What's your favourite unconventional country to play and why?

[Surimi]

Gymnaesia
Beyond the funny name, Gymnaesia is basically the perfect 1 province challenge nation. You're on an island and will generally not get attacked provided you keep good relations with the major powers around you. You have a farmland province and won't struggle for food until well into the late game. By using your island position to declare no-CB wars and raid the major powers around you (hire pirates) you can also pick up pops of many different cultures and religions to unlock new gods and military traditions. You can also tech insanely fast.

In my game, I ended up with about 320 pops on the 6 territories of the Balaeric isles (and I wasn't pushing it that hard. I imagine by really committing to the raiding strategy and using aqueducts or infrastructure investments you could get much higher). I had barbarian, italic, punic and levantine traditions unlocked, and was generally stacking the naval bonuses from all of them. I was also at 225% tech speed for most of the game, so teching up was incredibly trivial. Money was hard early on, but boosting up commerce income and import slots meant I was earning enough to develop the province and maintain a strong navy.

All in all, it's a pretty slow paced way to play, but I'd recommend giving it a go just to see how hard you can push it.

 

[Voy]

Gymnaesia
Beyond the funny name, Gymnaesia is basically the perfect 1 province challenge nation. You're on an island and will generally not get attacked provided you keep good relations with the major powers around you. You have a farmland province and won't struggle for food until well into the late game. By using your island position to declare no-CB wars and raid the major powers around you (hire pirates) you can also pick up pops of many different cultures and religions to unlock new gods and military traditions. You can also tech insanely fast.

In my game, I ended up with about 320 pops on the 6 territories of the Balaeric isles (and I wasn't pushing it that hard. I imagine by really committing to the raiding strategy and using aqueducts or infrastructure investments you could get much higher). I had barbarian, italic, punic and levantine traditions unlocked, and was generally stacking the naval bonuses from all of them. I was also at 225% tech speed for most of the game, so teching up was incredibly trivial. Money was hard early on, but boosting up commerce income and import slots meant I was earning enough to develop the province and maintain a strong navy.

All in all, it's a pretty slow paced way to play, but I'd recommend giving it a go just to see how hard you can push it.

Amazing. It's kinda strange how the Balearic countries don't have a unique Balearic heritage based on their slingers.

 

[melqart_ita]

I really love Byblos. That little remnant of a once glorious Phoenecia. Reuniting that old empire in the face of nigh insurmountable odds is so amazingly satisfying

Same here!

I would add punic Gadir. I like to start with 2 territories and build a major Punic-Iberian empire. A lot of my gameplay style is about pops, cities, roads and techs, so the Iberian peninsula is great because it has so little structure when you start: you basically paint it from scratch. And the initial wars are pretty epic!

Always wanted to write an AAR, but they don't seem to be very active on the forum, right?

 

[alvaro]

Amazing. It's kinda strange how the Balearic countries don't have a unique Balearic heritage based on their slingers.

a bit off-topic but probably of interest for some, I recall watching an old (60's-70's) Spanish documentary on old folkloric songs performemed by very elderly people from Menorca (the outer most island of the three) that were used in celebrations (marriages and so). The sound of it, quite unintelligible even in standard majorcan dialect of catalan, for some reason I found it rather similar to another musical rarity that I love as the Corsican singing. all with a taste of old mediterranean scales used in litanies and that sort of ancient musical hits.

 

[OutsiderSubtype]

Argos! Despite the lack of special missions, I think Argos might actually be better placed to quickly form Hellenic League than Sparta, given the better diplomatic situation and ability to quickly form Argolis as an intermediate step.

 

[Kanaric]

Etruria is interesting. Unique set of gods and a tough early game. Lots of different directions you can take with military traditions and conquests.

 

[Marcus Pica]

Some of my favourite small tag runs:

Tectosages - migration - form Galatia (I was unsuccessfull in 2019, perhaps should be easier now if completed just after Antogonid cause wavers)

Menesthei - Phocaean league (using west greek mission, was a challenge with DLC reward in summer of 2020)

Issa - uniting italiote colonies in the Adriatic (purposeful tall roleplay recently, couldnt handle the expansion of Rome and became their client state, I dont know if I should continue playing as i will probably never loose Roman shackles and I dont find that encouraging - any suggestion? )

 

[ArchaeoFish18]

I had a nice run as Iberia a couple patches ago, when the Antigonids and Seleucids were super strong and stable. It was a lot of fun to hold them off in the mountain passes. That I think is what makes Imperator's map unique. Playing in the Caucasus in EU4 feels insanely difficult, as there's little you can do to stop the Ottomans from obliterating you. But Imperator's map makes it possible to hold off the big guys and make raids deep into their lands for slaves. I ended up founding a bunch of cities and making Colchis a center of urban civilization.

I also had a really fun run as Boihaemia, relocating to Thrace and conquering Macedonia and parts of Asia. Wanted to form Galatia, but strong and stable Antigonids (pre 2.0) make that difficult. I can't wait for tribal migrations to be improved in a patch, but migrating and reforming tribes was a super fun experience. Yeah there was some waiting for centralization to tick up (I went to -90% at one point, so it was a long climb back), but I liked the feeling that it took a long time and a lot of effort to shift migratory lifeways. Imperator does nomadic peoples better than pretty much any other Paradox game I've played, though there is definitely room for improvement. I particularly want the situation in the Steppes improved... the cultures there were incredibly fascinating and remarkably sophisticated.

 

[Surimi]

A couple more I enjoy.

Saba
Historically, Saba was the dominant power in southern Arabia, largely due to something which is unfortunately missing from the current game, the Marib Dam. In game, Marib (Mariaba) is a normal desert province, but historically it was an important city which depended entirely on the dam. The dam really needs to be added as a great wonder or province modifier, but even without it Saba is an interesting nation. It has what I think is one of the prettiest flags in the game. It can form the nation of Yamnat as a federated tribe and it has some interesting choices regarding how you play it. Personally, I think it's really fun to go full decentralized tribe. I don't think it's the strongest option (although the military buffs are pretty extreme) but it's an interesting challenge and roleplaying opportunity where you have to try and balance your tribal society with the need to develop an urban elite.

In terms of what flavour could be added, we've already mentioned the big one. Saba (and southern Arabia in general) really feels incomplete without the dam. But southern Arabia was also a hugely important region for trade, and Saba could really use a trade focused heritage.

Sarmatia
The representation of Scythian tribes (outside of the Dahae) is, for the most part, pretty disappointing in IR. There's very little reason not to play the Bosphoran kingdom and create some kind of weird hybrid Greek-Scythian kingdom. However, if you're going to play a Scythian tribe, you should absolutely play Sarmatia, go full decentralized nomadic tribe, turbo colonize the steppes with migration and invade the civilized world to burn it to the ground. Sarmatian culture levies have an incredibly high proportion of cavalry, and they start with low centralization and the nomadic tribe government form, making them ideal for this. Honestly, it's not very good and a bit of a meme, but it's definately a unique experience.

Western Scythians in general really need some love. Their current heritages are spectacularly ill suited to their historical situation and gameplay, and they could really use some which focus more on cavalry since that's what they were really renowned for. Also, it's kind of weird that they don't have the gender equality rule by default when celts and Iberians do.

 

[Voy]

A couple more I enjoy.

Saba
Historically, Saba was the dominant power in southern Arabia, largely due to something which is unfortunately missing from the current game, the Marib Dam. In game, Marib (Mariaba) is a normal desert province, but historically it was an important city which depended entirely on the dam. The dam really needs to be added as a great wonder or province modifier, but even without it Saba is an interesting nation. It has what I think is one of the prettiest flags in the game. It can form the nation of Yamnat as a federated tribe and it has some interesting choices regarding how you play it. Personally, I think it's really fun to go full decentralized tribe. I don't think it's the strongest option (although the military buffs are pretty extreme) but it's an interesting challenge and roleplaying opportunity where you have to try and balance your tribal society with the need to develop an urban elite.

In terms of what flavour could be added, we've already mentioned the big one. Saba (and southern Arabia in general) really feels incomplete without the dam. But southern Arabia was also a hugely important region for trade, and Saba could really use a trade focused heritage.

Sarmatia
The representation of Scythian tribes (outside of the Dahae) is, for the most part, pretty disappointing in IR. There's very little reason not to play the Bosphoran kingdom and create some kind of weird hybrid Greek-Scythian kingdom. However, if you're going to play a Scythian tribe, you should absolutely play Sarmatia, go full decentralized nomadic tribe, turbo colonize the steppes with migration and invade the civilized world to burn it to the ground. Sarmatian culture levies have an incredibly high proportion of cavalry, and they start with low centralization and the nomadic tribe government form, making them ideal for this. Honestly, it's not very good and a bit of a meme, but it's definately a unique experience.

Western Scythians in general really need some love. Their current heritages are spectacularly ill suited to their historical situation and gameplay, and they could really use some which focus more on cavalry since that's what they were really renowned for. Also, it's kind of weird that they don't have the gender equality rule by default when celts and Iberians do.

Exactly what I'm asking for. Great answer!

 

[Marcus Pica]

Some of my favourite small tag runs:

Tectosages - migration - form Galatia (I was unsuccessfull in 2019, perhaps should be easier now if completed just after Antogonid cause wavers)

Menesthei - Phocaean league (using west greek mission, was a challenge with DLC reward in summer of 2020)

Issa - uniting italiote colonies in the Adriatic (purposeful tall roleplay recently, couldnt handle the expansion of Rome and became their client state, I dont know if I should continue playing as i will probably never loose Roman shackles and I dont find that encouraging - any suggestion? )

I am ading the answer to the following questions to one of my favourite tags..

Also, what kind of flavour heritage would be appropriate for them if it's not an entirely fictional country? Provided they don't have one ofc. And what kind of changes would you like to see for them?

Tectosages are thought of being part of the celtic invasion of Greece and the sack of Delphi in 279 BC and continued to settle in Galatia while a part of them supposedly returned home or migrated to southern France with a treasure stolen from Delphi that even Romans were loiking for centuries later. You can check this info on wikipedia (Volcae-Tectosages). Its part history part myth of course. So perhaps they deserve a heritage with modifiers to plundering, sacking and migration but I will not go into detail. For tags like them I would like to see historical and alt-historical semi-generic missions that would cover some of the Celtic tribes and would put them through migration, sacking of Greek or Italic holy sites, migrating to new land in the meditterranean etc.

Issa is a colony of Syracuze establishes in the 380s BC when there was intensive colonisation by Syracuse in the Adriatic. In the game they also own the territory of the colony of Pharos, established a bit later by the colonists from Paros in the Aegean, and the colony of Korkyra Melaina, established by the Issans themselves, while the island was actually firts colonised much earlier than Issa by the colonists from Korkyra, itself a colony off Corinth. These greek colonies should have some heritages devoted to trading, dealing with the famous Adriatic pirates, perhaps some unintegrated culture happiness due to history of dealing with the neighbouring Illyrian tribes. In the game Issa is of Italiote culture, so a generic italian greek culture, but I would like if there was some ways to connect colonies with their mother city, do in case of Issa to get aome diplo modifiers, events and missions to connecz with Syracuse. Also as far as I know Issa and ither greek colonies on the Adriatic dont have access to missions introduced for the Italiote tags in the Magna Graecia DLC.

Menesthei is a lost greek Phocaean colony in Spain, one of the farthest western ones with some Roanoke vibes but my post is already too long so I wont elaborate.

 

[Voy]

I am ading the answer to the following questions to one of my favourite tags..

Tectosages are thought of being part of the celtic invasion of Greece and the sack of Delphi in 279 BC and continued to settle in Galatia while a part of them supposedly returned home or migrated to southern France with a treasure stolen from Delphi that even Romans were loiking for centuries later. You can check this info on wikipedia (Volcae-Tectosages). Its part history part myth of course. So perhaps they deserve a heritage with modifiers to plundering, sacking and migration but I will not go into detail. For tags like them I would like to see historical and alt-historical semi-generic missions that would cover some of the Celtic tribes and would put them through migration, sacking of Greek or Italic holy sites, migrating to new land in the meditterranean etc.

Issa is a colony of Syracuze establishes in the 380s BC when there was intensive colonisation by Syracuse in the Adriatic. In the game they also own the territory of the colony of Pharos, established a bit later by the colonists from Paros in the Aegean, and the colony of Korkyra Melaina, established by the Issans themselves, while the island was actually firts colonised much earlier than Issa by the colonists from Korkyra, itself a colony off Corinth. These greek colonies should have some heritages devoted to trading, dealing with the famous Adriatic pirates, perhaps some unintegrated culture happiness due to history of dealing with the neighbouring Illyrian tribes. In the game Issa is of Italiote culture, so a generic italian greek culture, but I would like if there was some ways to connect colonies with their mother city, do in case of Issa to get aome diplo modifiers, events and missions to connecz with Syracuse. Also as far as I know Issa and ither greek colonies on the Adriatic dont have access to missions introduced for the Italiote tags in the Magna Graecia DLC.

Menesthei is a lost greek Phocaean colony in Spain, one of the farthest western ones with some Roanoke vibes but my post is already too long so I wont elaborate.

History is all well and fine, but the question is what you want from it in-game. A post is never too long.

 

[Samitte]

Tectosages are thought of being part of the celtic invasion of Greece and the sack of Delphi in 279 BC and continued to settle in Galatia while a part of them supposedly returned home or migrated to southern France with a treasure stolen from Delphi that even Romans were loiking for centuries later. You can check this info on wikipedia (Volcae-Tectosages). Its part history part myth of course.

Its entirely based on a sentence by Strabo where he assumes the Volcae Tectosages and Galatian Tectosages are the same because of the name, a similarity which has long ago been rejected by historians. The Galatians were a Celtic people probably living on the upper Danube and who then migrated away for whatever reason, the Trocmi, Tectosages, and Tolistobogii ended up settling in Anatolia while another group ended up near Olbia. These might be the Bastarnae or Scirii (or another unnamed group of Galatians) but I've not read up on that particular debate.

As for a Galatian heritage, I'd say they deserve some boosts to having foreign cultures in their lands, since they ended up settling amongst the Anatolians where they seemed to have integrated decently well. And a mission tree that has them migrating, sacking, and then settling amongst the Gordium-Ankyra-Tavium line would be a nice little thing.

 

[unnamed91]

I like to Go with Etruria and show the romans who's the boss in Italy (yeah, I know, they shouldn't be a country in the game).

Is there map how situation in italy should look like at start date (in place of Etruria)?

 

[Marcus Pica]

History is all well and fine, but the question is what you want from it in-game. A post is never too long.

I wrote what I want in game. Mostly missions.

 

[Vlad3fr]

I really like the Venetian.
An italic tribe surronding by Illyrian and gaulic tribe.

The sole problem is the nerf of the tribe with the levies.

 

[Rubidium]

Is there map how situation in italy should look like at start date (in place of Etruria)?

The big issue is that "Etruria" wasn't a unified thing; it should be more like Greece with a bunch of Etruscan city-states, many of which warred with themselves and cut separate deals with Rome and other outsiders. But if they did that, Rome would run right over them even easier, and they would be basically impossible to play.

 

[Pirarucu]

The big issue is that "Etruria" wasn't a unified thing; it should be more like Greece with a bunch of Etruscan city-states, many of which warred with themselves and cut separate deals with Rome and other outsiders. But if they did that, Rome would run right over them even easier, and they would be basically impossible to play.

This
I mean, irl it wasn't easy for the romans to conquer them, but in the game Rome starts very strong
Someday I will try to do with a harder italian nation

 

[Ethanol]

One of the belgic tribes (nervia is the most useful long term I feel) to form Belgia and create a civilized state in northern Gaul. The changes in the economy game made that quite interesting and since your closest source of Iron is in gallic territory you have to expand at some point.

I'm quite hoping my current run will show a dominant late game roman empire to clash with

 

[Acoasma]

Gymnaesia
Beyond the funny name, Gymnaesia is basically the perfect 1 province challenge nation. You're on an island and will generally not get attacked provided you keep good relations with the major powers around you. You have a farmland province and won't struggle for food until well into the late game. By using your island position to declare no-CB wars and raid the major powers around you (hire pirates) you can also pick up pops of many different cultures and religions to unlock new gods and military traditions. You can also tech insanely fast.

In my game, I ended up with about 320 pops on the 6 territories of the Balaeric isles (and I wasn't pushing it that hard. I imagine by really committing to the raiding strategy and using aqueducts or infrastructure investments you could get much higher). I had barbarian, italic, punic and levantine traditions unlocked, and was generally stacking the naval bonuses from all of them. I was also at 225% tech speed for most of the game, so teching up was incredibly trivial. Money was hard early on, but boosting up commerce income and import slots meant I was earning enough to develop the province and maintain a strong navy.

All in all, it's a pretty slow paced way to play, but I'd recommend giving it a go just to see how hard you can push it.

I started a game a few days back, but was a bit turned off by not having any missions at all. Is this normal or was it just bugged out somehow?