Game 8

The King of Spain is dead...here we go...

Yep dip thy toes in the waters of Peenumunde and forget thy worries....

Pedro II, King of Portugal and the Algarves have been named heir to the Spanish Throne. And in other news Portocarraro is declared guilty of treason by the Regency council and put under arrest in Venice.

I note in the paper that it says that the portuguese can't trade in Macau which as far as I know is not period:

From wikipedia for convenience (though I've read it other places): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Macau

"In 1685, the privileged position of the Portuguese in trade with China ended, following a decision by the emperor of China to allow trade with all foreign countries. Over the next century, England, Holland, France, Denmark, Sweden, the United States and Russia moved in, establishing factories and offices in Guangzhou and Macau."

Does anybody know who Richard is running this,since from the history I know the Portuguese paid rent to the Chinese for Macau through this period?

Unless its Kowloon, an active position, that is preventing the Portuguese from trading?

Possibly, though if so, it's news to me! (don't think that's giving away anything, since I wouldn't have asked, if I thought that was the case...)

I believe what was period was the ports foreigners could trade through were very limited. Wonder if this is just an error by Richard or the typical pulling your chain with misinformation....

Look on the map for China, Macao is listed as a Portuguese town, and this have not changed.

Richard, I know from experience, is actually good on Chinese history of the period so I would be a little surprised if he made a mistake-he knows the status of Macau. Could be he is trying to cause a little mischief, perhaps via an over-keen servant of the governor of Kowloon? Will be interesting to see.

I seem to remember it being reported in the paper before that an admiral of Kowloon had deliberately avoided meeting the governor, perhaps some in the province are a bit more independently minded in their operating?

Yes, this is my guess at the moment. Richard is a great pot-stirrer!

I still find the French lack of activity the strangest part of this game.
The Spanish succession came and was decided without any French influence, he could at least have demanded some real estate for remaining quiet.
Why play France if you do not want to talk to anyone, no friends, no allies, very strange as I said.

Reading the threads on France in recent Games in recent Agama games seems a bit like reading the story of Goldilocks and the three Bears

G2 - Too violent - attacked 5 different powers in one go (Ok one was by accident)
G7 - Too bossy and opinionated
G8- Not opinionated enough
S for E - Total nutter (But what was he like before he started playing a want to be Napoleon with a nasty case of the pox and thing about Nuns - actually quite normal for Scabble)

Clearly in the interests of Science G9 France needs to be played by a player formerly noted for his good humour, gentle easy going nature & diplomacy, willingness to understand other peoples concerns etc,etc ( )

Then when French Armies march on the Rhine in T2 we will know its the position not the player.

In G8, it's no opinion at all! Beyond weird. Nothing in the paper, no correspondence to anyone ever answered.

I confess it makes me really curious to understand what the player is trying to do. I mean if you want to play the game and talk to no one there are plenty of great positions that works well with. Many of the Asian positions, particularly Japan would be perfect. You could even take on of the Ottoman positions and probably do fine as a recluse. I'm sure others could work well too.

But France? Who would want to play France as a recluse?

Not a peep during the whole spanish succession, or any other topic ever, unless some of the comments from french courtiers in the paper were intentional, which I doubt.

I do find the cooperation between Scotland and England in G8 interesting, a more enlightened approach by London than in most games

16 days turnaround is impressive, this is after all the game with most active players, although it appear to have lost a few over the years. How fast can Richard go and for how long can he maintain this pace? It will certainly be an exciting and expensive start of the year.

Not the best couple of turns for me...

1) last turn (July) I get a harvest failure and need to find 2 million tons by November
2) August, the Emperor decides to make me cut my income by 25%

I think someones got it in for me

yes i know how you feel jason.
after 3 years of crop failures the peasontry have become rather bothersom, I'm rather glad I ordered those dozen gold embosed long handled bedpans in January
as my last few serviving palace uniques are using them to swat the invading mobs from the palace walls.
I don't know why they need grain, Can't they eat cake as I do.
Although with French Princes being sumarily ejected like flea infested carpet salesmen and Papal Cardinals being defrocked for nothing more than suggesting the
use of a fine Spanish Madera Wine during the holy sacrement in the vatican. As well as the two Guano Merchant Republics of Venice and Ragusa about to come to
blows over a rocky Egret coloney.

I may yet find use for my plebs in the army, Ahh for a sharp stake and the promice of far of riches.
I may yet be saved.

Off to Glory.

One Grain.

Another interesting turn, what with the Austrians attempting to bribe their way to the Spanish throne. Very Machiavellian.
Still can't believe poor Rumelia has been blighted for a third consecutive year. Talk about bad luck.
Jason. You must be rolling in it if your Glorious Leader thinks your treasury can afford to take a pay cut! Still, it should do wonders for your economic growth. Ask your Mandarins if setting up trade in livestock and/or fishing (if appropriate) can provide a source of food for this year. I once did this in game 2 and for an investment of £400,000, it did provide some 200,000+ tons. Sorry i can't help but i already have others in need. Good luck

Thanks for the hints Great Unwashed I always establish a fishing industry in any position for just this reason-also pretty sure that with the ideas you've suggested and aid from nearby I should be ok.

It is the tax decision that caught me off guard really, don't think I'm as rich as the "Emperor" thinks...oh well, will see what income in the new year brings

I think that's one of the hidden downsides on being on the far side of the world. Nobody in Europe with grain could get it to you in time to really help.

The game certainly has been interesting for the last several turns, I'll give it that!

You're right, it has been interesting and reckon it will remain so for some time to come.

It appears that Austria and the joint monarchy of Spain/Portugal have reached agreement.
Will the English pursue their claim on Gibraltar and Portuguese holdings in Africa?
Has Venice over-reached itself over Ragusa and will The Emperor and The Sultan intervene?
One war averted but perhaps another one on the way.
More importantly i've been kicked out of 4th place as most loved human being in the world and that by some johnny foreigner. Who is this chappy called Manchuria and where is he. I can't see him anywhere on my map of Africa. Get me the Royal cartographer. Never mind, gather the Army. We march at dawn. We'll have this sorted out in a couple of weeks!

Manchuria welcomes careful invaders We even offer a discount rate on posting their bodies back home..

2 Million sharp Stakes added to my Armoury and Peace breaks out ! Sigh
Ohh well time to store the bedpans. I suppose that the plebs can be kept busy
planting said stakes as road Markers, This should also keep the plebs from
gathering together in unruly mobs which could be catastrophic as all those
empty rumbling stomachs together could reignite the spark of anarchy.

Such are the trials of a truely great ruler.

One Grain.

I don't get why we (yes I am an Ottoman player in this game)aren't more aggressive. Venetian moves down the Adriatic, an Imperialistic Russia, and Vienna always beckons. Come on guys, show a bit of Ottoman backbone and lets go to war!

Sounds an excellent idea, I'm all in favour of the barbarians slaughtering each other