Right....Me again...advice please

[oggycompton]

Ok so still enjoying the game immensely, amazes me how you always learn something new when you play. Still havent got past about 30 years before restarting but hey ho. heres my next query.

So last night I started a game as France... Started really well, annexed Brittany, kicked England out of most of the states in Europe. Then Burgundy who didnt like me got into a massive war with Austria and a few others and i took avantage and took some of their lands in the North. I had CBs for all of these wars and on the way back set up a CB to take the last remaining Provence state and took that also. Then BAM..... everyone forms a coalition against me and I get me ass well and truly handed to me.

My question is, I had CBs but for example my one against Burgundy was just for one state, which I took but in the peace deal I took more than that and I'm pretty sure that I have done this the whole time. Is it best for me to fabricate claims and only take those areas, anything else obviously raises Agrresive expansion which = death. Is it fair to say that there is a map below the one you see with countries making claims on lands on their borders? If this is the case I need to use this strategy in my next game. I was also reading that for example if I am playing Castille and vassalise Navarre, it could be wise to give them the territory next to them that I would capture if I took Aragon?

I hope this all makes sense.

Basically, when going to war, should I only honour whats in the detail of the CB and not take loads of extra lands.

 

[Sousuke123]

Fabricate claims won't give aggressive expansion penalty discount and if you grab any HRE provinces you will receive even more. Grab Influence idea group and use reconquest cb from vassals to avoid it. Make use of diplomats and make them improve relation with everyone to avoid coalitions.

EDIT : If you play Castille it would be better to invade England and grab their two provinces next to you at least. Release Guyenne as vassal and use reconquest cb on France and smash them with or without Burgundian help.

 

[oggycompton]

So i just need to bide my time and not rush? I mean I did all this in about 20 years, re-united all of France, battered the Dutch. I guess if I was another country I to would have wondered... 'Hey, the French are fighting everybody'.

 

[Sousuke123]

So i just need to bide my time and not rush? I mean I did all this in about 20 years, re-united all of France, battered the Dutch. I guess if I was another country I to would have wondered... 'Hey, the French are fighting everybody'.

You don't need to rush anything at the beginning. Slowly consolidate territory and watch out for opportunities. Always take a look on coalition mapmode to see how much neighbors hate you.

 

[browd]

Even with claims and limiting what you take to your primary war target and co-belligerents, you can still get massive AE from conquest CS. Before starting a war you should study the coalition map mode and identify where you need to be improving relations (note also that an improve relations adviser will help burn off AE more quickly everywhere). Before concluding the peace treaty, you should also study carefully the "coalition may form" details in the peace treaty screen. When you've won, its very tempting to grab everything that your war score and OE capacity will allow you to grab, but (particularly in the HRE and adjacent territories) you need to carefully tailor your peace treaty to avoid triggering the formation of coalitions. Juggling truces (countries under truce with you can't join a coalition) is also critical.

EDIT: You might want to review this thread for more info: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/coalition-handling-guide.956958/

 

[Dutchman251]

So i just need to bide my time and not rush? I mean I did all this in about 20 years, re-united all of France, battered the Dutch. I guess if I was another country I to would have wondered... 'Hey, the French are fighting everybody'.

Yes, you should be somewhat slow if you are playing a big country. It also helps to take territory from isolated countries, such as England, Scotland and Iberia. Moreover, check how many countries will go to you in coalition when you are making a peacedeal (which you can see right to the warscore you take).
By the way, the Burgundians are not Dutch, they are just as French as you are (ok, maybe a little more Low German).

 

[oggycompton]

Thank you. Yeah I've been ignoring that flag. Had various warnings with all the conquests I was going on.

So its OK to be fairly aggressive, follow my CBS and have diplomats making everyone thinking I'm a good bloke.... when I'm not :0)

Right will start again tonight as Castille and take my time, I always feel like I am rushing towards the end but this game looks like to play it properly it could take into the 80 hours.

 

[Drachenfels]

If you hove over a box with relation, you will see how much aggressive expansion you have accrued.

To join coalition following condition must be met:
- aggressive expansion at least 50
- relation is below 0 (this is why it's important to send diplomats, send gifts, guarantees and alliances)
- target cannot have truce with you
- he will join only if in peace
- there must be at least 3 coalition members

All of that means you can juggle aggressive expansion if you plan ahead. Check how much AE you will gain on your conquest on first day of war and send your diplomats to nation that can be kept above 0. Threaten war to have truce timers. Attack coalition before it finishes to build, coalition does not form in one day. It takes a week or so before all members join, so attack them before that.

Basically a lot of juggling, it's difficult at times, requires a lot of planning at times, but certainly you can keep conquering. ;-)

 

[Drachenfels]

I always feel like I am rushing towards the end but this game looks like to play it properly it could take into the 80 hours.

I was like that in the past, but to get the most from game, you have to be deliberate and dedicated. Nowadays one play through takes me one month that would translate probably into ~120h. ;-)

Cheers.

 

[atwix]

If you hove over a box with relation, you will see how much aggressive expansion you have accrued.

To join coalition following condition must be met:
- aggressive expansion at least 50
- relation is below 0 (this is why it's important to send diplomats, send gifts, guarantees and alliances)
- target cannot have truce with you
- he will join only if in peace
- there must be at least 3 coalition members

there must be 4 eglible nations on map, and then coalition will form, even if all 4 are not at peace. so you can end up with coalition of two, which you can then stomp.

anyways @oggycompton read the coalition guide linked in thread or my signature here.

Basically, you coulds have avoided situation you describe if you had used diplomats to timprove relation with everybody who joined coalition.

its bit more complicated then that, so read guide i guess

 

[grommile]

So i just need to bide my time and not rush?

The only time you ever have to rush in the early game is if you have a time-critical early-game goal like "avoid being annexed", "prevent Italy leaving the HRE", or "stop Castile from annexing Granada".

 

[egill]

Consider alternatives to annexation when sending peace terms. Mix it up with release nation, create vassal and humiliate (against rivals this gives 30 power projection.