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Single Domination: Ming


Jim: Welcome, dear viewers, to an exiting match of Single Domination! Good to have you all here. Especially you, Bob.

Bob: Thanks Jim, good to be here.

Jim: Old time viewers might remember our last coverage of Double Domination: Germany vs Japan, where two teams duked it out in turns.

Bob: I remember that match clearly, really exciting up to the end!

Jim: But this time, we will not cover a double but a single match. Just one team will travel back in time to an alternative time line using the Chronodyne XS-40 and take control of a country.

Bob: Indeed Jim, just one team. But there is still something special about this match, isn't there?

Jim: Certainly. The old XS-35 transported our intrepid heroes to what chronologists call timeline "Extra-dimensional Universe number 3" or EU3 for short. But today we will be using the new and improved XS-40, which will take our contestants to timeline EU4, the first team to enter this virgin timeline!

Bob: I can't wait, Jim! And I think the audience will be thrilled as well!

Jim: So to explain the audience a bit about the world the contestants will enter, we have esteemed chronologist Dr. Keunig here. Welcome, Doctor.

Dr. Keunig: Danke schon, Jim, Bob.

Jim: So Doctor, can you explain some of the more important differences between timeline EU3 and EU4?

Dr. Keunig: Naturlich, Jim. The main difference is that many government functions, including technological progress, Ideas, construction and hiring generals are mostly executed by the monarch, his advisors and some nameless nobles. These complex processes have been visualised by my esteemed collegues and myself with the MP viewer.

Bob: MP viewer?
5yta.png

Monarch Power points, with monthly gain next to icon and below that the pool. From top to bottom: Administrative, Diplomacy, Military.

Dr. Keunig: Das is richtig. The Monarch Point viewer. This highly sophisicated mathematical wavefunction approximator will analyse the governmnent functions of nations, dividing it into administrative, diplomatic and military activity.

Jim: So a great monarch will score highly on the MP viewer and will accelerate the development of his country, while incompetent monarchs do the opposite?

Dr. Keunig: Ja.

Jim: Good, good. Any other major differences between the timelines, Doctor?

Dr. Keunig: Well, trade is quite different. In the Extra-dimensional Universe Drei, trade was limited to a local trade centre. In this Extra-dimensional Universe, trade is more international and will flow from one regon to another, with merchants and navies directing its flow.

Bob: Sounds like an opportunity for our contestants to get lots of gold.

Jim: If they play their cards right, certainly Bob. Dr Keunig, while I would love to hear more about the fascination new aspects of Extra-Dimensional Universe 4, I'm afraid we have only so much time. Thank you for coming.

Dr. Keunig: Kein Problem, it was a pleasure.

Bob: As we speak, our contestants are about to enter the Chronodyne XS-40. The audience waves them goodbye under loud applause.

Jim: Normally, we would have two teams competing in turns. But as the timeline is as yet unexplored, we decided to go for a friendly match. Our international team will enter the timeline at the year 1444 and take control of the nation of Ming.

Bob: That's correct, Jim. They will direct diplomacy, lead wars and steer the development of the nation. However, they must do this in secret: they cannot take the throne themselves not become advisors, generals, diplomats or take any other openly visible office.

Jim: They will try to make their nation the leading power of the time, which in the unaltered version was not the case. Can they turn Ming into the foremost power of the world? Can they dominate all others! Don't miss our next broadcast, in which we will have the pre-match analysis! Until next time!

Bob: See you all next time!
r8t0.png

Cross-dimensional metaphoto of the nation of Ming, Extra-dimensional Universe No. 4, 1444 Local Time.

Stuff
I will play Ming in this AAR, starting in 1444. The settings I use are:
  • Bonus: None
  • AI Difficulty: Normal
  • Lucky Nations: Historical
  • Ironman: On
While I do have experience with playing Ming and dealing with its factions, this will be my first EU4 campaign (demo not counted). So expect a lot of non-correctable mistakes, forgetting to set army maintenance at max during Great Wars and so on.
I will not use houserules as in Double Domination, as 1) I'm new at EU4 and will have trouble enough without handicapping myself and 2) I'm not playing against myself.

Enjoy!
 
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Pre-Game analysis

Jim: Welcome everybody!

Bob: Hello!

Jim: While the contestants are already in timeline EU4, the match hasn't started properly. So what do you say about some pre-match analysis, Bob?

Bob: Well, Jim, I think that's a great idea. This way we can bring our viewers up to speed to what challenges the team is facing.

Jim: That's the idea. However, with such a large nation, surely the challenge isn't that big?

Bob: Perhaps, but let us look in detail at the Ming nation. Shall we start with its economy?

wwzu.png

1444-11: Ming economy

Jim: As expected, Ming has quite a large economy. Lots of tax income, with production income coming in at a nice second place. Wait, why is that trade efficiency so low?

Bob: I don't know. What I do know is that the team has already hired some expensive advisors. Look at that! Three quarters of the nation's income goes towards those! The army and navy are quite inexpensive, so it leaves Ming with a nice surplus.

Jim: Seeing that these advisors gobble up all the money, shall we take a look at the government?

x0tz.png

1444-11: Ming government

Bob: No wonder that the advisors require so much income: two level 2 and one level 3 advisor! Too bad that the Emperor Qizhen Zhu is a very weak one, with only 1 ADM/ 1 DIP/ 1 MIL score. His heir is not much better: 1 ADM/ 1 DIP/ 2 MIL.

Jim: Our contestant will have their work cut out, then. Even with expensive advisors, they will have only moderate Monarch Points for the beginning decades. A gain of 5/5/6 is adequate but not stellar.

Bob: What helps is that the goverment type, Celestial Empire, gives a nice -3 revolt risk, keeping the peasant docile. At least, as long as the government works welll...

Jim: Wait, the ADM gain is 5, but shouldn't it be 6?

Bob: Hmmm, you're right. Perhaps one of the national modifiers has lowered it? Let me see...ohh, dominating the tea trade gives ming a 33% discount on advisors, very nice... Hey, what is this? Inward Perfection?

ljd7.png

1444-11: Perfect is the enemy of good.

Jim: Wow....just wow...

Bob: That's gotta hurt.

Jim: Indeed, Bob, indeed. Ming has a major penalty to...everything basically. Double building and advisor costs, income from production and trade is halved, manpower and army size is also halved, technology costs 50% more...

Bob: For the viewers at home, Ming's tech group already makes their technology 60% more expensive compared to the Western nations.

Jim: ...discipline is a joke, diplomacy is laughable...Our contestants will have major difficulties overcoming these problems.

Bob: Ah, chin up, Jim, not all is bad. Remember, Ming has factions: the Eunuchs, the Templars and the Bureaucrats.

ofd.png

1444-11: The factions

Jim: Thanks Bob, you're always a shining light in the darkness, but how will those help our poor contestants?

Bob: Well, as you know, I am a bit of an expert on extra-dimensional Asian countries.

Jim: Of course I know that, so why do you remind me?

Bob: So I happen to know that in this timeline, these factions can offset some of Ming's Inward Perfection penalties. Alas, as only one of them can be in power, not all penalties can be lifted, but it will certainly help.

Jim: So you did already know...why didn't you tell us?!

Bob: I didn't know the penalties were that harsh. Believe me, Jim.

Jim: Of course. Forgive me for doubting you.

Bob: No worries, Jim.

Jim: Okay, then. Let us take a look at each of the factions. First: Eunuchs!

x4nf.png

1444-11: The Eunuch faction.

Bob: As you can see, Eunuch focus on trade and diplomacy, nullifying all the penalties from Inward Perfection to trade and diplomacy. Furthermore, they are a boon to technological development, despire their preference for the here and now. The 75% cost reduction not only nullifies the negative influence from Inward Perfection, it even goes beyond! With Eunuchs in power, Ming's technology is only 35% more expensive than Europe's.

Jim: Sounds very good. But how can the Eunuchs get into power? At the moment, the Bureaucrats are firmly in the saddle.

Bob: The team can direct its efforts towards domestic diplomacy. In chronology terms, this means that by spending 10 DIP points, the Eunuchs get a bit of power. If they have the most power, they get to rule and their bonusses take effect.

Jim: I though the Emperor ruled?

Bob: Indeed, but the factions are a significant force in traditional Ming.

Jim: Can our contestants ever remove this influence?

Bob: Only by westernizing. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First, we take a look at the Templars.

hkkn.png

1444-11: The Templar faction.

Jim: So the Templar negate all the military drawbacks for the Chinese. And add a nice bonus to war exhaustion loss. Clearly they are the guys to go to when the going gets tough. I assume that spending MIL points increases their influence?

Bob: Bullseye, Jim. And now, last but not least, the Bureaucrats!

0i7z.png

1444-11: The Bureaucrat faction.

Jim: The Bureaucrats focus on internal development, I see. Eliminating the penalties to building and increasing stability, while restoring the tax and fertility of the Emperor..wait what?

Bob: Don't ask.

Jim: Okay, I shudder at the thought...Anyway, their bonus for religious unity overtakes the penalty from Inward Perfection, so under the Bureaucrat rule, there will be less religious trouble. You know Bob, this tour of the faction did indeed lift my spirits. Watch out, world, here come the best contestants of Double Domination!

Bob: Erm, Single, Jim

Jim: The best contestants of Single Domination! So, it seems we have covered most aspects of the Ming government.

Bob: One last thing. Ming has a Chinese Tradition.

Jim: Say what?

Bob: It means that Ming has a unique national bonus, which becomes stronger when it attains all seven National Ideas.

gxak.png

1444-11: Chinese Tradition.

Jim: Nice. While more trade power in the rich Chinese trad nodes isn't useful if the Eunuchs are not in power, cheaper Ideas is certainly helpful, seeing that Ming will have difficulty keeping up in the tech race.

Bob: I agree completely, Jim.

Jim: Well, this is all good and well, but I suspect our audience wants to see action! Worry not, next time we will see our contestants riding the beast that is called Ming. Don't miss it!
 
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Nice starting summary. Looking forward for the action.
 
intresting!

Very interesting, I hope to see how you do in Ming. Subscribed!

Oh, this is going to be great ^^

Welcome to this AAR, guys! I hope I won't disappoint you.

Nice starting summary. Looking forward for the action.
Thanks. I must admit that in my opinion this summary has a very nice balance between text and pictures. As for action, I expect Ming to start off slow, as it did in EU3: Divine Wind. But at least we don't have to sit around waiting until I get the sliders right. :D
 
Wooah first i read about your money i was like hey Jim and Bob will have a easy time ! Then i saw the chinese inward perfection and was like oh hell -_- this wont be easy at all.
 
Will be following this, and i think you hit the balance between pictures and text perfectly! And i enjoyed your double domination AAR alot! So will be following this ofcourse :D
 
Wooah first i read about your money i was like hey Jim and Bob will have a easy time ! Then i saw the chinese inward perfection and was like oh hell -_- this wont be easy at all.

Mission accomplished :)

Will be following this, and i think you hit the balance between pictures and text perfectly! And i enjoyed your double domination AAR alot! So will be following this ofcourse :D

Thanks, Tallfellow. Good to see an old fan again.

Those pentalties sure gotta hurt, good luck with China :)

Indeed they hurt, badly, as you will see. But I will persevere :)
 
Double Domination was great. I bet even this reduced format will offer plenty of thrills, and help me get a feel for EU4 while I await a computer that will let me run it.
 
Great start! I loved your Double Domination, so I'm looking forward to this one.
 
Subscribed!

Good to know. Welcome to the forums, Lord Reis!

Double Domination was great. I bet even this reduced format will offer plenty of thrills, and help me get a feel for EU4 while I await a computer that will let me run it.

Thanks! I was thinking about doing a Double Domination, but decided against it as it requires some experience to do properly. But still, I like the commentator format so I went for this AAR.

Great start! I loved your Double Domination, so I'm looking forward to this one.
Welcome back, Ashantai!

By the way, I wasn't completely clear on the Monarch Point penalty. While it doesn't show up in the Inward Perfection list, Ming gets a -1 penalty to each of ADM, DIP and MIL point gain, a penalty not countered by any of the factions. So yeah, Ming is definitively not a walk in the park.
 
Episode 1: slow and steady

Jim: Welcome back, strategy enthusiasts! It's a beautiful day to stay inside and watch some Single Domination.

Bob: Totally agree with you there, buddy.

Jim: So our contestants have now taken control and are ready for some action! Yeah, brint it on!

Bob: You haven't forgotton about the Inward Perfection penalties, have you, Jim?

Jim: Right! So may be not that much action! But still, it will be thrilling!

Bob: We can only hope. Regardless, let's take a look at our contestants' starting score:

ugf6.png

1445-09: number four in score

Jim: So, Ming starts at fourth place. I hope our contestants can do better than that, though! So why is their military rang so low?

Bob: Well Jim, to be frank, Ming's military is as weak as a anemic kitten. They have only 27 regiments out of 37 possible, and their morale is so low, that the soldier refuse to even march when their maintenance is minimized.

x9ps.png

1444-11 Morale is low

Jim: Jikes!

Bob: Without the Templars leading the nation, Ming will have very much trouble with any major invasion, rebellion or stiff breeze.

Jim: Oh well, only more reason to cheer for our brave contestants! And look, they already got a nice event.

ldf8.png

1446-02 Zheng He

Bob: Indeed. However, I already spotted another event that makes Ming lose a stability point.

Jim: What's so bad about that?

Bob: They are now at -1 stability, which means that they lose the Mandate of Heaven, which helps immensily with avoiding rebels. With such weak forces, rebellion could prove to be the undoing of our contestants, so it's no wonder stability is immediately raised to zero.

Jim: It does cost them 100 administrative points. They can't be happy losing those important points.

Bob: Certainly not, Jim. All their points are rather tight, with a hugely incompetent Emperor and of course the penalty for sitting in the Chinese tech group.

Jim: Anyway, they have send their diplomats to improve relations with Ming's neighbors. A wise move, as almost all of the Far East have little love for the Middle Kingdom.

Bob: I see that they focus first on Manchu and Korea, the only co-religious nations Ming has.

Jim: Hoho! Seems like the gods don't like that move!

xxi3.png

1450-11 The Eternal Bane of EU players

Bob: And another 100 ADM points down the drain. Points they desperately need for the next administrative tech, so they can get their first Idea group.

Jim: Well, that has to wait for a bit, I'm afraid. On the positive side, they get the chance to repair the Great Wall. Have you ever been to the Great Wall, Bob?

sihe.png

1450-11 The Great Wall

Bob: Oh yes, Jim. Was a bit disappointed, though. Wasn't as big as I expected.

Jim: Ohh, they went for "let it crumble"! Why would they?

Bob: Well, to repair the wall, stability would fall while letting it cruble would increase stability. So I guess the team found stability more important.

Jim: You could be right there, Bob. With a +1 stability, they are now able to issue the verdict "Denounce neo-confucianism"

t5vx.png

1451-04 Denounce neo-confucianism

Bob: I don't get this. Increased revolt risk? What were they thinking?!

Jim: Well, it helps with converting the few Buddhist provinces Ming has. And it works, as in 1453 one has been converted after 9 years of hard missionary work.

Bob: But look at that! Rebels!

Jim: The first rebellion for our contestants! Oh, can they take this? Or is it already curtains down for them?

Bob: It's only four regiments.

Jim: Right, right, I knew that.

Bob: The Imperial armies are already marching, after maintenance was maxed, of course. And to make things even better, the Referee has granted our contestants a great mission!

lsf6.png

1454-11 mission possible

Jim: Nice! They could certainly use +2 stability.

Bob: After a year's march, the armies arrive and soundly defeat the rebels. Stability is now at a nice +3.

Jim: What exitement! What will happen next?

<Crickets Chirping>

Jim: Right, right, Ming at the start. Not much to do for our contestants but wait for more Monarch Points.

Bob: Well, there are little events now and then, most of which push the factions around a bit. And right now we have a nice big event:

mkoe.png

1457-06 Gilded Pagoda

Bob: With all these ADM points lost on stability, this will surely be welcomed warmly by the team.

Jim: As will their second conversion of a Buddhist province, after only 6 years. Bob, as we are near the end of our broadcast, can you give a short overview of what happened around Ming?

yzrb.png

1460-01 Map of the Far East

Bob: Of course, Jim. There have been two or three wars between Manchu and Korea, resulting in the loss of one Korean province to Manchu. The Oirat horde has conquered most of Tibet and now has extensive borders with Ming. Ayuthaya has been expanding in Southeast Asia. Japan has been very quiet overall.

Jim: Looks like Ming and the Oirat horde will get into trouble, as their border tension is rising. Will the future be bright for our contestants? Only one way to know! Until next time, dear viewers.
 
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i Cant Wait For More!

Thanks. Nice picture :)

<3 knul. I'm pretty excited for this.

By the way, every Chinese tech nation gets the -1 penalty to each category, not just Ming.

You're right, I just found out it's indeed part of the tech group.

Oh well, just another reason to Westernize :)