Riddle me this

[unmerged(8339)]

I have started my first real, non tutorial type game.
I am playing Sweden and right now the year is 1440. I concentrated on infrostructure and trade during my time as Denmark's vassel. Unforuntately, I was hit by stability shattering events right and left, so when the time came to claim independance, I was struck with a -3 stability.
Obviously, the nice way the world looked at me while Denmark's quiet vassel was shattered by my breaking the vasselation, but I am nearly to the point again where most the world looks at me in a friendly light, at least a little more friendly than evil annexing Denmark.
My only point of expansion to this point has been a colony to the east (the provence just south of Kola.)
Within the next five years or so, before my Cassus Beli on Denmark expires, I would like to claim Skane. I realize that I will have to probably take over most of Norway and destroy the Danish navy in order to achieve this modest goal, but don't want Denmark on my mainland.
I have an honorable reputation right now. I know that annexing Skane will probably knock me down a bit. I have no reason to expand anymore eastward. I like having the swamps in Novgorod as an added defense on my border and the Teutonic Knights make for a good buffer. I might vasselize them or maybe diploannex at some point.
Someday, I would like a foothold in the HRE, perhaps Brandenberg.
To the question, now:
How often can I annex and keep a low BB profile. Does the BB profile go down over time? Does reputation increase if you are quiet for a period? If I annex Skane, how long should I wait before moving on?
My thanks, gentlemen.

 

[unmerged(5664)]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen
To the question, now:
How often can I annex and keep a low BB profile. Does the BB profile go down over time? Does reputation increase if you are quiet for a period? If I annex Skane, how long should I wait before moving on?
My thanks, gentlemen.

BB goes down over time - i point per 4 years (8 years on VHard difficulty).

Reputation = BB.

Do you have a CB shield on Skane? If so, you'll get 0 BB, otherwise 1 or 2. You'll also get either 1 or (3? 4?) for declaring war on Denmark.

BarristerBoy

 

[unmerged(8339)]

No, there is no CB shield on Skane.
I am willing to take the BB hit, although I did not think I would loose reputation having a proper CB against my former master. Does it have to do with having the same religion?

 

[Mellon]

if you wait a little, you'll get a shield on skåne...and about the teutons, in 1560 the get an event where they usually breaks down and you'll get estonia.

 

[DPS]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen

How often can I annex and keep a low BB profile. Does the BB profile go down over time? Does reputation increase if you are quiet for a period? If I annex Skane, how long should I wait before moving on?
My thanks, gentlemen.

Dowing Denmark & taking Skane will at worst cause your reputation to go to respectable. Without counting up the points, you could probably take Skane, Norway, Iceland, & Gotland from the Danes and still be respectable. As others have stated, your BB point go down at a rate of 1 every 4 years, at normal difficulty.

I generally don't play as a warmonger, but rather try to role-play my country. Even by my standards, though, you are either being very cautious or an extremely good citizen. Don't be afraid to start some wars and take some provinces. BB points won't be a problem unless your reputation go to bad, at least, and probably not even then. Just don't get to dishonorable scum unless you really want to be a warmonger.

 

[unmerged(5664)]

Precise BB point totals haven't been announced or discovered by anyone.

As long as you use a CB to start the war, and as long as you only take Skane, you should get between 2 and 4 BB points, which will take 8 to 16 years to burn off. Not that bad, really.

BarristerBoy

 

[unmerged(8339)]

Tak sa myket, min vin.
Jag ar american men jag borade i sverige tre ar och jag prata litte svenksa.
(Note, the grammer is probably all wrong, but hey, not to many americans speak even a little swedish.)
__________________
Och du var sötare än dom men jag slängde bort det igen

Jag slängde bort nån slags vän...

varför skall man inte ta sitt liv?

 

[Orm]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen
Tak sa myket, min vin.
Jag ar american men jag borade i sverige tre ar och jag prata litte svenksa.

Inte illa pinkat! (Not bad at all!)

 

[unmerged(8339)]

Thank you, gentlemen.
In my first test game, I played Scotland.
My first move was to consolidate my army and in the Spring, while England was putting down a heresy, rush to London and siege it. After it was taken, I split it and started sieging random English territories, the whole time avoiding a pitched battle. England moved to Edinburgh, but the small relief army I had built in the meantime was able to keep Scotland safe.
Finally, the English settled for peace with Meath and NorthUmbria.
I thought, "Great, two core territories! Woohoo!"
I then turned to Ireland, almost immediately. withen a few years, I had totally annexed the Emerald Isle.
Even though those were core provences, my reptutation dropped to 'rather poor/bad.'
A few years later England counterattacked with a huge army absolutely destroying me in North Umbria. As soon as that happened, Denmark declared war along with Castile and Brittany. They never posed a great threat, but kept me so diverted the English wiped me out.
So now, in response, I am taking it very easy so far as BB points go. I am certain more practice will provide a better idea.

 

[Castellon]

The FAQ forum has a thread on it that translates Reputation to BB.Level

 

[unmerged(7404)]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen
Tak sa myket, min vin.
Jag ar american men jag borade i sverige tre ar och jag prata litte svenksa.
(Note, the grammer is probably all wrong, but hey, not to many americans speak even a little swedish.)
__________________
Och du var sötare än dom men jag slängde bort det igen

Jag slängde bort nån slags vän...

varför skall man inte ta sitt liv?

Damn you're cool man! For me it was the opposite. I lived in USA for two years, and the rest here in Sweden. A little correction for ya
"Jag är amerikan men jag bodde i Sverige i tre år och jag pratar lite svenska."
Bravo!

 

[DPS]

I haven't seen anyone else mention this, but I think that small countries get more BB points, or else the AI reacts more strongly to small countries that get a fair amount of BB points. I know that I have several times seen a 1- or 2-province minor gain a province or 2, and then several countries DOW them. It kinda looks like a BB war, anyway. Maybe what's happening isn't actually a BB war, maybe the minor has overextended itself and other countries are hitting it as a target of opportunity before it has a chance to consolidate its gains. It wouldn't be too hard to pause a game when this happens, save it, and check the minor's BB points, though I've never bothered. It would be hard to find out if other countries react more strongly to small countries racking up BB points than they do to large countries, except to the extent that we know that if a country is large and powerful enough, the AI is often afraid to DOW it no matter how many BB points it has.

I had this in the back of my mind when I advised you to expand as Sweden. Even if BB points are more costly to small countries, Sweden starts out large enough it shouldn't be much of a problem for them.

 

[Idiotboy]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen
Tak sa myket, min vin.
Jag ar american men jag borade i sverige tre ar och jag prata litte svenksa.
(Note, the grammer is probably all wrong, but hey, not to many americans speak even a little swedish.)

Not that bad mate. It´s a bit surprising you made the effort considering you get by very well with just english over here.

 

[unmerged(4444)]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen
I then turned to Ireland, almost immediately. withen a few years, I had totally annexed the Emerald Isle.
Even though those were core provences, my reptutation dropped to 'rather poor/bad.'

Annexing coutries completely always nets you lots more BB than simply taking provinces (core provinces notwithstanding), especially if the country you annex has the same religion as you. Taking twice as many provinces from Denmark (as Sweden) as you took from Ireland (as Scotland) will still probably earn you less BB, so long as you don't completely annex Denmark.

Phil

 

[Mellon]

Originally posted by Ethan Allen
Tak sa myket, min vin.
Jag ar american men jag borade i sverige tre ar och jag prata litte svenksa.
(Note, the grammer is probably all wrong, but hey, not to many americans speak even a little swedish.)
__________________
Och du var sötare än dom men jag slängde bort det igen

Jag slängde bort nån slags vän...

varför skall man inte ta sitt liv?

if you are to use my sign...i guess you know it's a rather depressive one. kind of suicidual

 

[unmerged(8339)]

Sorry about that.
I didn't mean to swipe the signature. I usually copy and paste onto my reply what I am replying to.
The sig reads a bit like Ingmar Bergan?