Unifying the Germans - A Demo AAR

[unmerged(49655)]

Seeing I don't have EU3 yet, I'm waiting for EU3 Gold after I got HOI2 then DD was released and HOI2 was suddenly modless.

I was inspired to write an AAR by several of the wonderful threads here.

The goal is simple, unify the entire germanic culture group into 1 nation before the demo timelimit expires. Now at first glance that seems pretty easy. However the germanic lands are held by 35 different nations at the start of the demo in 1492 and you only have till 1521 to aquire them, that's a lot of wars and badboy.

At first I was thinking I would try as a OPM, I soon realized I wouldn't be able to grow in time, so I had a look at the larger german nations. Saxony starts with a nice leader and a couple of cores, but is still too small. Brandenburg has 4 provs, but it still looked impossible in the time limit so I turned to the only nation I thought could possibly do this insane task - Austria.

Austria start with 13 of the 65 provs needed, as well as being leader of the HRE. I made a list of all the countries I'd have to hurt and the provs I'd have to take from them.

OPM [18]
Alsace - 1 Rhine
Anhalt - 1 Sax
Ansbach - 1 Bav
Baden - 1 Rhine
Bremen - 1 Han
Brunswick - 1 Han
Cleves - 1 Rhine
Friesland - 1 Dutch
Gelre - 1 Dutch
Hamburg - 1 Han
Hannover - 1 Han
Mainz - 1 Rhine
Oldenburg - 1 Han
Riga - 1 Prus
Silesia - 1 Prus
Salzburg - 1 Aus
Trier - 1 Hess
Utrecht - 1 Dutch

>OPM that have to die totally [14]
Bavaria - 3 Bav
Brandenburg - 4 Sax
Hessen - 2 Hess
Cologne - 1 Han, 1 Rhine
Mecklenburg - 2 Pom
Munster - 2 Han
Pommern - 2 Pom
Palatinat - 1 Rhine, 1 Bav
Saxony - 2 Sax
Switzerland - 2 Rhine
Teutonic Order* - 2 Prus
Thuringia - 2 Sax
Wurzburg - 2 Bav
Wurttemberg - 2 Bav

Others that I need to steal provs from [2]
Bohemia - 1 Sax
Poland - 2 Prus

*TO only has 2 Prus provs, but one is their capital forcing me to annex them totally.

As you can see from the list, stability is going to be a major problem late game.

I like screenshots they really help you understand whats going on easily and quickly.

The target.

The germanic group subdivided.

Seeing the demo has no save feature I'll need to play the whole game through taking a lot of screenshots as I go, then organize them into updates. So once I do start updating it should be regularly, however it may take a while to get enough free time to play a whole 30 years in one go.

My main worries will be France and the Polish-Lith behemoth, especially if they ally with Bohemia or Hungry. Venice and Denmark [unioned with Sweden and Norway] and of course Bohemia and Hungry are lesser threats, but still could be annoying.

I find it weird on the list of maps - countries, trade, HRE, etc there is no culture map. Who wants to run the book on whether or not I'll manage it? Now accepting all bets!

 

[Aardwark]

If you play the game as Austria, then you'll have a decent chance of success, otherwise I would have doubted it.

I know I managed to reunite Italy in the demo, but all the Germanic provinces? That's a good challenge if ever there was one, good luck

 

[Grundius]

This sounds like a great challenge. 52 provinces in 30 years means constant war. Aggressive expansion, triggering the BB wars withing 10 years..and you might just make it. Good luck .

 

[SerFranke]

Sounds pretty hard to me. 30 years can pass really quickly.

In my games, I've never been above the BB limit, but from what I read in other threads, I think that constant warfare with your neighbours (not only the German minors, France and POL/LIT, too) will make it almost impossible for you. However, I'm looking forward to it...

 

[unmerged(49655)]

I think when the 2 superpowers decide I'm a bad bad boy and declare war on me will be a big decided factor, also the alliances of the german minors.

I'm going to try and get people to start betting before I start. If you think I will do it say the year and month I will do it by. If you don't think I'll do it, say how many of the 65 provs I will take by game end. One guess per person, you aren't allowed to guess what someone has already said.

I've got a bit of free time today, I may try and play it.

 

[unmerged(49655)]

And it begins!

Chapter 1

Being Ruler of the HRE does have its advantages, ones I hope to keep for a
long time, obviously what stands out the most is the +41 to stability, this
will get less over time as more and more of the HRE is taken by it's rightful
owners. To this end I won't be converting my ruler to a general as I find,
that even if he isn't fighting, being a general seems to kill my leaders very
often.

Next up is the choice of great men. Hans and Hiero can stay for sure. However
my third choice is between keeping Filips, switching to Filippino or going
with Viktor. I finally decide on Viktor, a cookie to the person who can tell
me why.

I stick our whooping 17.1 ducats into land tech to ensure the moral of our
troops. Also stability doesn't need investing in this early into the game.

More manpower, good.
Even more manpower, great.
Cheaper Cav, brilliant.

I start making good use of my numerous diplomats by warning all my neighbours
not to be warmongering genocidal maniacs. If only Canada had done this.

Now when I said Austria controlled 2 Flemish provs I was mistaken, they are
in the hands of the evil Flemish rebels. My first act is to recruit 6 cav to
take care of the rebel problem. Finally I order the fleet to the Low Country,
they will get more experience there seeing I'm not going after Italy.

6 months into the game and I'm beating the flem out of the rebels. France
asks if I need any help, I politely decline.

Time Left: 28.5 years
Provs Owned: 11/65

Questions/Comments and Bets are welcome.

 

[SerFranke]

Well my bet would be that you'll controll 52 out of the 65 povinces. I think it's just too little time to progress further.

I think you decided on Viktor as he has the most (six) stars. If you're lucky, you'll get an event that will raise your stability by 3 points...

It's obvious that you're spending your money very quickly, but I think you can mint more coins, as your playtime is too lomited to worry about inflation...

 

[Grundius]

Mint everything! Who cares about teching, it's 30 years of play, and they probably won't get more than 2 or 3 levels ahead of you, if they get ahead at all. I would not have taken the trader, but if RedBaron is right, and it is for the event.. I probably would... not have, still. Better to take the extra stability guy imho. Still, I'm always on the lookout for new cool tactics, so if this is one..I'm waiting to see the results.

 

[unmerged(49655)]

Bets:
RedBaron1918: 52provs

Red also gets a cookie.

The main reason I'm not minting is inflation effects the cost of stability. I need to keep the cost as low as possible. Plus I don't really need the cash.

9 hours to play the game, it's probably going to take me just as long to crop the 200 megs of pictures and write whats going on :wacko: I'm just glad this AAR didn't last 300 years

 

[unmerged(49655)]

Chapter 2
While I continue to warn everyone not to go on a mass killing spree, I look at the people I can kill with impunity.

I rule out Liege for 2 reasons, they don't have enough allies and I don't even need them as they are French culture. Gelre has all of the allies of Friesland, minus Baden who would be nice to connect my lands. I decide on Friesland and move my armies into place.

Meanwhile I check out the rest of the empire. Someone isn't getting any Christmas cards this year.

Then this gem pops up. Very annoying.

My stability is high and I'm finally ready to begin the warmongering.

Time Left: 27 years
Provs Owned: 13/65

 

[ZachMayo]

"I start making good use of my numerous diplomats by warning all my neighbours not to be warmongering genocidal maniacs. If only Canada had done this."

Was that jab really necessary?

 

[unmerged(49655)]

Yes it was. Someone has to speak out against those damn Greenlanders.

 

[Zanza]

Why would you even invest in stability? It will take constant hits from declaring war anyway. Just stay at -3, mint like hell and conquer.

 

[Grundius]

Why would you even invest in stability? It will take constant hits from declaring war anyway. Just stay at -3, mint like hell and conquer.

For one, he can't dow anyone at -3.

 

[Baneslave]

I haven't seen demo AAR in while. Well, it is good to have some change.

Good luck and fast conquering, you need it.

 

[unmerged(49655)]

Zanza: If you take a look at the pictures you can see I'm investing in Land Tech not Stability. The problem with staying at -3 is -3 + High WE = a lot of revolts. While I could do this, dealing with revolts for 20+ years gets a little annoying.

Chapter 3

Unfortunately Baden has been added to the no Christmas card list, their allies quickly abandoning them before I declare war.

I quickly siege all the OPMs.

Such a low bad boy...

For some reason the electors like me, maybe they are scared of me?

In the middle of the war I get a CB on several nations for attacking Baden. I decide to take advantage of the free CB and declare war on Wurttemburg, even though my armies aren't ready.

We convince wayward Germans to join us in our glorious goal.

Time Left: 26 years
Provs Owned: 16/65

 

[unmerged(49655)]

Come on people get those bets in! Also Ideas for other Demo challenges would be nice.

Chapter 4

The electors change their minds when I start annexing people willy-nilly.

Finally Friesland falls.

My badboy is skyrocketing.

The second war ends before the first, mostly because I let the palatinate recapture their capital while I dealt with Wurttemburg.

Hans dies.

Pico is the only semi-decent replacement.

New idea time, of course I jump at Church Attendance Duty

The Palatinate agrees to OPM/50 Ducating. Finally we are at peace. However bad boy wars look just around the corner.

Time Left: 24.5 years
Provs Owned: 21/65

 

[Grundius]

About on 33% of your goal in less than 33% time. I bet you make it.

As for the other challenge, which should be very doable: try to form Spain playing as Navarre, try to form France playing as a French OPM. Should be very doable, only problem being that the event may not trigger, but conquering it all is the real trick.

 

[unmerged(49655)]

About on 33% of your goal in less than 33% time. I bet you make it.

Need to say year and month. Also remember I started with 13 provs, well technically 11.

As for the other challenge, which should be very doable: try to form Spain playing as Navarre, try to form France playing as a French OPM. Should be very doable, only problem being that the event may not trigger, but conquering it all is the real trick.

I'd have to check the triggers for France, I'm pretty sure I'd have to annex them for the event to fire.

...Yes, it seems I'd have to annex all of France, I'm not sure this is possible in 29 years as a OPM, at least not without major luck and exploiting of the AI.

 

[Grundius]

Indeed, I forgot you started out with a number of provs, but the larger you get, the more it feeds upon itself. More provinces = More MP/higher supply limit = more armies = more simultaneous conquests etc. As for betting, I bet you'll conquer the final province in the final month of the demo.

As for annexing France, I guess you'll have to take provinces from some other nation to set up a large army, crush France and take some provs from them, preferably splitting their nation in multiple parts. Then a turbo-annexation might be required, followed by the final conquest of Paris. But turbo-annexation might be considered an exploit, so...