Paradox Games IV: Eat him for Éire!

[Eol Sha]

That'd be a fairly useless exercise. Paradox has said their trying to make the game simpler and less complex than HoI 3 ever was.

People on the forums said that HOI4 mechanics seem more similar to that of HOI2.

I myself was actually planning on getting HOI3 + all of it's DLC, just to understand the general feel of the game, but after reading some peoples opinions on that along with the fact that I doubt I'd ever touch HOI3 against once I play 4, I decided not to.

Its still a good game. Just don't expect HoI 4 to be similar.

[Eol Sha]

Another hundred years, another half-dozen wars courtesy of my allies. So, yeah, I've been doing more colonizing. All of Java is mine. I also have four cored provinces in Borneo and another province is being colonized as we speak. My alliance has changed since my last update. Mon, the guys I kicked some Han ass with, rivaled me and broke our alliance. I then went to Pyu, whom Mon and I had wrecked in two previous wars, searching for a new ally. A year or two later, Pyu called me in on a war they had declared against Mon. While it was touch and go at the beginning, we proceeded to wreck Mon and their allies, Dai Viet and Satavahana. I also had to break my alliance with Khmer. Mon declared war on them and I couldn't hope to effectively fight them, Satavahana, and Dai Viet with only me, Khmer, and Langkasuka (who is my march).

The intervening century between my last update and this one has been extremely active. I've fought numerous big wars against a number of countries. I've fought Satavahana a number of times, I fought Mon once or twice, and I even engaged Tibet and their allies, Lanfang and Min, (courtesy of Pyu) in a brutal war a few decades ago. The manpower sap that is the Tibetan plateau is seriously brutal. My manpower has dropped to zero more than once in these past hundred years. I vassalized Pandya and proceeded to conquer their neighbors, Venad and Chola. I then sold those provinces one by one to Pandya before declaring them as my march. The extra soldiers have been a big help in my limited campaigning in southern India. Also, in one of my wars with Mon, I took one of their provinces and gave it to Langkasuka in the subsequent peace deal.

Other than all that, I also want to report that the Arians are the dominant branch of Christianity. Far more than the Copts, Nestorians, and Chalcedonians.

Also, Palmyra is dominating in the Middle East and Byzantium was curb stomped.

Now that the Islams has arrived and spread, its time for the next update of Eol Sha's East Indies Extravaganza. So, yeah, more colonization like usual. I've almost tamed Borneo and I've finally colonized those two pesky island provinces off of Sumatra's west coast. My furthest north colonization, Palawan, recently finished as well. I was planning on fully colonizing Borneo a long time ago, but I ended up colonizing the small islands to the east of Java.

I just finished a war with Mon and its allies, Dai Viet and Tibet, like five years ago. I wanted to sell the two provinces I took from them to Lankasuka, but apparently they won't accept them because the provinces are Mahayana, but Lankasuka is Hindu. So, instead, I built two forts to deal with the inevitable rebel problems that'll come with two provinces I don't want to own right now. I've continued province-feeding Pandya over in southern India.

As a bonus, I've decided to fill you all in on the internals of my empire. First off, I just upgraded my government from kingdom to empire. I don't really know what the difference is, but I now have an Emperor and that feels and looks great. As you can see in the modifiers box, I'm currently dominating trade in Tea, Chinaware, Tropical Wood, and Spices. All of them are useful, especially tropical wood which lowers development spending costs by 10%. Chinaware is pretty great as well since it gives me +0.25 legitimacy per year.

Diplomatically speaking, I'm in a pretty solid position. Pyu is an upper-tier power while Kosala is a middling power. As stated in previous posts, my two vassals-turned-marches are Pandya in India and Langkasuksa in what would now be southern Thailand. I've got royal marriages, naturally, with all four. My rivals are Bharat, who used to be the Western Satraps before they went all Hindu unification on me, and the Islams Rashidun.

I'm doing worse right now economically than I usually have throughout the game. Mostly that's because of the absurd amount of money that I spend on advisors, but its also because I've constructed alot of forts in places I don't need them. My development level of 1436 is the highest in the game and I intend to keep it that way. Despite their costs, lvl. 3 advisors are a godsend as far as monarch points are concerned. Makes development and tech advancement so much easier. Of course, with a treasury filled to the brim with ducats, money isn't a big concern of mine and hasn't been for centuries. Usually, though, I'm making over twenty ducats a month.

Without trade and merchant ships I would not be in the powerful position that I am now. For centuries now, trade has usually provided over one-fourth and up to two-fifths of my income. I'm dominating the Malaccas and Moluccas trade nodes and have a somewhat significant presence in the Ceylon trade node, which is dominated by my march, Pandya.

There's not much to talk about for the tech tab. I'm on par with everyone else at 22-22-22. OCne comment I do have is that the long stretches of time between techs are what really allow me to develop my provinces. Even more so than lvl. 3 advisors.

The Pagun National Ideas are, as follows: +1 Colonist, +15% Naval Force Limit Modifier, +15% National Manpower Modifier, -10% Stability Cost Modifier, -5% Core Creation Cost, -10% Recruitment Time, +15% Trade Steering, +1.00 Legitimacy, +10% Discipline, and -5% Technology Cost. Interestingly enough, instead of the usual three generic ideas for one national idea the number of generic ideas neaded to unlock a national idea is now ten. As you can see, I chose the Early Administrative and Early Defensive idea groups. I struggled a little on whether to choose Early Defensive or Early Offensive or Early Trade, but obviously went with the first. I also briefly struggled between choosing Early Administrative or Early Religious. RIght now I;m suffering some for my choice because three of my provinces are Theravada while another three are Hindu. Since I've got no missionaries I'm stuck with a lower than optimal Religious Unity for the time being.

As for the Missions, nothing much to talk about. I generally go for the colonization missions since I don't have to go to war to get new provinces. To maximize my colonization prowess I've been taking colonization missions. Once I colonize a province it gives a general Global Settler Increase modifier of +25 and a +5% settler chance bonus. After doing that I'd colonize another uncolonized province. Once that was done I'd recall my colonist back to the original province I was assigned to colonize. What this does is give the GSI modifier to both provinces while giving the SC bonus to whatever province the colonist is actively colonizing. This, effectively, allows me to colonize two provinces with one colonist.

My game has been relatively rebel free. Beyond the rebel events and the occasional uprising, I've had a good handle on my nation's internal stability. I usually keep my stability at +2 or +3. As I hinted before, lvl. 3 advisors make stability increases so much more convenient. My cautious play style and my decision to not conquer most of my neighbors has also kept my overextension low. In fact, I've only conquered three countries who's provinces I didn't give away to one of my marches or an ally. That would be Ceylon, Kedah, and Kalapa (which popped up just as I began colonizing Java).

My state religion is Mahayana, which is one of the three Buddhist religions. The way the Buddhist mechanics work is that you've got to maintain your Karma between -25 and 25 in order to benefit from a +5% discipline bonus and a +1 diplomatic reputation bonus. If you go above 50 or below -50 then those two bonuses are switched into equivalent negatives. So far, keeping my karma balanced has been pretty easy. Also, as you can see, I've got non-Mahayana provinces. Unfortunately I can't even try to convert them because I ain't got no missionaries. One of the downsides of not choosing the Early Religious idea group which not only provides a missionary, but also increases the missionary's conversion strength.

I've got the most powerful military in the world. While I still require ally and vassal help in the big wars, my armies can usually handle themselves in most other circumstances. My army isn't the largest, but that's mostly because I don't usually play with my armies right next to the army force limit. At 115 thousand, I've got the third or fourth largest army. However, both my max manpower and my force limit are the largest in the game. My navy is the largest in the world either way. Since there are no heavy ships yet, 60 of my 90 ships are merchant ships. They're divided into two merchant fleets of thirty each. One patrols the Malacca trade node while the other patrols the Moluccas trade node. The other thirty are a combined transport fleet of ten galleys and twenty transports.

As I said before, I've got two marches: Langkasuka and Pandya. Pandya, by far, is the more powerful of the two. Both have saved my armies more than once in my numerous wars.

[The Huskar Social Union]

One of two things is happening now.

One, this is genuine advice on how to get my ass kicked in a one sided war, and the other and much more likely, you are all wood elf loving heretics who want to save their precious tree houses.

They shall burn

Also if i become a grail knight does that disappear if i convert back to Sigmarite?

No clue if Grail Knight disappears, but probably. The Grail-worshipers have Crusades, too, which is obviously superior.

Well i have both under my control now, mentioned it two pages back, and my character follows the Grail faith, but i think ill just convert back to Sigmarite, as the Empire is my main title and where most of my power lies. I also dont want parts of it randomly turned grail overtime. Would much rather see sigmarite spread into Bretonnia.

[Benomia 3]

So I've been trying to come up with ways to make CK2 more interesting and I think I have an idea.

Muslim France.

I don't mean starting as a Muslim country and taking France.

I mean starting as Muslim France.

I'm open for suggestions as to the specifics.

[The Wolven League]

Ho-ly-shit HIO 3 is complicated.
I don't even know where to start.

Very convenient that Youtuber, Quill18, recently put out an HoI3 series which I thought (to my similarly uneducated ears) sounded like a fantastic tutorial. I'd be interested to know from more educated sources in this very thread if Quill did a good job at teaching the game and its ideal priorities.

We do not mention Quill.

iSorrowProductions is best Pdox gamer.

[The Huskar Social Union]

And so begins the great northern holy war to drive Chaos from the realm of Kislev.

And so ends the great northern holy war to drive Chaos from the realm of Kislev

A resounding success, Chaos worshippers have been pushed back into Norsca and the front secured, some Kislevite remain independent but ive forced them to become tributaries (the two brown territories in the north east) Thousands dead on both sides, but it was for the good of the realm. I also took something like 35 prisoners in that war and just ransomed them all off, got a few thousand out of it alongside some taxes from my steward and then immediately spent it all on building gunnery schools, as you can never have enough guns. As well as getting some uppity vassals happy.

Im now focusing on taking over the independent lords in Bretonnia, four Dukes nestled along the coast in the south who ive already attacked and taken some land from, as well as a fallen Duchy in the north which was conquered by the same Norscan King who killed my characters Mother There are also two beastman hordes that rose up and captured some land to his west along the coast and in the former capital, so they have to die as well. And then after that its onto the Border Princes!

That is if i do not descend into civil war as the factions dropped for a while but have begun to gather more support and strength

Oh and a member of my family is a high elf descended from the line of the Phoenix king which is neat.

[Val Halla]

So I've been trying to come up with ways to make CK2 more interesting and I think I have an idea.

Muslim France.

I don't mean starting as a Muslim country and taking France.

I mean starting as Muslim France.

I'm open for suggestions as to the specifics.

Make his ethnicity Russian, his culture Basque and he needs to be a heretic

[The Wolven League]

Les Rosbif now controls two-thirds of France, I have made Edward III proud.

But I made Calais a wool port or something and now Austria, who owns half of Germany, hates me.

may god help les rosbif

[Renoa]

I hate Steam's screenshot system almost as much as I hate the absurdly OP Caliphate.

And I do not like the Caliphate.

[Transoxthraxia]

I hate Steam's screenshot system almost as much as I hate the absurdly OP Caliphate.

And I do not like the Caliphate.

If you play the game right, the Caliphate isn't OP at all. Half the time in 867 it just collapses. If you're playing 769, however, you just need your head checked.

[Renoa]

I hate Steam's screenshot system almost as much as I hate the absurdly OP Caliphate.

And I do not like the Caliphate.

If you play the game right, the Caliphate isn't OP at all. Half the time in 867 it just collapses. If you're playing 769, however, you just need your head checked.

Buuuuut I didn't use either of those starts and I'm playing as Sweden so there's piss-all I can do to check their power.

[Transoxthraxia]

If you play the game right, the Caliphate isn't OP at all. Half the time in 867 it just collapses. If you're playing 769, however, you just need your head checked.

Buuuuut I didn't use either of those starts and I'm playing as Sweden so there's piss-all I can do to check their power.

??? After 869 the Caliphate is super weak and shitty...

[Renoa]

Buuuuut I didn't use either of those starts and I'm playing as Sweden so there's piss-all I can do to check their power.

??? After 869 the Caliphate is super weak and shitty...

Tell that to the Caliphate that stretches from the Indus river to Morocco.

[Transoxthraxia]

??? After 869 the Caliphate is super weak and shitty...

Tell that to the Caliphate that stretches from the Indus river to Morocco.

what year did you start

[Renoa]

Tell that to the Caliphate that stretches from the Indus river to Morocco.

what year did you start

William the Conqueror.

[Transoxthraxia]

Ho-ly-shit HIO 3 is complicated.
I don't even know where to start.

Very convenient that Youtuber, Quill18, recently put out an HoI3 series which I thought (to my similarly uneducated ears) sounded like a fantastic tutorial. I'd be interested to know from more educated sources in this very thread if Quill did a good job at teaching the game and its ideal priorities.

Quill18 tends to be a very reliable Paradox player, though I don't really have the time to actually look at the playthrough in depth I bet it's a solid representation of how to play.

[Transoxthraxia]

what year did you start

William the Conqueror.

This sounds legitimately impossible. The Caliph in 1066 starts as a duke-tier vassal to the Seljuks.

Even I wasn't able to restore the Caliph to any more than a Kingdom from that start. (Granted, I also turned all of my rulers into Lappish people after a Suomenuskuo Pagan found their way into court.)

[Renoa]

William the Conqueror.

This sounds legitimately impossible. The Caliph in 1066 starts as a duke-tier vassal to the Seljuks.

Even I wasn't able to restore the Caliph to any more than a Kingdom from that start. (Granted, I also turned all of my rulers into Lappish people after a Suomenuskuo Pagan found their way into court.)

Well the Seljuks imploded and the Caliphate cannibalized it. And then ate everything else, including the Shia Caliphate, presumably for good measure.

[Lunas Legion]

Very convenient that Youtuber, Quill18, recently put out an HoI3 series which I thought (to my similarly uneducated ears) sounded like a fantastic tutorial. I'd be interested to know from more educated sources in this very thread if Quill did a good job at teaching the game and its ideal priorities.

We do not mention Quill.

iSorrowProductions is best Pdox gamer.

Yes.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I found this Chaos dude who has a Blood letter as a concubine.

Those nights in the tent must sure be something. I wonder how many broken bones he has.

[Renoa]

So it turns out the Catholics probably won't win the Crusade. This being due to England, the main beef of the Crusade, idiotically splitting up their huge army into bite-sized Muslim fodder and the Fatimids somehow coming up with 8k troops out of nowhere despite being targetted by two huge wars and several small rebellions.

[Transoxthraxia]

What the fuck is wrong with the Paradox site. Won't let me log in after I connected my accounts... All I want to do is play Warhammer mods and I can't get them through the stupid steam community workshop.

[The Huskar Social Union]

What the fuck is wrong with the Paradox site. Won't let me log in after I connected my accounts... All I want to do is play Warhammer mods and I can't get them through the stupid steam community workshop.

What exactly is happening that wont let you connect to the site?

[Transoxthraxia]

What the fuck is wrong with the Paradox site. Won't let me log in after I connected my accounts... All I want to do is play Warhammer mods and I can't get them through the stupid steam community workshop.

What exactly is happening that wont let you connect to the site?

When I try to press the "sign in" button the site just doesn't load. It says "connecting..." and then doesn't. It might be that the site is just down, but still, this is frustrating af.

[The Huskar Social Union]

What exactly is happening that wont let you connect to the site?

When I try to press the "sign in" button the site just doesn't load. It says "connecting..." and then doesn't. It might be that the site is just down, but still, this is frustrating af.

I just connected and signed in, but it took a lot longer than it usually does, Might be a connection issue on their end. Try it again.