What is the historical equivalent of AE and coalitions?

[Vapiritapiri]

I'm honestly curious about it. States feel threatened by your aggression, they team up to cut you down to size?

 

[LanMisa]

The Coalition wars after the French Revolution, the wars between Spain and France, the defensive pacts of the HRE against French expansion towards the Rhine in Western Europe; the Italian Wars in Central Europe, several wars on the Mediterranean between the Ottomans and changing alliances of Venice/Papal States/France/Spain, ... basically also part of the reason why Spain found so many local allies when conquering the Aztecs. Heck, some of the Northern wars were countries trying to cut each other down in size due to feeling threatened (like the Danish-Russian alliance vs Sweden).

I am not too familiar with the history of North America (and if the Iroquois would fit this scheme) and East Asia but there are events that can be read that way.

Even ignoring that this is clearly an anti blobbing mechanism. Gameplay matters.

 

[currylambchop]

The Great Turkish War where just about every power in Europe ganged up on the Ottomans because they tried force tributary status onto Poland

 

[TheVikingWarrior]

One example that is quite close to the start date is the War of the League of Cambray (1508-1516), which was basically a coalition war against Venice headed by the Pope, France (w/ PU Milan), Habsburgs, Aragon/Spain (w/ PU Naples), Mantua and Ferrara (Hungary was invited but did not participate). In the years 1499-1507 Venice conquered ports in Apulia, towns in Romagna, Cremona and Crema in Lombardy and lands in modern-day Slovenia

 

[Vapiritapiri]

The Great Turkish War where just about every power in Europe ganged up on the Ottomans because they tried force tributary status onto Poland

Result? Ottoman gains Wien and all of Hungary.

 

[st360]

A huge dynamic that is COMPLETELY lost in EU 4 is that most nations where more interested in preventing other nations from expanding and growing too large, than "blobbing" themselves.

Real life history wasn't "As England, Ill conquer Norway first, then ill expand into Russia".

It was "As England, I need to prevent France from conquering two more provinces.

 

[Kapi96]

A huge dynamic that is COMPLETELY lost in EU 4 is that most nations where more interested in preventing other nations from expanding and growing too large, than "blobbing" themselves.

Real life history wasn't "As England, Ill conquer Norway first, then ill expand into Russia".

It was "As England, I need to prevent France from conquering two more provinces.

I'd argue they were interested in blobbing themselves. It just wasn't as feasible as it is in game. Like England definitely would've rather conquered France entirely than just prevent them from growing, they did try a few times! It's just actually doing that wasn't possible. I expect the same is true of many other countries too, if they could have, they would have.

If you can't win yourself, then the next best thing is to make sure your opponent doesn't win either.