due to them claiming all of Brazil, Portuguese Brazil like me quite a lot, so I'm fine.

Nice map to finish this chapter, note the large Wurzburg, Mecklenburg and Burgundy. Also independent Auvergne. Very normal otherwise.

 

[Webstantine]

Chapter 4 - Expansion​

Don't know how well known this trick is, you can accept the colonising missions and just send a colonist and abandon the next day, and you still get the bonuses, no need to finish the colony. Did this a lot in my colonising.

Guess he didn't die then, must be this new heir. New king is okay, a bit unbalanced again but no complaints.

Reached as far south as I aim to for now, going to start colonising west now.

Portugal annexed Tapuia just as I was close to vassalising it :C Annoying.

Finally something good happened! Gold is found, this really helps because our economy is effectually non-existant.

Yeah.

Thought I should show who's in the colony game currently, not shown: Great Britain in East America, Norway in Canada and no Castile strangely, except a bit in Africa.

Got a new colonist, got big plans for this guy hehehe.

Fingers crossed for another dead heir. This was meant to be the end but it's a bit of a sad note so:

Little teaser for next chapter. Potiguara is visiting Africa!

 

[Webstantine]

It's my 18th tomorrow and I'll be celebrating the whole weekend, so updates are suspended until next week sometime.
Next update include the second ever war of Potiguara so hype.

 

[Jamune]

Looking great so far, subbed

 

[Webstantine]

Looking great so far, subbed

Great! Good to know I'm doing well. I'm back from celebrations now and I will have the next chapter up tomorrow GMT.

 

[silentsam5]

Subbed as well. I've actually never played a tribe. I thought it would be incredibly dull, but I guess I was wrong!

It doesn't matter greatly at the moment whether Portuguese Brazil likes you or not, correct? I mean, if Portugal invades, their colony will as well. I guess it does mean they themselves won't be starting any wars on you.

 

[Webstantine]

Subbed as well. I've actually never played a tribe. I thought it would be incredibly dull, but I guess I was wrong!

It doesn't matter greatly at the moment whether Portuguese Brazil likes you or not, correct? I mean, if Portugal invades, their colony will as well. I guess it does mean they themselves won't be starting any wars on you.

Honestly it's just nice that they're friendly because no one else is friendly to me, but yes in theory I'm still at Portuguese mercy.

Being a native tribe is mildly dull at the beginning but it gets good when Europe is involved. I've played Miqmaq and Haida so far, neither to completion but Haida got far into the 1700s I think.

Next chapter is being written as of now.

 

[Webstantine]

Chapter 5 - African Adventure​

First off here's a few pictures of colonies going well:

Okay that's out the way, on with the important things.

I've added all the African colonies to the Potiguaran West Africa Company, hopefully this serves some form of purpose.

We've made it to the current planned borders of the nation. I'm going to focus on the Congo lands and filling in the middle for now.

I caught up in something! Admin too, that's the one I always lag in usually.

New king, also of note, colonies! You may notice if you're good at maps, we now border someone to the south:

I won't let a bunch of natives block my colonialism... oh yeah.

Success because our army is much higher tech. Woohoo for technological differences.

They're dropping like flies these days, maybe I should stop throwing them at everything that I don't like.

Pro strats. My African lands are mostly worthless, so I let them take them whilst I go for Mbamba and Loango, the two coastal provinces, Mbamba is a fort too so it works out on the war score front.

There we go! Now just to wait on the ticking warscore and we'll be set.

We take the coast, the main priority is to stop other powers getting a way into my Congo for now.

Here's some maps as I got another big world reveal.

Here's some news to finish off, the big religion war thing has gone. I wanted to join the Catholics but I have to be in Europe apparently. Oh well.

 

[blitzthedragon]

Subbing to this so fricking hard.

 

[Webstantine]

Subbing to this so fricking hard.

Welcome to the fold, your comment made me laugh so have a minor "spoiler", though I prefer to see it as advertising.

Spoiler

Glad to see people are showing up now. Updates will be daily for the time being as I just played up to 1650 so I got plenty of firepower to keep the AAR cannons firing.

 

[Lamahorse]

I can't wait for the chaos when you finally can kick the Iberian sissies out of Brazil!

 

[blitzthedragon]

Sweet! Lemurs shall become an invasive species in the Amazon soon enough.

 

[Webstantine]

I can't wait for the chaos when you finally can kick the Iberian sissies out of Brazil!

I'm sort of waiting for the Portuguese to break up with Spain, no luck so far. Besides I couldn't take them on currently anyway.

Sweet! Lemurs shall become an invasive species in the Amazon soon enough.

Hehehe, yep, and soon the Portuguese rabbit or something hopefully!

 

[Webstantine]

Chapter 6 - Colonising Congo

We declare our second war on Kongo, This one is easier because I can see their lands, and we are better.

This speaks for itself. Kongo got wrecked.

This guy decided to pop in to interrupt my sequence of war pictures, he's adequate, but no heir.

Kongo almost fully occupied! War was really easy.

Took all my claims, no need to take the whole thing. We're in no hurry. They can't go anywhere.

Nice map of Potiguaran West Africa: note we've reached the southern limit, which means we'll need to colonise elsewhere soon!.

This happens, 12 year regency, but it's not like I'm a big war monger any way so no big deal.

Thought I should work on a Potiguaran East Africa too. Also the two uncolonised provinces are very nice, at 5 base tax.

This picture is so irrelevant, but hey you might be interested.

This one's big news. For the first time since 1452 we're able to fully maintain everything and still be in profit!

The news only gets better! GOLD GOLD GOLD HAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Finally out of that, note that the first East Africa colony is done, and a second is founded. I think I must have went through about ten years of forgetting to take pics.

Ending on a good old fashioned cliff hanger... Oooh who'll win? You better come back tomorrow to find out!

 

[silentsam5]

Dang, colonizing like Spain on drugs. What's going on in the rest of the world? North America? Europe? How'd the religious war end?

 

[blitzthedragon]

That's it, shut Europe out of Africa as much as possible. That way, come 1880, only the Potiguara--and perhaps Portugal if they ask nicely--show up for the Scramble.

 

[Webstantine]

Dang, colonizing like Spain on drugs. What's going on in the rest of the world? North America? Europe? How'd the religious war end?

I've already played quite far so maps are a pain to procure. From what I recall the Protestant League got smashed. I'll give maps hopefully around Chapter 8ish

That's it, shut Europe out of Africa as much as possible. That way, come 1880, only the Potiguara--and perhaps Portugal if they ask nicely--show up for the Scramble.

Haha, you almost made it sound like I have a form of plan. Nah I'm just colonising whatever's going cheap. I wanted all the Mozambique coast but Kilwa allied the Ottomans so I'm off that.