@Enewald: True, though large part of my army consist of mercenaries which the AI will surely disband once it takes over and it remains to see how large a standing army Avignon will yield after that. Both Polotsk and Brabant are under consideration as candidates.
Avignon - Summary and Overview of the World in 1480
So this is the map of Europe at the dawn of 1480. In the east we have a gigantic Ottoman Empire, but they stand checked by equally impressive Muscowy and The Mamluks, both of which are part of a large Anti-Turkish coalition also including Hungary, the Byzantines and several other powers. Hungary has expanded impressively, especially when we take into consideration that most of their expansion happened during the last five years. They are currently in a war against the Bohemian Emperor and Austria, and it is impossible to say yet which side has the upper hand.
Poland has been decimated for good it seems, while Lithunia is only a shadow of their former shelf, though still powerful enough to be able to jump back into the game and reclaim their lost holdings with a bit of luck and fortune on their side. It remains to be seen which of the emerging powers will take their place - Mazovia, Pskov, Polotsk, the Teutonic Order, the Livonian Order or whether the region will be shared between Muscowy, the Turks and the Danes.
Great changes have taken place within the HRE and its surroundings with Austria losing a decisive war against France and Bohemia being elected as the Emperor in their place. It remains to be seen whether the still struggling Austrians are able to pounce back and reclaim their dominant position. They might have been defeated, but they certainly don't stand as completely beaten. Smaller states within the empire are beginning to wither away, with a group of slightly larger blobs growing around Northern Germany.
France currently stands as the most powerful nation in western Europe, with no other state able to match them in either income or armies, and it remains to be seen whether a future coalition might be the only chance to stop the BBB from exploding far outside of France's historical borders.
In Iberia, the Muslims are on the retreat again, with Portugal having devastated Granada in a war and currently undergoing another one. It seems only a possible Moroccan annexation of Granada might put-off the rerereconquista for a little longer.
Italy has been effectively divided into Neapolitan dominated south and Savoyard north, with Avignonese intruders having pushed a powerful wedge between the two. It remains to be seen which of the three might gain dominance over the peninsula, but one thing remains clear - it will be a battle over survival.
Here are the largest standing armies in Europe at the end of 1479.
The Arabian Peninsula is completely dominated by the Mamluks, who are currently undergoing a war against Hedjaz alongside Oman, the latter of which now finds itself in an uncomfortable situation, being surrounded by their more powerful neighbours and having been cut-off from the cheap African provinces. It is unclear to me whether Najd remains independent.
India could be easily divided into two regions at this point, with Vijayanagar clearly dominating the southern half, while the balance of power remains equal between several medium states in the north. It remains to be seen whether the yellow blob will swallow the whole subcontinent.
Amongst the hordes, Nogai has been divided between Uzbek, Kazan and Sibir, the last of which is under heel of the Oirat Horde on their continuous westward push.
Practically nothing has changed further east since the time I took over as Avignon.
As a final conclusion I would like to say that I feel as I've been very successful with Avignon. Although I had to concur large debts for most of my game, the Bishopric no longer owes a penny to anyone, has a relatively high income between 5 and 6 ducats per month, no revolt risk and fully cored possessions, with a competitive standing army and three strong allies on their side, one of whom happens to be the Emperor of the HRE.
I will definitely be leaving them in a much better shape and more suited for survival and even for future dominance than I left Morocco and I have learned several lessons. First of all early, aggressive expansion is the key. Loans and AE matter little easpecially for a small country with lots to gain and little to lose.
I am very confident for Avignon's possible future in the hands of the AI. France remains s an obvious threat but, were they to attack it would make little difference whether it is me or the AI in control. My only fear is that Avignon will become the Emperor's lapdog, being dragged into fruitless and futile wars within and around the HRE, wasting their manpower and accumulating serious war exhaustion, until they are weak enough to be partitioned by their greedy neighbours. But I have my hopes up for the future and it will be interesting to see how the AI will handle the current position.
I will post a list of candidates for the next election early tomorrow morning before my uni starts, so stay tuned and check in to vote some time tomorrow. Remember that you have 24 hours to vote so no need to hurry!
