So what do you guys do during peace time?

[Bud_Backer]

I update my long term plan for territorial acquisitions for myself and my allies including list of potential short term war targets, their allies, their rivals and the maximum manpower of their prospective alliances.

I watch the nearby AIs fighting wars, monitor their territorial gains and losses, and consider whether intervening would be beneficial to me.

I keep an eye on the Disputed Successions list to see if I want to fire off a quick royal marriage or claim throne somewhere.

I build buildings, shuffle merchants around, send out my colonists, upgrade my ships, rebuild my armies if I had to consolidate them in the last war.

Rearrange my diplomats, fabricate some claims for my next wars, look around for nations willing to be diplovassalized, check expire times on my claims and random cores that I want to release/feed.

Buy off all the prospective cardinals with the massive stockpile of papal influence I gained during the war.

Pray for any heir with more than one 3 in his stats.

This sounds like what I do, plus

-Improve Relations with friends, allies AND enemies, to try to keep the initiative in my hands

-Check the ledger extensively for information about my friends and enemies, to be able to make my short and medium term plans

-Do infrastructure work (building construction)

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Scowl at nations I wish to conquer and stroke a black cat whilst giggling like a maniac....

I was going to say that too, but then I realized that I'm always doing that anyway. Always.

 

[kuolema]

I update my long term plan for territorial acquisitions for myself and my allies including list of potential short term war targets, their allies, their rivals and the maximum manpower of their prospective alliances.

I watch the nearby AIs fighting wars, monitor their territorial gains and losses, and consider whether intervening would be beneficial to me.

I keep an eye on the Disputed Successions list to see if I want to fire off a quick royal marriage or claim throne somewhere.

I build buildings, shuffle merchants around, send out my colonists, upgrade my ships, rebuild my armies if I had to consolidate them in the last war.

Rearrange my diplomats, fabricate some claims for my next wars, look around for nations willing to be diplovassalized, check expire times on my claims and random cores that I want to release/feed.

Buy off all the prospective cardinals with the massive stockpile of papal influence I gained during the war.

Pray for any heir with more than one 3 in his stats.

This is what I do too. Oh, I mean this is what I do while I'm at war. Why do people think you need to be at peace to click "Build building"?

 

[Aleppo]

Why do people think you need to be at peace to click "Build building"?

More attention to war events, maybe you have deficiency money for it (just for replenish army) or some province can be occupied during the war.

 

[kuolema]

More attention to war events, maybe you have deficiency money for it (just for replenish army) or some province can be occupied during the war.

Pause? Or when people say they do diplomacy during peace do they mean they actually play without pausing and leave their diplomats and colonists sitting there doing nothing during wars?

The other 2 points don't count for the other things (diplomacy/colonising/trade/looking at information/etc) and don't even count for buildings if you know what you're doing.

Not that I mean to be tearing up your playstyle, but so many times I see snide comments suggesting people who war a lot aren't aware of the intricacies of diplomacy during peacetime, I would like to hear someone give a reason why peace is a requirement for much of anything besides stuff like annex vassal.

 

[blaidd]

Pause? Or when people say they do diplomacy during peace do they mean they actually play without pausing and leave their diplomats and colonists sitting there doing nothing during wars?

I generally try to play without pause as much as possible. I do that so if I ever play MP I won't be reflexively hitting pause every two seconds. Having played a tiny bit of CK2 multiplayer with RL friends, I quickly discovered there isn't much more annoying than that one guy who can't do anything without pausing.

Wars generally don't last long enough for diplomats or colonists to finish their jobs anyway.

But yeah when I'm fighting a war on three continents without using pause I don't have a lot of time to build buildings.

 

[Asturiano]

There is nothing to do of any interest or consequence during peacetime in EUIV. According to apologists that's to prevent it from being CKII or somesuch.

 

[Thrake]

During peace time? I prepare for war. Oh, and sometimes, I send diplomatic insults to AI, just as a little reminder.

 

[tapewormlondon]

Its a good question! My answer is, not a lot, bit of clicking here, bit of clicking there. Bit I hardly notice it Tbh, the only time I'm ever bored is due to regency.

I avoid massive coallitions like the plague, only ever take 1 to 2 provinces, so don't getuch AE, and I war tonnes without actually taking provinces, so I hardly notice the waiting, as I'm usually at war.

I do find my self bored if I'm in a regency though.

 

[kuolema]

I generally try to play without pause as much as possible. I do that so if I ever play MP I won't be reflexively hitting pause every two seconds. Having played a tiny bit of CK2 multiplayer with RL friends, I quickly discovered there isn't much more annoying than that one guy who can't do anything without pausing.

Wars generally don't last long enough for diplomats or colonists to finish their jobs anyway.

But yeah when I'm fighting a war on three continents without using pause I don't have a lot of time to build buildings.

Fair enough. If I cared about MP I'd play the same way actually. I think I mistook you for someone else.

I'd like to hear from one of these people:

comments suggesting people who war a lot aren't aware of the intricacies of diplomacy during peacetime.

 

[Gustav91]

Go in to MP with good guys/girls and peace time will be more interesting except for what has been said with diplomatic actions, checking stats, figure out to gain more money, strategic conquest you need to start to hide your mightiness. Don't be the biggest guy, be the strongest. Plotting, backstabbing, pacts because in MP even the smaller conquests are dangerous. Looking at fighting AI that will occupy 20% of your army? Checking the other 10 players about their opinion of your conquest call some of them in to the fight so they can't fight you because you need to keep an eye out for foreign interventions.
Heck my last Bavarian MP I had grown to a medium size power then my "friend" Austria decided to cut me down. Austria, Burgundy, Italy and Denmark walked in and yeah, shit happened and the song of unpleasant words where sung accompanied by evil laughter....

 

[Andy_Dandy]

- Watching what's going on in the world, especially with my neigbours, nations I claim, allies etc. Diplomacy is vital, so is striking in the correct moment and deciding what your diplomats do.
- Reading statistics, paying attention to trade, income growth etc.
- Planning how to grow the economy, prioritizing vs military buildings etc.
- Following the war for cardinals and papacy.
- Planning planning planning, info, info, info.

I never play the speed 5, pause when something happends, kind of play. I like to play this game on a steady speed 2 or 3. There is so much to pay attention too.

 

[Wenla]

I prepare for being ready for next war.

 

[Bud_Backer]

This is what I do too. Oh, I mean this is what I do while I'm at war. Why do people think you need to be at peace to click "Build building"?

I do as much as I can but cash reserves in case I need mercs, or just funding my military, can make delaying some things prudent

 

[Sol_Invictus]

Except for managing my nation and thinking about a reasonable next move, I just like watching the game unfold in a different way every time. It just satisfies me deeply to see what will happen, whether some unusual blob will make it through or will be cut down by a coalition, look at this or that mapmode, all that stuff. Imho it's one of the best things about PDox games that you don't have to do a lot in them in order to enjoy them.

 

[Siddyus]

I usually amuse myself by watching the map and seeing how ahistorical it has become. I also tend to watch the AI go to wars and laugh at their failures or cry from their successes as a bigger threat comes closer to my borders.

I wish they would add more things to manage in EU4, just like in Victoria 2. I almost never run out of things to do whenever I play Victoria 2. I love all the micromanagement in that game.

 

[unmerged(177849)]

Maybe this is because I've been playing nations that start large or fairly large (Poland, Austria, Venice, Muscovy, Ottomans, Timurids - the one exception, all the way back in 1.3, was Tuscany), and that mostly have core reduction ideas. But what is this "peace time" that you guys are talking about?

 

[Sensational]

I tab out and browse /r/AskHistorians and /r/Futurology.

 

[sonofliber]

get bored, and wishing there was something entertaining to do

 

[AurochsAway]

Maybe this is because I've been playing nations that start large or fairly large (Poland, Austria, Venice, Muscovy, Ottomans, Timurids - the one exception, all the way back in 1.3, was Tuscany), and that mostly have core reduction ideas. But what is this "peace time" that you guys are talking about?

It's that time when you annex vassals and pass Imperial reforms.