Europa Universalis IV

[Lady Error]

Huh. Did they actually fix random new world generation at some point or did you just get really lucky? I remember when last I played the random new worlds didn't form realistic-looking landmasses but that actually looks pretty good.

It was a bit bugged. In the lower left corner of the large landmass there were the original American colonial regions, but only like 5-10 provinces each. And one colonial region with only one province.

But yeah, I heard that those random new worlds used to be quite small in many cases. This one was huge.

Also the trade nodes had no lines going from them, so I had to figure out how they actually connect by first settling the regions.

It was nice though that many actually went through Australia - more trade income.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

It was a bit bugged. In the lower left corner of the large landmass there were the original American colonial regions, but only like 5-10 provinces each. And one colonial region with only one province.

It's kind of silly when plenty of the provinces maintain their historical names despite being nonsensical in a different new world.

 

[trais]

The weird Random New World in my game:

Huh. Did they actually fix random new world generation at some point or did you just get really lucky? I remember when last I played the random new worlds didn't form realistic-looking landmasses but that actually looks pretty good.

What kind of wacky tabacky do you smoke for that to look realistic to you? Because I want some, must be some really potent shit.

Also, lol at hyperborea being on the southern hemisphere.

 

[Lady Error]

Also, lol at hyperborea being on the southern hemisphere.

That's because I named my colony that way.

It's kind of silly when plenty of the provinces maintain their historical names despite being nonsensical in a different new world.

The province names were new. It was 5 or 6 of the original colonial regions that still remained and were very small.

 

[trais]

Also, lol at hyperborea being on the southern hemisphere.

That's because I named my colony that way.

Ah, ok. But just out of curiosity, you know what hyperborea means, right?

 

[Lady Error]

The Grimoire gameworld, obviously.

 

[Lady Error]

Started a game with Dithmarschen. First time I play a one-province microstate.

It's probably the most powerful among those though, considering the bonuses and that my government guy has 6/6/6 after a couple elections.

Just conquered my first province too. Feels good man.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Godspeed, Lady Error. Although if you get bored with it, another German OPM worth checking out is Lubeck. Has a neat mission tree and allows for the forming of a united Hansa.

 

[Lady Error]

I considered doing Passau, the place where I am actually familiar with the surroundings. But being a vassal of Munich, I have no idea how I would even begin to get out of that.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

I consider starting as a vassal an advantage in most cases since you can end up with much stronger alliances than you might've gotten otherwise solely through relations improvement (+/- a diplomatic advisor and through scornful insults). Just bide your time and seek support independence treaties with some of your overlord's stronger rivals and those'll turn into automatic alliance treaties when you declare an independence war (which they'll be forced to join).

 

[NJClaw]

Started a game with Dithmarschen. First time I play a one-province microstate.

It's probably the most powerful among those though, considering the bonuses and that my government guy has 6/6/6 after a couple elections.

Just conquered my first province too. Feels good man.

Unless they changed something while I haven't been playing, stacking republican tradition modifiers as much as you can and choosing Frequent Elections allows you to have 6/6/6 rulers for the whole game (the tradition cost to reelect a ruler depends on the duration of the term, so a shorter term allows you to improve your ruler faster without any downside). In my last game, I remember using Economic, Quantity, Plutocratic, and Diplomatic to improve my tradition generation and development costs, since developing your provinces is a great sink for all the mana you will drown in.

 

[Preben]

What kind of wacky tabacky do you smoke for that to look realistic to you? Because I want some, must be some really potent shit.

Also, lol at hyperborea being on the southern hemisphere.

Look at Americas. Would you ever consider that wacky landmass "realistic"?

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

i find asia less realistic, i love america for its strategic possibilities. asia is just "i don't feel like painting this, make it big and use huge brushes, i don't care".

 

[Lady Error]

Africa is even more boring. At least Asia has some interesting mountain stretches and inland seas separating regions.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

in realism/modded-civ4 terms, africa is my second favourite continent, it gives you some clear starting lines to follow and the more you progress the more the continent opens. i'd play it more in eu4 is attrition had any real effect. spending a month walking through the desert should annihilate an army, whatever its size. africa campaign should be waaaaay more lethal than any russia campaign has ever been.

 

[Lady Error]

Fucking Dutch Independence War, man. I got much of the Low Countries as Dithmarschen and got fucked by the Dutch nation forming.

Now I see that I simply had to move the capital there to prevent it.

 

[NJClaw]

France just declared war on me while outnumbered 3 to 1:

Spoiler

I have Bohemia, Hungary, Milan, and Burgundy as subjects and England as an ally, but they still decided that going to war with me was a good idea. I guess the AI REALLY likes to start succession wars, since Brandenburg did the same thing on its own against Poland and Lithuania:

Spoiler

 

[NJClaw]

Well, apparently after ONE FULL YEAR they're already ready to accept the humiliation:

Spoiler

Good job, France.

 

[Lady Error]

Started another playthrough with Dithmarschen, this time doing whatever I can to start colonizing early.

The Dutch spawning did not involve me this time, but they are almost as strong as fucking France or England.

The problem is that I need the English channel node to receive from trade companies, so my plan is to fuck Holland and Burgundy once I have enough favors with France in 20 years. At some point, my colonies should give me a higher force limit too.

 

[Lady Error]

Just became a Great Power with Dithmarschen after conquering some African coast provinces. Will probably wait with attacking Holland until I got a colony or two in America for the higher force limit.

The interesting thing in this game is that both France and Ottomans turned out to be cucked. Instead, it is the Mamluks who are the number one Great Power.

 

[NJClaw]

Truly an impressive reformation:

Spoiler

all 3 protestant centers of reformation gone, a grand total of 7 protestant provinces, and 0 protestant nations. Wow.

 

[NJClaw]

I'm playing with the Emperor dlc for the first time and, honestly, the Austrian mission tree doesn't feel right. I've been continuously gimping my playthrough not to be overpowered in the late game by not taking some free land from France, Spain, and many German minors, and yet by 1500 I'm basically invincible, having inherited Burgundy, Milan, Bohemia, and Hungary and having just forced Poland and Lithuania into a union. I mean, just look at this shit (and I've never conquered anything apart from Venice and 10 provinces from Poland, I've been sitting on 0 AE for the entire game):

Spoiler

The Austrian mission tree gives way too many claims, restoration cb, and diplomatic reputation. I mean, I think you can reach 20 diplomatic reputation by 1500, it doesn't make any sense. Even with 13 the chance of inheriting Bohemia is around 50%...

 

[Heroic Liberator]

A. E. I. O. U.

 

[Average Manatee]

It's almost like DLCs are pay to win buttons.

 

[Lady Error]

Play a one-province microstate instead, NJClaw.

I got pope-recognized colonies in the Eastern US, Mexico and Louisiana with Dithmarschen now. Force limit has doubled, so a beating of the damned Dutch may soon follow. Collecting from the trade in several nodes for now, instead of feeding the Dutch and English with my hard earned cash.