To the Shores of Tripoli
After the first Ottoman war, we have some time to kill. Looking out across the world, our options are slightly limited. We could declare war on the Golden Horde, The Mameluks or The Timurids, but I'd rather build up some more turf before taking on either of them. For lack of anything better to do, I pick up a few provinces off of Tripoli.
Holy war is the shit. Begone from my lands, infidel scum! A few years pass, and the country is destabilized (-1 stab) as we shift toward centralization. When something interesting happens.
The Ottomans sue for peace with England and Milan, with the prize being Corfu's release. Little Corfu wants to come home! Little Corfu is, however, guaranteed by The Papal State and Milan. We get military access from Naples, Mantua and Modena, and place 12 regiments outside Rome...
... destroy their armies, and start the sieges. Milan has been hit hard by Napels during their turkish war. What we really want here is a base of operations in Italy, so this war is good news. At about this time we also pick up our first idea. National Bank is almost always a given for me, with Military Drill a close second. Some things haven't changed. We take the bank. Inflation can be a real killer. Even a few percent added on to tech cost does add up. I like military drill, but an army fundamentally marches on its stomach, or on the debased currency we use to tax our population -- same, same different name.
One of the things you'll probably notice in HtTT is the improved AI. I haven't really accrued that much infamy here, but Hungary has a different perspective on things. I'm a threat, and I look weak. Thus Hungary pounces. The logic for how and when this happens has been improved by what at least feels like an order of magnitude. Notice what a shrewd move Hungary makes here. Declaring war under these circumstances -- low badboy, high threatlevel, occupied elsewhere -- is not something you would see the IN AI do all too often. This AI definitely has its eyes on you.
We make quick peaces with the Italians for Parma and Romagna. Infamy goes up by 8 points, four for each taken province, as we have no Casus Belli against either of them (Since this war is really about Corfu). Notice the new emphasis given to CBs. Without a CB (Of the right kind) you will be accruing infamy fast when taking provinces off the AI. The armies are put on the first ship home, as Hungarian forces cross into the Empire...
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