Swap Espionage and Expansion ideas?

[schaedel]

Good morning Folks,

this is no real "Suggestion" to the Devs or whomever, but after meddling around with some South-German nations in the HRE there is a question that somehow bothers me.

My playstyle has never been about "extreme-blobbing", but when u are in the middle of the HRE you naturally will at least try to go for the throne, eventually

So, here Comes my question: what Diplomatic idea Groups do you pick when you start as a landlocked, trade-wise somehow limited Country in Middle/South Germany (the likes of Mainz, Palatinate, Bavaria and so on) ? Diplomacy is an veryvery obvious choice and (for me) a lock as first or second idea. But after that? Diplomatic idea Groups, while by no menas bad, don't make a lot of sense for those countries IMO. So wouldn't it make more sense to swap Espionage (quite a nice idea Group which gets overlooked very often) with Expansion? As you use diplomats for covert Actions anyway, there would also be a "logic" behind this and you would not solely be dependent on Diplomatic Idea Groups to colonize. It really bothers me (as far as a realreal great game can bother yourself) that in my Special case, there is absolutely no real use for any other of the Diplomatic Ideas...or am I missing anything and there is a reason to pick one besides Diplomacy?

Cheers...

 

[Incompetent]

I think Expansion is in the diplo column because it's a hybrid of the other diplo idea groups.

Espionage really would make more sense as a diplo idea, though, and putting Expansion in the admin column would relieve some of the strain on diplo points for overseas empire builders.

As a land blob however, Expansion is currently a fairly good use of your diplo points, which you should have plenty of (since you don't need diplomatic tech).

 

[schaedel]

pfff to land blob I normally end this Kind of games (played till 1821) with around 60 to about 80 provinces max...just my style, so I don't really think I'm hard-pressed to take Expansion...but the more I think about it, the more logical me thinks this swap would be, don't you?