The BBB

[a4rino]

This is just a common misconception. they actually won the majority of wars/battles they were involved in throughout their history.

For anyone interested, here is a fun animation showing the historical blobbing of France: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/French_borders_from_985_to_1947.gif

To OP, I would suggest starting a coalition against France to try to keep them in check. This is what was done historically and now we can do this in the game.

 

[AhoyDeerrr]

(fun fact : France and Britain never lost a war when on the same side.. at least until Afghanistan)

Of course not, the two most powerful empires in the world are bound to win, France and Britain are better allies than enemies

 

[Enewald]

For anyone interested, here is a fun animation showing the historical blobbing of France: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/French_borders_from_985_to_1947.gif

To OP, I would suggest starting a coalition against France to try to keep them in check. This is what was done historically and now we can do this in the game.

To make Eu4 historically correct, we just have to add around 100 provinces to the area where Lotharingia once stood!
Brilliant and simple!

 

[Millipede69]

it took Prussia just a Frederick the Great and a handful of soldiers to fight all of the Great Powers to a standstill.

That is a bit misleading. Prussia would never have been able to survive without British finance and still only survived thanks to a huge stroke of luck. Maybe you meant to say... "it took Prussia just a Frederick the Great, British money, and a huge stroke of luck to not be annexed by Russia, Austria, and France"

 

[Shootandrun]

France has the best battles won/lost ratio of European history. Although the French had the tendency to win battles and lose wars, it is extremely difficult to accurately represent a nation in game which is a formidable military power but whose ambitions are somehow always thwarted in the end. As such, the formation of a Big Blue Blob is to be expected - historically, it was often prevented either by a stroke of chance or a massive coalition against them, which - let's be honest here - probably won't happen all that much in EUIV. Still, I think a 1444 France is still weak enough to be influenced as the player wills.

 

[Cossack8559]

In my Venice game, I was able to destroy Austria thanks to France obliterating all of Austia's armies. In my Portugal game, my ally England and Castile were both easily overwhelmed (Aragon too) by France. What shocked me the most was France had 18k army in England, how on earth did the English navy allow this to happen? Anyway, all i can say is France should be a nice challenge playing as England.

 

[Jeltz]

France has the best battles won/lost ratio of European history. Although the French had the tendency to win battles and lose wars, it is extremely difficult to accurately represent a nation in game which is a formidable military power but whose ambitions are somehow always thwarted in the end. As such, the formation of a Big Blue Blob is to be expected - historically, it was often prevented either by a stroke of chance or a massive coalition against them, which - let's be honest here - probably won't happen all that much in EUIV. Still, I think a 1444 France is still weak enough to be influenced as the player wills.

There is on mechanic which I do not think is enough. You can demand a peace with the threat of declaring war.

 

[Alan deLane]

Out of 2 conflicts with France (from 4-5 games as Austria), twice 'em got my armies pretty quick. Even that silly Castile (sic!) turned Spain and her lesser partner Aragon showed up really outclassed by French troops. How on earth did they become THAT powerfull ??

Yours,
AdL

 

[Hootieleece]

I played as Austria and fought them in one of my Games in the Demo. I beat them badly early,(wiped out entire armies) but when my MP ran out they kicked my butt. In that Game the French King was a God of War. 4/4/6/2 or something like that. Never could Catch him after winning a battle against him.(Pyrrhic Victories, me on defensive good terrain and reinforcing doomstacks)

BBB should be a problem for everyone during this timeframe. It basically took everyone to keep them in check. They are the LARGEST, Wealthiest, Culturally Homogenous, collection of Provinces in Western Europe.

They have missions and Cores on most of the really wealthy provinces in Western Europe also.

IRL after fighting England. It took Coalitions of major Powers to keep them from Blobbing.

15th and 16th Centuries: Spain and HRE. France thought they were being encircled by Hapsburgs........defending against the BWB.

17th thru mid 18th Centuries: England/Great Britain, Netherlands, HRE/Austria Fought to a draw.

Late 18th and early 19th Centuries: England, Austria, Prussia, Russia fought them to a Draw (Status Quo Antebellum) after losing to France badly Early on much like Allies in World War II against Germany.

See a theme here.....It takes 2-3 Major Powers to keep France down.......That is why the BBB is the BBB.

If the AI in this game is competent.......I can't wait to see the Ottomans are OP threads. Think France except Hideous shade of Green and Muslim.......IRL Hapsburgs REAL fear.

Did I mention France and Ottomans were Allied for a time..........

 

[Susanna]

I was playing as the Ottomans in the demo last night, and saw France whip a coalition of England, Spain, Aragon, Portugal, and Austria. Very impressive. (I checked the military statistics; I was first, and they were the only country even close.) It gave me warm cuddly thoughts of the early years of EU3.

 

[unmerged(584823)]

To make Eu4 historically correct, we just have to add around 100 provinces to the area where Lotharingia once stood!
Brilliant and simple!

Well, the trois-évechés would be enough I think, like in MEIOU.

 

[BobbyDylan]

Fucking hell. I just tried again. Even with Austria's starting 60k death stack, and 10k from England. Eventually France and all it's minion will get an 80k stack up and I'm toast.

And when I do take their armies, they disappear into the fog. When they defeat me, My armies retreat deeper into enemy territory. Why don't they retreat back to my own territory, isn't that what's supposed to happen?

 

[Hootieleece]

That Austrian Deathstack gets killed on Attrition even in Provinces where you have military access and or own Provinces. The best thing to do is split that stack up into 3-4 Armies and keep them next to each other. So When the French Doomstack arrives you can bring in reinforcements.

You are generally fighting on French territory. They will reinforce faster than you and let's not forget their Demigod like Generals. You will be fighting then about every 2-3 months is same place.

The only hope is to actually lure their stacks into Flanders or Luxembourg you will be able to kill stacks there.( The problem is their Manpower regen and reinforcement are better than yours.

Did I forget........Demigod like leaders.