The Age of Enlightenment. Game 9.

Basileus wrote:I try to go with a bit of role playing with my game positions. So as Sweden, the Swedes are actually genuine about protecting Protestant rights in the Empire. It concerned the real King Charles XII who threatened the Emperor over protestant rights in Silesia. I find the game more fun trying to run it from a position realistic to the time and helps in gaining honour points.

I agree with you, but i didn't know that aspect of king Charles.

I have found that the act of building Cathedrals itself doesn't get you honour, but perhaps the honourific role you play in consecrating it. For example as England I re consecrated about 6 churches gave a speech at each one and got an honour point for everyone.

I think acting politically in game does benefit and honouring alliances definitely gets you honour points for example as Hungary in game 2 by joining my brother in law the Kaiser in a war against the french I gained like 3 honour points.

I know that I am role playing a strong Protestant perpective as Sweden but is it just me or did anyone else spot the lunancy of the "catholic" position last turn in the Empire? Bavaria has previously stated the primacy of catholicism in the Empire and now said nobody should criticise the catholic position. Whilst the Emperor has said there is no proof of anyone trying to overturn the religous settlement of the treaty of westphalia and then arranges a vote on the very same thing!

The interesting thing is with role playing a historic period you can see how both sides in a struggle could see things from their perspective and reason goes out the window.
I can see in role playing this position I am seen as being provocative by the "catholics" when from my perspective I am defending protestant freedoms.
Which all in all is probably a good thing that the game after all these years of playing it can teach an old player new perspectives and the game doesnt get stale. I am off to read up on Luther now.

An alternative Imperial point of view.  The Swedes and Bavaria are fighting for influence over Munster which is a Catholic Archbishopric, both are playing the religious card.  No other protestant state within the Empire has made any complaints, and the Lutheran Electors of Prussia and Hanover have supplied troops for the Imperial Army.  The vote in the Imperial Diet could be seen as an attempt to re-endorse the Settlement of 1648 reassuring the protestants and exposing any dissenters.  The Emperor has publicly pledged to defend the peace of Westphalia.

If only there had been chat forums in the past where rulers could have rationally explained their perspectives. Then there might not have been a Thirty Years War and other such stuff

An alternative Orthodox point of wiew, you're all wrong

jokes apart, to me it is interesting to see that history happens, no matter what you do about it. The northern confrontation and the wss should be the beginning of the game, but it is evident that the lack of a strong russian position and ..well ...i still honestly didn't understood what has happened in spain...(but we have a successor in madrid, right?) push existing players to look for other grounds to work out for their goals, and as it always is, germany look like a great theatre to play this game.
But, to be really honest, in this interesting overture a couple of important instrument seem to be missing, are there any players in Berlin and London at the moment?

BTW
going back to the origins, i'm trying to push foward the enlightmement in moscow with the creation of an academical complex (agriculture, law, medicine, enginnering at the moment, but i'm still working to increase it). have you had good results making academies to cooperate together in the past?

I have done this, and been successful, though not consistently.

Things are getting interesting i see. Too bad some important positions are not alive now.

any one got any newspapers for this game please email me them if you have....

Another turn and the war of words continues in the Empire.
1. The Imperial Diet votes to re-endorse the Westaphalian settlement guaranteeing the rights of Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists. The Emperor declares the matter settled and returns to Vienna to indulge his love of baroque art.
2. The Swedish Reich Ambassador, despite voting in favour of the Westphalian Settlement, declares the Catholic faith a canker upon mankind which must be destroyed? Did he read the treaty?
3. The Bavarian Ambassador accuses Sweden of playing up the religious issue to sow descent in the Reich. 30 yrs war part 2 anyone?
4. Despite being in a personnel union with England the Dutch Republic holds a celebration to commemorate the Battle of the Downs and build a statue of Maarten Tromp.
5. The French demand that England deliver the promised Irish recruits or face the consequences.

it's becoming the age of Menacement

Nothing wrong with a bit of menacing if you have the Swedish army behind you. And a treaty with Prussia, Saxony, Poland and France

The Swedish Army is indeed formidable, but are Catholic King Louis and King Augustus going to support a state that denounces their faith as a canker. Pomerinia would surely be better under Prussian rather than Swdeish rule and I believe the Tsar has again taken the field.

Goldstar wrote:The Swedish Army is indeed formidable, but are Catholic King Louis and King Augustus going to support a state that denounces their faith as a canker.  Pomerinia would surely be better under Prussian rather than Swdeish rule and I believe the Tsar has again taken the field.

You can bet your money on that last quote my friend

Hi Mates,

nothing like preparing your turn while drinking a fresh beer at the hotel pub, enjoying you spare time with the wonderful sight of the alps right out of the window! The fully wooden pub dates back to early 1700, and i'm extremely grateful to the HRE for the hospitality.

Must admit, always find it fun to come across places or objects from the period of the game

Jason wrote:Must admit, always find it fun to come across places or objects from the period of the game

i absolutely agree with you, but please don not underestimate the important role of the fresh beer

I am of the opinion that a day without beer is a day wasted

Jason wrote:I am of the opinion that a day without beer is a day wasted

As shown in your avatar your imperial majesty

Here is me sending my little boy off to Rome for a bit of education and you lot are having a ruck in the north where the air is just not so clear.

So November is in...

In London the Bavarian Ambassador has arrived and asked for an explanation from King William, now with both Bavarian and French ambassadors getting rather cranky over these missing recruits how long will the English King sit back and take these acts from the Ambassadors before he orders his First Lord to take action. Not a good position to be in as First Lord of the treasury.

The HRE has begun sending out requests for recruits to make up part of his Reichsarmee being bluntly refused by Bremen.

A Swedish field army has marched into the Duke of Brunswicks lands, I smell trouble!

There seems to be a big shift to acquire bright and intelligent minds to work in the great academies of Europe, perhaps this is our very own cold war where nations are fighting to be the most enlightened.

The Pope it seems has deemed to send an inquisition to ascertain something that the Queen Dowager of Spain knows the answer too. Now for all those who believe that the miraculous conception of a child not from King Carlos' seed is most definitely the case then this inquisition is merely going to confirm the truth either way. For if it finds nothing then why have it unless there was an element of truth/suspicion, I would also say that this could very much be a face saving exercise to make them seem innocent.

The King of Portugal seems to have been in a jolly mood thanking the English Ambassador for his kings support in sending Portugal some of the grain it needed. Then called the ambassador across for a quiet talk. DODGY EH!

Many wait to see Russia's position on what is going on in Europe they have seemed thus far to be taking a very quiet approach to Swedens aggression is their quiet an acceptance of their actions or are they merely keeping themselves neutral.

The Reicharmee is the properly constituted and legal defence force of the people's and Diet of the Empire.  It stands ready to defend any state of the Reich against invasion or foreign domination.  It is in no way the Emperor's Army, kindly and peaceable Emperor Leopold merely pays for it's upkeep and raising costs as his duty as elected leader of the Reich.  7 states of the Reich have agreed to provide recruits and the Electors of Prussia, Bavaria and Hanover have met their Circle commitments.  
Emperor Leopold wishes to maintain the peace and to continue to cement Vienna' s position as the Cultural centre of Europe.  It is Sweden who has illegally violated the territory of Brunswick.

I will interested to see what the HRE does in state of this violation, but so far the track record of European nations has been somewhat docile.

if it was me a swift reply plus some sneaky spy stuff to embarrass him for his actions

Does anybody really think he can come to moscow, try to bribe a minister, to steal research, be discovered and walk home with his head still on his shoulders?