Russia is currently in a position that I would call "the worst of both worlds". While it may technically start in Europe, it has no chance to spawn the first three institutions and instead has to dump ~6k monarch points into developing for them. But unlike (most) starts in Asia, it lacks ready access to good terrain and trade goods to efficiently develop institutions in (and those Asian tags that don't have good land are generally hordes, which can generate MP out of thin air). As Muscovy it also suffers from severe gov cap issues earlygame, and while estate land rights help they also delays the monarch point privleges for a nation starved for monarch points.
Even after forming Russia however issues persist. For one Tsardom interacts rather weirdly with Russia's Orthodox faith. Orthodox loves religious ideas, but Russia is the objectively best country at fabricating claims which somewhat devalues Religious' biggest draw, Deus Vult. Lower aggressive expansion from the Holy War CB might be nice, but after all the best way to deal with AE is to simply kill anyone with hard feelings against your country.
The biggest issues however are of an economic nature. Russian lands are poor-ish with mediocre trade goods, and sadly the regions surrounding the Russian heartlands aren't a lot better. Siberia is a bunch of 1/1/1 fur-producing provinces that do not help Russia's trade network, to the south is a literal desert, and the lands in the west are just a continuation of Russian mediocrity and held by a very hostile Poland/PLC (which has a higher quality army than Russia and usually about equal numbers because Russia just can't run at anywhere near forcelimit).
And then there is trade. Once Russia has slogged through the badlands and has reached Samarkand/China it could finally think about reaping some benefit from its conquests, it gets a harsh reality check in form of the Astrakhan node. The Astrakhan node is extremely small with only a single trade center and an estuary, which opens it up to shenanigans. A non-exclusive list of things I encountered include a Genoa in Crimea allied to France and the PLC while being part of the HRE and guaranteed by Spain siphoning away trade, Poland going on a conquering spree into the Great Horde, and Friesland having ~25% trade power in Astrakhan due to caravan power.
To alleviate some of these issues, I suggest the following changes:
1. The missions "Consolidate Russia" (Muscovy), "Dethrone the Rurikovichs" (Novgorod) and "Unite the Princes" (Russian minors) now raise government rank to kingdom. From 1485 onwards Ivan III (Muscovite heir at gamestart) styled himself as "Grand Prince of all Russia" following his annexation of Tver, which is required for the aforementioned Muscovite mission. This would give the Russians some extra gov cap to consolidate the steppe or declaw the PLC.
2. Have Yumen flow towards Siberia. It would give Siberia a purpose as a shenanigans-free way for Russia to divert trade from China, and make an "eastern strategy" more worthwhile.
Even after forming Russia however issues persist. For one Tsardom interacts rather weirdly with Russia's Orthodox faith. Orthodox loves religious ideas, but Russia is the objectively best country at fabricating claims which somewhat devalues Religious' biggest draw, Deus Vult. Lower aggressive expansion from the Holy War CB might be nice, but after all the best way to deal with AE is to simply kill anyone with hard feelings against your country.
The biggest issues however are of an economic nature. Russian lands are poor-ish with mediocre trade goods, and sadly the regions surrounding the Russian heartlands aren't a lot better. Siberia is a bunch of 1/1/1 fur-producing provinces that do not help Russia's trade network, to the south is a literal desert, and the lands in the west are just a continuation of Russian mediocrity and held by a very hostile Poland/PLC (which has a higher quality army than Russia and usually about equal numbers because Russia just can't run at anywhere near forcelimit).
And then there is trade. Once Russia has slogged through the badlands and has reached Samarkand/China it could finally think about reaping some benefit from its conquests, it gets a harsh reality check in form of the Astrakhan node. The Astrakhan node is extremely small with only a single trade center and an estuary, which opens it up to shenanigans. A non-exclusive list of things I encountered include a Genoa in Crimea allied to France and the PLC while being part of the HRE and guaranteed by Spain siphoning away trade, Poland going on a conquering spree into the Great Horde, and Friesland having ~25% trade power in Astrakhan due to caravan power.
To alleviate some of these issues, I suggest the following changes:
1. The missions "Consolidate Russia" (Muscovy), "Dethrone the Rurikovichs" (Novgorod) and "Unite the Princes" (Russian minors) now raise government rank to kingdom. From 1485 onwards Ivan III (Muscovite heir at gamestart) styled himself as "Grand Prince of all Russia" following his annexation of Tver, which is required for the aforementioned Muscovite mission. This would give the Russians some extra gov cap to consolidate the steppe or declaw the PLC.
2. Have Yumen flow towards Siberia. It would give Siberia a purpose as a shenanigans-free way for Russia to divert trade from China, and make an "eastern strategy" more worthwhile.
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