What are your favorite start dates?
- Thread starter CaptRobau
- Start date
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1453.
It's a little more challenging than 1399 because a lot of countries start in a stronger position:
-Burgundy has Holland and some other provinces they dont have in 1399 (if we pick a later start date, Burgundy is gone, and a game without Burgundy just isnt the same)
-Aragon has Sicily and leads a PU with Naples
-Portugal has Azores, Madeira and Tangiers
-Castille has the Canaries and Ifni
-Venice has some Northern Italian provinces
-Papal State has Avignon
-Austria leads a PU with Hungary
-Ottomans have conquered Constantinople
-Golden Horde has been replaced by Crimea and Kazan, so easier time for Poland, Lithuania, Muscowy and Novgorod
And it's still early enough to have fun. We can pick a couple of NI's early on, Reformation and Colonization is about to start, etc.
It's a little more challenging than 1399 because a lot of countries start in a stronger position:
-Burgundy has Holland and some other provinces they dont have in 1399 (if we pick a later start date, Burgundy is gone, and a game without Burgundy just isnt the same)
-Aragon has Sicily and leads a PU with Naples
-Portugal has Azores, Madeira and Tangiers
-Castille has the Canaries and Ifni
-Venice has some Northern Italian provinces
-Papal State has Avignon
-Austria leads a PU with Hungary
-Ottomans have conquered Constantinople
-Golden Horde has been replaced by Crimea and Kazan, so easier time for Poland, Lithuania, Muscowy and Novgorod
And it's still early enough to have fun. We can pick a couple of NI's early on, Reformation and Colonization is about to start, etc.
I usually start at 1399, but if I don't, I'll either start at 1453, or 1530.
1530 isn't a bookmarked date, but Babur has created the Mughal Empire, Gustav I has recently split Sweden from Denmark, Suleiman the Magnificent rules the Ottoman Empire, and Spain and Russia have recently been united. It is a great date.
1530 isn't a bookmarked date, but Babur has created the Mughal Empire, Gustav I has recently split Sweden from Denmark, Suleiman the Magnificent rules the Ottoman Empire, and Spain and Russia have recently been united. It is a great date.
I always start 1399 but I might give some of these other dates a try for a different feel.
the seven year war is pretty good as england i think. you get to defeat the french and take over india, my two favorite past times!
I like to start in 1406 because the Byzantines stand a chance at holding on and I like a game where the Greeks remain till napoleon.
In my opinion starting in 1399 is the best if you want to play as one of the countries that exist then. Then you have more time to improve your nation faster than your competitors. However, if one wants to play as one of the countries than only become available at later dates obviously one would start then.
Anything before 1492 and you'll get ahistorical Austria owning Greece, snaking into horde's territory and lame Ottomans. You also get weird looking Bohemia expanding into Crimea or something like that.
Not my cup of tea...
Not my cup of tea...
12/31/1399 for me. Census taxes next day and a good day to start things if your OCD like me.
If weird borders bug you keep an eye on whats going on. Evey 10 years abuse the save game to rid countries of exclaves or give Bohemian Ukrainian provinces back to the Horde or whichever East Slavic state looks strongest. Or look back at war that ended in a outrageous peace agreement and make it realistic. Don't allow Spain to conquer large swaths of North Africa until 1500. Keep France between the Pyranees and Rhine until consolidation. Just resist the urge to advantage yourself. And remember every 10 years works because at the bottom of the province area of the save it logs the population. Put owner="TAG" there to start the core count. Makes the game more fun for me and creates powerhouses to deal with later.
If weird borders bug you keep an eye on whats going on. Evey 10 years abuse the save game to rid countries of exclaves or give Bohemian Ukrainian provinces back to the Horde or whichever East Slavic state looks strongest. Or look back at war that ended in a outrageous peace agreement and make it realistic. Don't allow Spain to conquer large swaths of North Africa until 1500. Keep France between the Pyranees and Rhine until consolidation. Just resist the urge to advantage yourself. And remember every 10 years works because at the bottom of the province area of the save it logs the population. Put owner="TAG" there to start the core count. Makes the game more fun for me and creates powerhouses to deal with later.
Wait, how do you switch around provinces? The "changeowner" console command doesn't work.
1399 nine times out of ten. I actually prefer 1453, as it tends to be far more plausible and less messy, but I have an annoying compulsion to play from the earliest possible date. I hope that EUIV doesn't ever get a rolled-back start date.