The Ottoman empire- Russia's best bud

[anomanderus]

I think it can be said that annexing a piece of Southern Italy is also not the optimal strategy, though. I've always wondered what considerations the AI goes through when it decides to annex a place like that. Does it realize that infamy spent on Southern Italy means that infamy can't be used to annex another place? Does it even have long-term strategies with regard to expansion?

Then again, the AI often sits at 0 infamy without annexing any places at all. I wish I had more insight into how the AI chooses that sort of thing.

I would much rather have France conquer Catalonia and the Rheinland than Puglia. That is for sure.

 

[ByeNow]

I would much rather have France conquer Catalonia and the Rheinland than Puglia. That is for sure.

Rheinland Yes but when they take catalonia it makes my eyes bleed

 

[Avernite]

I would much rather have France conquer Catalonia and the Rheinland than Puglia. That is for sure.

Naples was one of the first French conquests during the various Italian wars

I completely understand the AI going for Puglia; Italy has somewhat decent provinces, and the Two Sicilies are the only country not likely to be in a French or Austrian sphere. Sure, taking Lombardia/Piemonte/Rheinland may be more profitable if succesful, it's also a LOT harder.

 

[EUnderhill]

Naples was one of the first French conquests during the various Italian wars

I completely understand the AI going for Puglia; Italy has somewhat decent provinces, and the Two Sicilies are the only country not likely to be in a French or Austrian sphere. Sure, taking Lombardia/Piemonte/Rheinland may be more profitable if succesful, it's also a LOT harder.

Also closer to Suez, therefore East Africa.

 

[ArMakedon]

yeah it kinda sucks ^_^

i play as Greece almost always i get strong enough to fight ottomans , i finally destroy ottoman army ! then 1000 troops made in Russia and Austria conquer me in 10 seconds xD

 

[Chamboozer]

Naples was one of the first French conquests during the various Italian wars

I completely understand the AI going for Puglia; Italy has somewhat decent provinces, and the Two Sicilies are the only country not likely to be in a French or Austrian sphere. Sure, taking Lombardia/Piemonte/Rheinland may be more profitable if succesful, it's also a LOT harder.

Yeah the provinces are decent, but they come with so many disadvantages that the 11 infamy used to annex a civilized state could be much better used elsewhere. Southern Italy is hard to defend, likely to cause crises, likely to revolt, and worst of all it means that if Italy does ever form it will ruin relations between them and France, causing France to lose a potentially very useful ally.

Instead, the AI should use the same infamy (actually less infamy, as they're justifying the war starting at 10) to annex a place like Vietnam. Then they get a nice new colony that probably won't revolt or spark crises, produces useful resources, and can serve as a recruiting ground for just as many soldiers as they'd get from taking Puglia. It'd probably be an easier conquest, too.

 

[EUnderhill]

Yeah the provinces are decent, but they come with so many disadvantages that the 11 infamy used to annex a civilized state could be much better used elsewhere. Southern Italy is hard to defend, likely to cause crises, likely to revolt, and worst of all it means that if Italy does ever form it will ruin relations between them and France, causing France to lose a potentially very useful ally.

Instead, the AI should use the same infamy (actually less infamy, as they're justifying the war starting at 10) to annex a place like Vietnam. Then they get a nice new colony that probably won't revolt or spark crises, produces useful resources, and can serve as a recruiting ground for just as many soldiers as they'd get from taking Puglia. It'd probably be an easier conquest, too.

Or perhaps Korea, or Siam, Johore or Burma etc.

 

[Darsara]

Southern Italy is hard to defend, likely to cause crises, likely to revolt, and worst of all it means that if Italy does ever form it will ruin relations between them and France, causing France to lose a potentially very useful ally.

This doesn't seem to be much of a problem for nations like France, given that I almost always see most/all of the French army station in Guyana or Algeria, with less than a third actually in France proper. if they apply that logic to Italy, it should be very protected.