The Age of Enlightenment. Game 9.

Your Excellences.
Just thought I'd start a post to find out what you are all doing to further this enlightened age we live in. I myself have started by building a Music Academy to encourage talent in my State and provided a home of excellence in this field of art.
So what have you been doing to further enlightenment?

I think this is an interesting question across all the games.

In Game 8, I've build a complex of science academies to advance enlightenment, some of which are doing basic research that I think will net me absolutely nothing, but seemed like appropriate to the character to do. (Things like studying and cataloging microscopic life).

While I like this part of the game, as far as I can tell unless you focus on actual research advances for science you get no in-game benefit. For artists, I can imagine you might get some honor benefit.

What are other people's experiences?

I have noticed that:

I) Players interested in Science seem to be fairly peacefull and are not likely to give you problems

II) The Art lovers are a more mixed bunch......if he likes naked ladies probably not a problem.......but keep an eye on anyone who goes in for artwork showing their character on a bloody horse!

III) Finally Music lovers.......dodgy bunch.......esp Opera lovers.........as for lovers of Germanic Opera........well you might as well send the declaration of war now.

Finally we have the "Farmers" .........people who judge success/failure in game by the size of their harvest surplus. Commonly play positions in China, India, Egypt or Spain. This type of player seems to be happy to sit in a corner trying to breed superior Elephants, Hardy Grain, irrigate the whole of North Africa or turn Texas into a corn field. Can get very upset by Raiders & Pirates on "Their Land"

Oh no! Stuart's got me in one. Science and harvest obsessed! I shall have to invade Andorra to prove my manly ways.  

) Players interested in Science seem to be fairly peacefull and are not likely to give you problems wrote:

I think this describes me in game 8, I have my Scientists quietly developing improvements to help my people, Only the other day I was informed that they had discovered "Heavy Water"
which could quadruple the annual grain crop, however I'm not sure about its use for drinking consumption ? My wives are already making disparaging remarks about my weight gain
I have also noticed that "grunting" coming from my Taxi slaves as they lift my Palanquin onto their shoulders is becoming irritatingly louder!

Anyway I am assured that this "Heavy Water" may have other wondrous applications.
Long may I live in peace.

One Grain. 

In game 7 as Austria I tried to go for the German music thing, long continous war seemed to get in the way of other thoughts and actions. As Crimean Tatars in game 8 - absolutely nothing including no road or canal improvements - what need have Tatars for these things? In game 9 I have started a theological school and opened up Uppsala University and intend to set up a Fine Arts academy in Stockholm. In game 9 it seems as if a lot of players are going for the "Enlightenment thing" which is interesting. Perhaps players now seem long term benefits in this as opposed to just an artillery academy researching better guns?

As the Golden Horde in G8 have you considered:

1) A stud farm to breed improved horses......so your slave raiders can run away quicker from upset Poles, Russians & Austrians.

2) A music/dance academy to train your booty how to play the flute etc as I am sure the Ottomans/Elector of Hanover etc will pay more for a well trained flute girl than for your basic milk maid. 

As Russia I made the Imperial Vodka Company.....  

Game 9 - The Age of Enlightenment?

Have now ordered a copy of the G9 newspaper to see if it lives up to the billing and to be fair we do have:

- The Japanese building flood defences, the Swedes setting up a Royal Society, Spain setting up a Medicial Academy, the Austrians going in for Opera and the Saxons trying to make a half decent tea-cup..........something which is a lot more trickery than you would think.

However ref the big issues of the day - 1) The Spanish Seccession and 11) The Struggle for Control of the Baltic all the big powers are staying very quite and its to soon to say if elightened logic will rule or its all going to turn nasty.

The major and shocking news from Spain is that the Spanish Govt has sold the Duchy of Milan to Venice. Quite how Venice which was nearly bankrupt following the Turkish War can afford to pay even a fraction of the true value of Milan is a bit of a mystery.

With King Carlos not being well enough to conduct affairs it is also likely that his French and/or Austrian Heirs could dispute the Sale.

Political watchers (well me) wonder if this is a sign that the Spanish Govt has decided to offer the Crown to Louis XIV Grandson and have decided to dispose of the one part of the Spanish Empire to which the Austrian has the clearly better claim. And hopefully dump the Austrians with a Doge Shaped problem. The Spanish Governments attack on "piracy" may also be seen as a coded attack on the English & Dutch activities in the America's.

With the stroke of a pen the Doge has doubled the size of his state. But can he hold onto his gains? The Doge does seem to be building up the size of his Army and perhaps the private talks with the Ottomans are covering topics other than Grain? 

The problem for the Doge is that his doing's seem to have really annoyed the Elector of Bavaria and have made the Hungarians, Poles and Russians painfully aware of the extent of Tartar Slave Raiding in recent years.

If anything is done about this will probably depend on the Czar. The Czar has waged recent wars in the South with mixed results but recent hints are that his interest has now switched back to the Baltic with Russian diplomat's hinting that the Empire has agreed with Denmark and Poland (Saxony) to split up the Swedish Empire.

These claims have been sort off turned down by Poland while Denmark has not yet said a word.

The question is how will Charles of Sweden react to these reports of drunken chatter? Taken an "enlightened" view or go to war?

Having played Venice from a "starter" position it is limited with funds and all other things needed to make a good go. Venice has lots of Galleys, but bugger all else! If the Ottomans get frisky he will suffer I played the spy angle and cosyed up to Russia which helped, but money is still the big issue for them that and a shrinking economy....

Kingmaker wrote:Having played Venice from a "starter" position it is limited with funds and all other things needed to make a good go. Venice has lots of Galleys, but bugger all else!  If the Ottomans get frisky he will suffer I played the spy angle and cosyed up to Russia which helped, but money is still the big issue for them that and a shrinking economy....

If Venice is as skint as you say how did it manage to buy the Duchy of Milan which must be one of the most valuable bits of the Spanish Empire with 2M productive tax payers and control of North Italian Trade Routes?

If I was the heir to the throne of Spain in G9 (which I am not) I would be really, really pissed off about this deal and my headsman would be sharping his axe!!

Ok I guess I had better admitt I have been the Layerbey of Rumelia in one game..........Anti Venetian? Who me??

Its still a very odd one........since if Spain is feeling over extended the logical province to drop is the Spanish Netherlands which basically cost more than they provide in revenue, are impossible to defend, impossible to reinforce without running huge risks and drag Spain into lots of Imperial and Northern European complications.

Could G9 be the game in which the Spanish Empire actually gets chopped up? So far most Games seem to have kept Spain (under both Habsburg & Bourbon heirs) mostly intact and the partition treaties signed by Louis XIV and the Emperor etc have ended up in the bin.

Game 8 Milan went to Austria when Portugal took the Spanish throne for which the Austrians confirmed Portugal's claim to the Spanish throne.

I am not in game 9, but agree that Milan to Venice is just crazy. If you don't want to fight Austria over it, just sell it to Austria who can probably afford to pay something real for it. Or Sell it to France to try to encourage Austria and France to argue over it. If the Austrians want it back, which I would really think they would, then I can't see Venice being able to do much about it.

Ref the last post on the topic & G8..........what Portugese claim to the throne of Spain???????????

And what were the Austrian, French and Spanish players doing? Allowing the Portugese to usurp the throne of Spain and ignore the superior Bourbon and Hapsburg claims?

The mind boggles at what would have happened in G7 if this had been attempted and how long and loud the complaints would have been from the RKL, The Emperor and Cardinal Portocarrero about ........."Pedro the Usurper"

Well done to the G8 Portugal player for sheer brass necked nerve........but if he had attempted that type of stunt with me it would be war and I am known for my kindly and easy nature (honest Gov) so I would be very interested to hear how he got away with it?

A secret treaty addendum to the 1668 Treaty of Lisbon between Spain and Portugal reconsolidating the throne under either monarchy should the other monarchy die without issue was discovered in the archives of Spain, Portugal and England. Said treaty was confirmed by the Spanish Chancellor as well as one of the English brokers of the original treaty as genuine.

Portocarro wasn't very pleased, but then he was an ex-communicate at the time, who had tried to install pagan Rajputs as tax collectors over decent Catholics, before eventually relenting and firing them all, so his point of view on the subject wasn't particularly being listened to. (I believe that he had the rare distinction of honour hitting 0, but I don't know that for a fact.)

The Austrians took Milan and accepted the claim. Nobody in game has ever heard from the French, so nobody knows what, if anything, their opinion on the matter is.

Does the impudence of Venice know no limits? The Venetian's get the Bavarian Ambassador drunk and then trick him into agreeing to the thief of their recruits. They also appear to have picked the Swiss cantons clean of recruits as well, all with the blessing of Spain, their new best friend and ally.

I bet Venice has a large loan. Venice has its own bank remember so it can draw on it. Plus the player sounds a canny one I would be careful guys.

On the down side, the ottomans can stroll down the Adriatic and shell them any time as they have wont to do in many other games.....  

In an effort to divert trade to the Ottoman Ports of Ragusa, Trieste and Durrazo my Rumelians in G2 had a three day sack then burnt Venice to the ground, sunk its merchant fleet in the Lagoon, filled its water supply with dead bodies, sold the rest of the population in north African slave markets, sowed the site with salt, broke all the dykes to let the sea in and had the place cursed by the Sufi. 

Did sod all good........Agema as had the place rebuilt, altered my political arrangements for the mainland and some how the king of Hungary is now Doge of Venice.

Damn place is like the Jannissary Corp and bind weed..........very annoying and impossible to get rid of. But at least I got back "Venice in Greece" the Orthodox relic's and the artistic loot the Venetians took when they sacked Constantinople in 1204.

Oddly holding a 500 year grude and recovery of the famous bronze horses did not go down well with Constantinople or help my honour score! Though by that stage Constantinople was dominated by anti Rumelian Janissary Ministers who were never happy about anything.
 

Sadly I think the Bey of Rumelia , Grand vizier & later( after a little political upheaval )Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in G2 is a much misunderstood figure, he has do his bit to spread the faith coupled with rape, pillage,murder, ethnic cleansing, tax evasion & minor traffic offences. It was after all only the one ambassador that was nailed to the door. He seems to have played his part to the full. He has been good to his mother, looked after the religious bits that needed looking after. Been true to his allies.

If anyone has foll wed his progress they could use it as an example to follow for there own characters actions in the world certainly beats listening to Opera & designing tea cups.

I have a lot of respect of the Rumelian player in Game 2  he has done more than any other ottoman type player in any game I am aware of.

I think I paid for the rebuild of Venice in Game 2 when I was the player there......

Just to add something, the King of Hungary is the Doge of Venice in all but name seeing as the Russians control most of the old Venician lands. I hold a small parcel. But I do seem to have the Venetian Senate in my lands.

Ye I think they did a runner and did not want Russia to be in control, I vaguely remember they would not play ball with me.....  

The latest edition of G9 - The Age of Enlightenment has shown up & :

1) Charles XII of Sweden is busy sorting out Scientific Expeditions to explore the World........ and is looking for a botanist rather than hauling off with a large axe like a later day Viking.

2) Prussians have founded a electorial society of science in Berlin

3) Austrians have founded a Imperial Staff College in Vienna

4) Bavarians have founded a Opera.........but what they really need is a card school and tips on how to spot dodgy Venetians dealing off the bottom of the deck.

A extreme reaction would see them looking for a library which stocks an account of Iskander Kruppa Leyerbey of Rumelia's campaigns against Venice - Chapter 1 Rape - Chapter 2 Loot - Chapter 3 Pillage and Chapter 4 - Impaling & the use of terror fo beginners.

A less extreme reaction would see them looking for an account on dauling.

My view is that an "enlightened" approach by Bavaria would see the good Baron call out Senator Zacco as a card sharp and a cheat rather than nailing him to the walls of a burning palace.

5) Augustus II of Elector of Saxony and King of Poland has yet to develop the prefect tea cup but is seeking enlightenment in studies of the female form and the military achitecture of Danzig. General conclusion of the Senators is that if the Swedes attack Danzig is that "we are doomed".........Scots influence in Danzig and the Commonwealth?

6) The Shogan has founded a School of Philosophy devoted to logical thinking

The Marquis of Villadarias may need to attend..........It seems that the Spanish Grandee's have decided to spoil the the 2nd Partitian Treaty between Louis XIV & William of Orange by giving bits of the Empire away. Want to avoid the break up of the Spanish Empire on the Death of Carlos II??.............I know what to do lets give away bits early  

Looking at a map one also wonders just what use the elite Galley's of Venice will do if the Bourbons or the Hapsburg heir's decide that Carlos II is in no fit state and Spanish Nobles have no right to go around settling their gambling debts to Venetian Card Sharp's by giving away their inheritance!

One wonders if some Bourbon inclined Grandee's hope to cause a fight with the Emperor over Milan and use this to influence Carlos II to will his whole Empire to the Duc of Anjou.

How will the Dutch, English, Danes and the Empire react to the whole of the Spanish Empire turning Bourbon  

May 1703 in G9 "The Age of enlightenment" has shown up and rulers are still trying to stay on theme:

1) The Bavarians have actually openned a library..........not clear if it includes any books on how to win at cards but the Elector now wants to Doge to offer a re-match when his opposition is sober.

2) The Shogun is spreading the teachings of the Buddha and has built a temple complex to act as the HQ of the "Pure Land" Sect.

3) The Elector of Hanover has a new Orchestra

4) So also does the HRE...... to go with his new Museum.........cultured lot these Germans.


However things may be about to go  

A) King Carlos II of Spain has passed away.......and the English & Austrians are having crisis meetings which may indicate that the Bourbons or to be exact the Spanish Bourbon faction intend to bin the earlier treaty and Crown Philip of Anjou King of Spain, King of Naples, and Duke of Flanders.

B) The Austrians are known to have refused to accept accept the "sale" of the Hapsburg fief of Milan to Venice. It is believed that the have the support of the strongly anti Venetian Elector of Bavaria over Milan. Elector to be the the new Habsburg Viceroy of Milan?

C) The Doge has called the Emperor Senile and implied he sold Venice out at Karlowitz.

D) Meanwhile The Ottomans have asked the Austrians for a new non aggression treaty covering the whole Ottoman Empire. It would seem that either the Sultan feels he needs to stop Cossack & Tarter raids and concerns about the number of Christain Slaves held by the Ottomans from blowing up into a larger conflict. Or he feels that relations are now so bad between Venice & Austria that Vienna may sale Venice down the river by missing out any mention of Venice from a new treaty.

Its a very bullish Venice having a go at the Emperor and stacking up other enemies. That being said, it is these attributes by players which makes the game fun. (And yes that is a rep for old RKLF in game 7) In game 8 as the Tatar Khan I am trying to be bullish myself, as I dont imagine the Tatar Khans went in for an "anything for a quite life" approach, but with the Russian power to my north I am still having to be circumspect - such as cancelling my raiding parties when the Tsar objects too much. How far will this Doge go in his strident approach?

The bullish approach in G8 is proving interesting basileus, I am waiting with anticipation to see how things turn out in the future.
The down side is that I am spending less time doing my cooking classes and more time listening to my Viziers drone on about foreign affairs.

It is a dead heat as to who is the most wanted man Khan Develet or the tea sipping Mohgul of India.

I doff my Cap to you.

One Grain.