Hello again.
Here I am with another AAR. The game is in progress, paused on my computer. I am using my sister's. (She is quite nice once you get to know her.)
Here is the info that every AAR seems to have:
GAME: Europa Universalis II, Mac version, 1.07 (still not quite sure about this.)
SCENARIO: Grand Campaign 1419
COUNTRY: Mameluks
SETTINGS: Normal/Normal. I'm not a masochist. I might be a wimp. Fog of War is off.
MODS: None
So.....
I am an omniscient power known as JOHN. I can completely control a country I choose. I picked the Mameluks.
Let's see here. Their state religion is Shiite. Their provinces are a mix of orthodox Christian and Sunni Moslem, with one Catholic province for good measure (Lebanon.) Their capital is at Cairo in Egypt, with 50,000 heretic Sunnis. They have a center of trade in Alexandria, which doesn't have a great deal of competition, and would be a nice place to send merchants if the Mameluks were sophisticated enough, which they are not. (Trade and Infra 0.) They have two large armies. The Egyptian Army is in Alexandria, and contains 10,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. The Syrian Army is not in Syria, and has 10,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry. Our monarch has a difficult name. He is Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh. The Sunnis in the Hedjaz are our vassals. They aren't thrilled at that, though. (relations +0.)
In January 1419, I reduce tolerance for the Shiite religion to zero. That must have confused everyone.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh: We despise the corrupt Shiite religion!
Advisor: Uh, sir.... We are Shiite.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh: Shh!
In the same month, I disband all infantry in the army.
Random Mameluk General: Henceforth, to be in the army, you must have a HORSE!
Random Infantryman: Curses! I think I'll go join the navy. Our strategy book says that the navy is important.
Random Mameluk General: We don't have a navy.
As that illustrates, our domestic policies are not ideal at the moment. However, stability costs are horrendous. So we are content to just give the army a pay cut.
By August, a group of missionaries has reported for duty. They are expensive, so they will wait a while.
The next year arrives. January 1, 1420, the missionaries depart for Catholic Lebanon. This cost 170 ducats, and has a chance of success of 45%. Ouchie. It's worth a shot anyway.
On the 5th of July, some peasants get bored.
Peasant: I'm bored.
Another Peasant: So am I.
Peasant: Let's start a wave of obscurantism!
Another Peasant: Great idea!
So they did. Luckily, nobody actually revolted.
It is at this point I realize that the Hedjaz has cancelled its vassalization. Nice of them, when I had no diplomats to butter them up or anything. (As you may understand, the Cairo School of Diplomacy only trains one or so a year.)
On September 14th, I disband 2,000 cavalry in Samaria, reducing my monthly cost from 1.9 ducats a month to 1.8 ducats a month.
January 1st, 1421 arrives with the news that my merchants now know how to trade.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh: So, you've figured out how to send merchants to centers of trade to increase our income. Doesn't seem like much of a leap of logic, does it?
Trade Researcher: Yes, your majesty.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad: What took you so long?
Trade Researcher: We were busy discussing swallow migration patterns.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad: I think I just got closer to a heart attack.
On January 5th, there was an unprovoked revolt in Sinai. Sinai's population was a little over 700. The revolt got nowhere.
On January 14th, 1422, the sultan whose name was difficult to type had a heart attack and died. The Mameluk nobility convened, and chose as his successor Muhammad I, mainly because his name was less of a hassle to write and spell.
Muhammad's first act was to send 6 merchants to Alexandria. A month later, 5 had set up shop and were now generating income. The sixth preferred lounging about with prostitutes.
On March 14th, 1422, Muhammad showed his diplomatic mettle by signing a trade agreement with Venice, the biggest competitors to the Mameluks in Alexandria.
But on the 2nd of April, Muhammad I died. His replacement was a Barsbay, whose skills were at best mediocre. Due to his poor administrative skills, it was estimated that missionaries would be less successful.
On the first of July, the Mameluk army modernized just a little. (Land Tech 1.)
On the first of September, the nation was finally stable. (+3.) There was much rejoicing.
Sultan Barsbay: Yay......
In February 1423, the non-existent navy got slightly more advanced, reportedly because of a local fisherman playing with toy boats in the bathtub.
On the first of March, infrastructure was boosted, with the discovery of the tax collector.
Sultan Barsbay: What news?
Infrastructure Researcher: We learned that if we give each town a special office with a tax collector, we will make more money.
Sultan Barsbay: Are you sure all the various ethnic groups are okay with this idea?
Infra Researcher: Well, the peasants in the test village started sharpening their pitchforks.
Sultan Barsbay: Oh dear.
So only the capital gets this new invention.
Then, on August 7th, the flu season gets bad and a plague wipes out 1000 people in Syria and Judea. Stability suffers. (to +2.)
Messenger: *cough* *wheeze* There's..... a..... plague.... *cough*
Cairo Guard: HOLY SHI'ITE! Stay away!
On the 20th of August, Portugal becomes a vassal of Castile, for no clear reason.
My warmongering eyes notice the Kaliphate is no longer in alliance. This intrigues me (they have a Shiite Arabic province) but my armies are rather small for that, and one of them is on rebel duty in Lebanon in case the missionary fails.
In January 1424, I pause to write this update.
What do you think? Want more? I do plan to continue this game.
Here I am with another AAR. The game is in progress, paused on my computer. I am using my sister's. (She is quite nice once you get to know her.)
Here is the info that every AAR seems to have:
GAME: Europa Universalis II, Mac version, 1.07 (still not quite sure about this.)
SCENARIO: Grand Campaign 1419
COUNTRY: Mameluks
SETTINGS: Normal/Normal. I'm not a masochist. I might be a wimp. Fog of War is off.
MODS: None
So.....
I am an omniscient power known as JOHN. I can completely control a country I choose. I picked the Mameluks.
Let's see here. Their state religion is Shiite. Their provinces are a mix of orthodox Christian and Sunni Moslem, with one Catholic province for good measure (Lebanon.) Their capital is at Cairo in Egypt, with 50,000 heretic Sunnis. They have a center of trade in Alexandria, which doesn't have a great deal of competition, and would be a nice place to send merchants if the Mameluks were sophisticated enough, which they are not. (Trade and Infra 0.) They have two large armies. The Egyptian Army is in Alexandria, and contains 10,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. The Syrian Army is not in Syria, and has 10,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry. Our monarch has a difficult name. He is Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh. The Sunnis in the Hedjaz are our vassals. They aren't thrilled at that, though. (relations +0.)
Chapter 1
In which three monarchs rule, and our technologies grow a little.
In January 1419, I reduce tolerance for the Shiite religion to zero. That must have confused everyone.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh: We despise the corrupt Shiite religion!
Advisor: Uh, sir.... We are Shiite.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh: Shh!
In the same month, I disband all infantry in the army.
Random Mameluk General: Henceforth, to be in the army, you must have a HORSE!
Random Infantryman: Curses! I think I'll go join the navy. Our strategy book says that the navy is important.
Random Mameluk General: We don't have a navy.
As that illustrates, our domestic policies are not ideal at the moment. However, stability costs are horrendous. So we are content to just give the army a pay cut.
By August, a group of missionaries has reported for duty. They are expensive, so they will wait a while.
The next year arrives. January 1, 1420, the missionaries depart for Catholic Lebanon. This cost 170 ducats, and has a chance of success of 45%. Ouchie. It's worth a shot anyway.
On the 5th of July, some peasants get bored.
Peasant: I'm bored.
Another Peasant: So am I.
Peasant: Let's start a wave of obscurantism!
Another Peasant: Great idea!
So they did. Luckily, nobody actually revolted.
It is at this point I realize that the Hedjaz has cancelled its vassalization. Nice of them, when I had no diplomats to butter them up or anything. (As you may understand, the Cairo School of Diplomacy only trains one or so a year.)
On September 14th, I disband 2,000 cavalry in Samaria, reducing my monthly cost from 1.9 ducats a month to 1.8 ducats a month.
January 1st, 1421 arrives with the news that my merchants now know how to trade.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad Sheikh: So, you've figured out how to send merchants to centers of trade to increase our income. Doesn't seem like much of a leap of logic, does it?
Trade Researcher: Yes, your majesty.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad: What took you so long?
Trade Researcher: We were busy discussing swallow migration patterns.
Sultan al-Mu'aiyad: I think I just got closer to a heart attack.
On January 5th, there was an unprovoked revolt in Sinai. Sinai's population was a little over 700. The revolt got nowhere.
On January 14th, 1422, the sultan whose name was difficult to type had a heart attack and died. The Mameluk nobility convened, and chose as his successor Muhammad I, mainly because his name was less of a hassle to write and spell.
Muhammad's first act was to send 6 merchants to Alexandria. A month later, 5 had set up shop and were now generating income. The sixth preferred lounging about with prostitutes.
On March 14th, 1422, Muhammad showed his diplomatic mettle by signing a trade agreement with Venice, the biggest competitors to the Mameluks in Alexandria.
But on the 2nd of April, Muhammad I died. His replacement was a Barsbay, whose skills were at best mediocre. Due to his poor administrative skills, it was estimated that missionaries would be less successful.
On the first of July, the Mameluk army modernized just a little. (Land Tech 1.)
On the first of September, the nation was finally stable. (+3.) There was much rejoicing.
Sultan Barsbay: Yay......
In February 1423, the non-existent navy got slightly more advanced, reportedly because of a local fisherman playing with toy boats in the bathtub.
On the first of March, infrastructure was boosted, with the discovery of the tax collector.
Sultan Barsbay: What news?
Infrastructure Researcher: We learned that if we give each town a special office with a tax collector, we will make more money.
Sultan Barsbay: Are you sure all the various ethnic groups are okay with this idea?
Infra Researcher: Well, the peasants in the test village started sharpening their pitchforks.
Sultan Barsbay: Oh dear.
So only the capital gets this new invention.
Then, on August 7th, the flu season gets bad and a plague wipes out 1000 people in Syria and Judea. Stability suffers. (to +2.)
Messenger: *cough* *wheeze* There's..... a..... plague.... *cough*
Cairo Guard: HOLY SHI'ITE! Stay away!
On the 20th of August, Portugal becomes a vassal of Castile, for no clear reason.
My warmongering eyes notice the Kaliphate is no longer in alliance. This intrigues me (they have a Shiite Arabic province) but my armies are rather small for that, and one of them is on rebel duty in Lebanon in case the missionary fails.
In January 1424, I pause to write this update.
What do you think? Want more? I do plan to continue this game.
