PDOX Games VIII: Communism Will Win

[Valrifell]

I feel like every time I try to get back into EU4 they sneakily increase the number of provinces needed to spawn a colonial nation. I distinctly remember it being 3, then 4, and now 5. Each time with great confusion.

[Abserdia]

I feel like every time I try to get back into EU4 they sneakily increase the number of provinces needed to spawn a colonial nation. I distinctly remember it being 3, then 4, and now 5. Each time with great confusion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Nl7VYFEaI

[Abserdia]

This looks like a VERY interesting CK2 mod.
It's all about making empire management more difficult and prone to crumbling.

[Valrifell]

This looks like a VERY interesting CK2 mod.
It's all about making empire management more difficult and prone to crumbling.

I would say that most PDX games could use more anti-blob measures, but I know there are map painters here and I don't want to offend them.

[Serrus]

An intermediary 1.29 patch, with a lot of free content for East Asia, is coming before the grand European update. Hopefully, the Mingsplosion that every EUIV player covets so highly will finally be a regular thing.

That makes me very happy inside.

[Lunas Legion]

An intermediary 1.29 patch, with a lot of free content for East Asia, is coming before the grand European update. Hopefully, the Mingsplosion that every EUIV player covets so highly will finally be a regular thing.

That makes me very happy inside.

Mingsplosion II: Rebel Boogaloo

[The Rich Port]

This looks like a VERY interesting CK2 mod.
It's all about making empire management more difficult and prone to crumbling.

Anything to get rid of the fucking Abbasids.

[Serrus]

That makes me very happy inside.

Mingsplosion II: Rebel Boogaloo

I just wanna see all the little baby releasables go on adventures!

[The Rich Port]

Also, OH, I CAN'T AUTO BUILD ROADS.

NEVER MIND THEN, IMPERATOR ROME.

[Abserdia]

This looks like a VERY interesting CK2 mod.
It's all about making empire management more difficult and prone to crumbling.

I would say that most PDX games could use more anti-blob measures, but I know there are map painters here and I don't want to offend them.

Absolutely. Unless you’re going for an achievement there’s no reason to play beyond a certain realm size in CK2 because there’s nothing to stop you. You become too big to fail.
It’s pretty dumb.

[Ism]

I would say that most PDX games could use more anti-blob measures, but I know there are map painters here and I don't want to offend them.

Absolutely. Unless you’re going for an achievement there’s no reason to play beyond a certain realm size in CK2 because there’s nothing to stop you. You become too big to fail.
It’s pretty dumb.

Eh, if you're like me, you're roleplaying to some extent, so you won't just conquer anything that's feasible to conquer. For instance, I'm focused on former territories of the WRE, so even though it would be fairly easy for me to subjugate the heavily divided Scandinavia, I don't bother with it.

[Bralia]

Looks like France proper, Free France AND Vichy France will all have (revamped) focus trees in the next HoI4 update. Long live the Third Empire!

[Valrifell]

Absolutely. Unless you’re going for an achievement there’s no reason to play beyond a certain realm size in CK2 because there’s nothing to stop you. You become too big to fail.
It’s pretty dumb.

Eh, if you're like me, you're roleplaying to some extent, so you won't just conquer anything that's feasible to conquer. For instance, I'm focused on former territories of the WRE, so even though it would be fairly easy for me to subjugate the heavily divided Scandinavia, I don't bother with it.

I deeply regret not going for a Zunist world conquest when I absolutely had the opportunity to do so for "roleplaying"

That's not really here nor there, but I'm still bitter at myself. I had all of Asia and North Africa but didn't want to move into Europe... gah!

[Impaled Nazarene]

Play Celt, have sons, have tanistry, no gavelikind, is nice, have good son, good son have good traits, good son is good, tanistry vote shitty underaged son, money no work, land no work, I die, shit son in charge, good son now popular, good son now asshole, asshole son start rebellion, shit son lose, asshole son in charge, stuck as shit son, quit game

CK2

[Valrifell]

Play Celt, have sons, have tanistry, no gavelikind, is nice, have good son, good son have good traits, good son is good, tanistry vote shitty underaged son, money no work, land no work, I die, shit son in charge, good son now popular, good son now asshole, asshole son start rebellion, shit son lose, asshole son in charge, stuck as shit son, quit game

CK2

So the nobility didn't want the good son when it was through lawful succession, but will gladly let/help him start a rebellion to get his way?

[Impaled Nazarene]

Play Celt, have sons, have tanistry, no gavelikind, is nice, have good son, good son have good traits, good son is good, tanistry vote shitty underaged son, money no work, land no work, I die, shit son in charge, good son now popular, good son now asshole, asshole son start rebellion, shit son lose, asshole son in charge, stuck as shit son, quit game

CK2

So the nobility didn't want the good son when it was through lawful succession, but will gladly let/help him start a rebellion to get his way?

I think they're just scripted to fuck the player over. Tanistry is supposed to be the "Can't possibly go wrong" succession because one of your family members is supposed to inherit. But like Elective, Princely Elective, Elective Gavelkind, Imperial Elective, etc. The ai will snub your choice every time.
Ironically Imperial Elective is the easiest of them because of the score mechanic and since you have the most points when voting its less about making everyone vote for your candidate than it is making everyone else pick different candidates.

[Serrus]

Looks like France proper, Free France AND Vichy France will all have (revamped) focus trees in the next HoI4 update. Long live the Third Empire!

The French political tree is quite complex so here's a TL;WTF (too large, wtf?):

Communism
Anti-Fascist Coalition
-Presumably a French CPUSA-style Democratic Socialist path, resembles a communist Little Entente.
Loyalty to Moscow
-Standard communist path where you please Stalin.
Loyalty to the Cause
-My bet is it's a syndicalist path, but it looks like a Western Europe-based faction setup where France plays the role of Russia
Left Democracy
-Standard historical tree.
Right Democracy
-MarLib France basically.
Fascism
Latin Entente
-A fascist version of Loyalty to the Cause (teaming up with Latin countries in Western Europe to make a dominant France)
Towards a New Europe
-The French Axis path. You get Quebec out of it.
Monarchy, YES
Orleanist Restoration
-Civil Monarchist path, putting you through the same foreign policy as the democratic ones. King is the Orleans king (the branch between the First and Second Republics).
The Legitimate Heir
-Make like it's 2003 again and create Franco-Spain. Also puts you through the democratic foreign policy tree. King is the Spanish Bourbon dynasty (the current Spanish rulers).
Proclaim the Third Empire
-Boney's back again! He proceeds to yeet Britain, the Dutch, and the USSR, all while Balkanizing Germany along the way. King is Boney 6.

All sides get access to the tree, it just seems best designed for the democrats.
Your options, ladies and gents:
-Little Entente tree, but bigger
-Allies
-Give Italy land in exchange for friendships
-Buddy up with the U S S R

All in all looks fun!

[Ism]

Mountains op please nerf.

[Abserdia]

Looks like France proper, Free France AND Vichy France will all have (revamped) focus trees in the next HoI4 update. Long live the Third Empire!

The French political tree is quite complex so here's a TL;WTF (too large, wtf?):

Communism
Anti-Fascist Coalition
-Presumably a French CPUSA-style Democratic Socialist path, resembles a communist Little Entente.
Loyalty to Moscow
-Standard communist path where you please Stalin.
Loyalty to the Cause
-My bet is it's a syndicalist path, but it looks like a Western Europe-based faction setup where France plays the role of Russia
Left Democracy
-Standard historical tree.
Right Democracy
-MarLib France basically.
Fascism
Latin Entente
-A fascist version of Loyalty to the Cause (teaming up with Latin countries in Western Europe to make a dominant France)
Towards a New Europe
-The French Axis path. You get Quebec out of it.
Monarchy, YES
Orleanist Restoration
-Civil Monarchist path, putting you through the same foreign policy as the democratic ones. King is the Orleans king (the branch between the First and Second Republics).
The Legitimate Heir
-Make like it's 2003 again and create Franco-Spain. Also puts you through the democratic foreign policy tree. King is the Spanish Bourbon dynasty (the current Spanish rulers).
Proclaim the Third Empire
-Boney's back again! He proceeds to yeet Britain, the Dutch, and the USSR, all while Balkanizing Germany along the way. King is Boney 6.

All sides get access to the tree, it just seems best designed for the democrats.
Your options, ladies and gents:
-Little Entente tree, but bigger
-Allies
-Give Italy land in exchange for friendships
-Buddy up with the U S S R

All in all looks fun!

Looks like they're changing the state borders to align more with the Rhine.
Which has always been just a bit annoying when playing as an expansionist France.

[Lunas Legion]

The French political tree is quite complex so here's a TL;WTF (too large, wtf?):

Communism
Anti-Fascist Coalition
-Presumably a French CPUSA-style Democratic Socialist path, resembles a communist Little Entente.
Loyalty to Moscow
-Standard communist path where you please Stalin.
Loyalty to the Cause
-My bet is it's a syndicalist path, but it looks like a Western Europe-based faction setup where France plays the role of Russia
Left Democracy
-Standard historical tree.
Right Democracy
-MarLib France basically.
Fascism
Latin Entente
-A fascist version of Loyalty to the Cause (teaming up with Latin countries in Western Europe to make a dominant France)
Towards a New Europe
-The French Axis path. You get Quebec out of it.
Monarchy, YES
Orleanist Restoration
-Civil Monarchist path, putting you through the same foreign policy as the democratic ones. King is the Orleans king (the branch between the First and Second Republics).
The Legitimate Heir
-Make like it's 2003 again and create Franco-Spain. Also puts you through the democratic foreign policy tree. King is the Spanish Bourbon dynasty (the current Spanish rulers).
Proclaim the Third Empire
-Boney's back again! He proceeds to yeet Britain, the Dutch, and the USSR, all while Balkanizing Germany along the way. King is Boney 6.

All sides get access to the tree, it just seems best designed for the democrats.
Your options, ladies and gents:
-Little Entente tree, but bigger
-Allies
-Give Italy land in exchange for friendships
-Buddy up with the U S S R

All in all looks fun!

Looks like they're changing the state borders to align more with the Rhine.
Which has always been just a bit annoying when playing as an expansionist France.

France's natural border is the Ural Mountains change my mind.

[Ism]

Oh god it burns!

[Dawetid]

Oh god it burns!

Let me see… an Italian Buddhist tribal chief in Africa and Germany, who has an African wife and son.

Paradox: “Our games are historical”

[Impaled Nazarene]

Decided to drop my current playthrough and try a minor duke in the HRE. I picked 1111 as the start date because 1066 has a Salian who seems scripted to rule for 40+ years, though there is a young Salian on the throne on this game it is at least a different one who may not live forever. Also starting after the crusade era starts is nice.
I picked Duke Siegfried of the Duchy of The Rhein. A one province duke that isn't an elector... PERFECT! I use cheat menu to join a small dynasty (Hohenzollern) because a 5 member dynasty is better than a 2 member dynasty. Pope calls crusade for Egypt I hire a fuck ton of mercenaries and because Crusade AI is bad and no one assaults settlements I was accruing occupation war score and picking off the tiny armies of the Fatimids (crusade for Shia lands is an easy win every time, except maybe post Mongol Invasion) my mercenaries ended up winning me the crusade putting my fresh 16 year old half brother on the throne of Egypt.

It's been 11 years and because of that juicy crusade piety and prestige I'm most likely going to succeed the incapable emperor.
UNFORTUNATELY, the only thing the Salians like doing more than living for too long is having an antipope.
I can't figure out how to dispose of an antipope as an emperor without surrendering during an antipapal war so I said fuck that, reloaded a save and made the Salian surrender because 4 antipapal wars in 2 years is ridiculous. Now to wait for the incapable Salian to die.

The point of this playthrough will be to have my family regularly elected emperor and expand the power and size of the HRE without doing the blobbing myself. I want to enjoy the catholic and imperial court life, raise children with focuses that are not Martial or Learning, fight pagans and Muslims instead of Christians (revolts and defensive wars excluded), and marry my way across Europe and stop my family from inbreeding.

[Lunas Legion]

Decided to drop my current playthrough and try a minor duke in the HRE. I picked 1111 as the start date because 1066 has a Salian who seems scripted to rule for 40+ years, though there is a young Salian on the throne on this game it is at least a different one who may not live forever. Also starting after the crusade era starts is nice.
I picked Duke Siegfried of the Duchy of The Rhein. A one province duke that isn't an elector... PERFECT! I use cheat menu to join a small dynasty (Hohenzollern) because a 5 member dynasty is better than a 2 member dynasty. Pope calls crusade for Egypt I hire a fuck ton of mercenaries and because Crusade AI is bad and no one assaults settlements I was accruing occupation war score and picking off the tiny armies of the Fatimids (crusade for Shia lands is an easy win every time, except maybe post Mongol Invasion) my mercenaries ended up winning me the crusade putting my fresh 16 year old half brother on the throne of Egypt.

It's been 11 years and because of that juicy crusade piety and prestige I'm most likely going to succeed the incapable emperor.
UNFORTUNATELY, the only thing the Salians like doing more than living for too long is having an antipope.
I can't figure out how to dispose of an antipope as an emperor without surrendering during an antipapal war so I said fuck that, reloaded a save and made the Salian surrender because 4 antipapal wars in 2 years is ridiculous. Now to wait for the incapable Salian to die.

The point of this playthrough will be to have my family regularly elected emperor and expand the power and size of the HRE without doing the blobbing myself. I want to enjoy the catholic and imperial court life, raise children with focuses that are not Martial or Learning, fight pagans and Muslims instead of Christians (revolts and defensive wars excluded), and marry my way across Europe and stop my family from inbreeding.

Not sure if still applicable, but I've found conquering a single province somewhere in the border regions, usually the Baltics, and giving it to someone with a decent powerbase can make them start conquering the Baltic Pagans of their own accord.

[Bralia]

Empire sprawl in Stellaris is expanding to become something of a mechanic to be played with instead of a simple static number that gets changed very infrequently.