G7 - The War of the English Succession & the breaking of the Pirate Brotherhood

Jason2 wrote:Completely agree with Count.  

And will drop you a line Papa, just bear with me if it takes a couple of turns.

I doubt there is any danger of G7 winding down, if by that it means the game ending.  However, I hope no one minds me saying I hope we can get a couple of years peace, so maybe a new direction in the game.  I think enough nations have taken a hammering these last few years and am sure they could do with some time to rebuild.

But the Ottomans have had decades of peace and the Russians at least five years, how much longer do you need to get ready?

Papa Clement wrote:

Jason2 wrote:Completely agree with Count.  

And will drop you a line Papa, just bear with me if it takes a couple of turns.

I doubt there is any danger of G7 winding down, if by that it means the game ending.  However, I hope no one minds me saying I hope we can get a couple of years peace, so maybe a new direction in the game.  I think enough nations have taken a hammering these last few years and am sure they could do with some time to rebuild.

Thanks Jason2 - look forward to your letter.  The Far East is looking more and more interesting at the moment.  I certainly have a lot of work to do sorting out PoW and other bits to comply with the peace terms.

I probably mentioned in one of my letters that being a technological luddite I still print off my game turn and newspaper so I can scribble on them.  My G7 files had reached such epic sizes that I had to go through the cabinet earlier this week and dump the old paperwork (just under a foot in height).  I still have the electronic copy, so at least I can keep up the research.  England's asset list is currently just over 50 pages long.  Note to self: long wars cause the number of towns to rise exponentially and it does help to be organised enough to be able to follow your own asset list!

Spanish asset size about the same size if not larger partly due to:

a) People finding new towns in Spanish territory

b) R & D which have resulted in ships and some other troop types now taking up multiple lines.

c) Own interest in fortifications......Flanders is no longer defended by a fortress belt on its southern border.......Flanders is a fortress belt!

But it was probably going a bit over the top when I now have following entry:

"Extended fortifications with narrow wet ditch between it and the old wall (elm trees and windmills on the ramparts, carp and swans in the ditch).
- Botanicl tulip gardens (between the old wall and the new wall)
- Academy of Agriculture (attached to the gardens above) researching a superior hop
Old walls (within new walls as a retrenchment)
Citadel
Countersiege works

The above is a Flanders fortress in the Dutch School, the Italian Schools is the dominant style in Italy while worryingly a Spanish style seems to have developed

I love the carp and swans in the ditch. Are they part of the defences? Carp crossed with piranhas? Killer swans?

Jason2 wrote:I love the carp and swans in the ditch.  Are they part of the defences?  Carp crossed with piranhas?  Killer swans?

The carp and swans are "sort of" part of the defences........Dutch style defences tended to reply on water and earth. But unless water keeps moving it can be really unhealthy for the garrison and town. A very fast flow however tends to damage your own defenses. So Dutch engineers used a slow flow which risked getting slowed to a stop by weed. The carp and Swans eat the marine weed and keep the water flowing and the garrison healthy. The also look nice and if needed you can eat them.

Not sure about killer Swans but if you are trying a coup de main at night and step on a sleeping swan half the town is going to know about it.

Very much doubt if Agema cares if your ships are named, regiment uniforms are specified, or which style of fortress design is in use but I like building! And Orders for the Spain of Charles III normally has a section marked "Construction".

In much the same way as Czar Peter likes to keep his firework makers busy......Charles Von Hapsburg believes in keeping the builders happy.

Dec 1713 Gloire du Roi has shown up and for non players here are the highlights:

1) According to some people the number 1 highlight of a G7 turn......drum roll please......NO RUSSIAN SHIPS lost !!

- In actual fact only ships lost were two Dutch merchant ships in the Ethiopian Sea and a English Corvette in Swedish service which was hit by ice.

In other not ship related news:

2) No news from the great siege of Antwerp which now seems over but the defenders of Oxford defeated a French storming attempt just prior to news that peace has broken out between France, England and the UDP and the war is over.

3) King James celebrated with a banquet in the London Guildhall then attended a Anglican carol service at St Pauls and a Catholic (?) Mass at Westminster Abbey following which alms were given out.

4) King Louis ordered the amended Treaty of Amsterdam to be distributed to the press (see prior posts for full details) and also celebrated with a midnight mass and alms.

5) The UDP seems to have a new government lead by Prince John William Friso of Orange-Nassau who signed the Dutch surrender, but the Hague as yet to put out a public explanation why after seemingly breaking the French Army of Flanders last month the Dutch political will to fight has suddenly failed. It would not seem to be lack of cash or food since the Government of the UDP has just agreed to give King James £4M in compensation and half of its grain.

6) Russian trade offices in Paris and elsewhere held Christmas trade fairs followed by mass firework displays......to date no reports have been rec'd of Paris or the Escorial being burnt down due to a Russian firework.

7) Further fireworks provided by the Ottoman Grand Vizier and the Russian Ambassador to the Porte........who is now the ex Russian Ambassador having closed his embassy and left in a huff.

After distribution of "free sample" muskets by Anatolian merchants in Hungary the Grand Vizier was also target of some rather huffy comments about his fake beard etc from Spain. Thay is when the Spanish leadership could spare the time from feasting good and loyal servents of his most Catholic Majesty and others over the Christmas period.

9) Oddly the person not putting a verbal boot into the Grand Vizier was Duke Ferdinand of Kollonitsch in Buda who calmly dismissed most of the recent claims made about the Kingdom of Hungary and promised the people an economic renaissance. The Good Duke diplomatic style would seem to differ a touch from Hapsburg son No2 who reply to the percieved threat has in the past included threats to turn pro Ottoman rebels into Roman Candles. Or perhaps future Austrian diplomacy is to be based on a Good Hapsburg, Bad Hapsburg model with people praying for the health of the Emperor and the Archduke Joseph in consideration of the alternative.

In other gentle diplomatic moves:

10) The King of Sweden is visiting the King of Denmark to trying and bring the Kingdoms of Sweden and Denmark into some kind of Union.

11) The Grand Vizier of the Grand Moghul has urged France and Persia to make peace since their dispute is hurting Indian trade. Odd that you would not have thought the Grand Vizier would care much about disruption to the trade of the Martha Confederation.

Meanwhile

12) In Yorktown and on Jamaica various people went looking for signs of the HWIC in its old haunts. No trace of the seemingly defunct HWIC was found but in Ocho Rios a black peppercon plantation was located which is still owned by La Compania de Portobello a legal Spanish registered subsidary of the old HWIC

Stuart Bailey - I think the explanation on the carp and swans is great evidence on how dedicated and amazing some of the players are to detail in considering potential challenges. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes the game/players so great.

I know in G10 I have been researching fish, plants and algae that helps keep the natural balance in rice paddy fields. I hadn't thought of the impact of animal life on the hygienic presence of a body of water around a town. Given the nature of Japanese castles I might have to re-think. Does Japan have swans in 1700 ? Im not sure - its a weird google search coming up.

For those who prefer a slightly different version of events reported in Dec-1713 ...

1. At Oxford the French pressed their attack with the grenadiers of the Regiment Bourbonnais leading the charge against Gerona’s Spanish renegades.  Clearly the Spanish were impressed and just as they were on the point of being defeated the French gave orders for a ceasefire.  Only the most superbly disciplined troops would have restrained their natural instinct to finish off the enemy, but credit to the French, they did so.  What a contrast to Gerona’s Spaniards who fought in defiance of the orders of their King.  Clearly Gerona relies more on luck than skill, but that luck has just run out since he will soon have to face his superiors and explain why he disobeyed them, else have proved Spain broke the Treaty of Scotland.  It would, as Spain previously pointed out, have been far better if he had perished in the siege than return to embarrass his King.  The great question of 1714 now appears to be whether Gerona will face a courts martial or whether "Spanish justice" surprises us all again.

2. In London the annual Guildhall banquet brings merchants and city financiers the opportunity to speak with King James personally.  These moneyed classes are usually viewed with suspicion if not distaste by the nobles and after the closure of the Bank of England and investigations of HWIC, it is likely this distaste is mutual.  However, King James is usually willing to forgive those who repent of their crimes and are willing to serve the interests of the country.  When 2 trading nations are at war, trade inevitably suffers, but this does not mean King James is simply anti-trade.  King James is very much in favour of fair trade with those who do not engage in dubious trading practices, and has encouraged English merchants to be the champions of free trade, breaking monopolies, opening up markets to bring fair trade to many different countries.  G7 is unusual in that Spain is by far the dominant trading power in all trade areas, having gained market share by keeping her competitors are at war and driving their ships from the seas, so English merchants have been particularly hard hit by Spanish monopolists and vested interests.  King James explained his determination to repay the patience of merchants by securing access to the lucrative Far East spice trade and expanding English colonial presence in India and the Far East so merchants have the foundation to build long term business.  This was very well received by all present.

3. Christmas celebrations have been held in many countries.  In Versailles King Louis chose a balanced approach entertaining ambassadors and attending midnight mass.  Russian celebrations were extensive, but focused more on trade, demonstrating their new line in fireworks which caused some to wonder if they were celebrating the birth of the Son of God or the absence of any Russian naval casualties for another month.  Spanish celebrations were also a curious mixture: King Carlos did attend mass in Naples Cathedral, but spent considerably longer at the opera handing out thousands of plates the local tourist board had failed to sell over the summer.  Had relations with the Ottomans been better, they could have supplied Greek tavernas who would gladly have smashed them up at weddings and saved him the trouble.  In the rest of the Spanish Empire, the celebrations were also more an exercise in gluttony (possibly to use up more unsold plates), as native tribes were force-fed Spanish poultry, obliged to wear multiple layers of clothing knitted from unsold Spanish Merino wool, and then encouraged to drink unsold Spanish wine.  It is believed that this surplus of goods is a direct result of the English Royal Navy no longer targeting Spanish merchant ships.  Only in England was Christmas celebrated in religious style with King James attending not only Christmas mass in Catholic Westminster Abbey, but also the annual carol service at St.Paul’s Anglican Cathedral.  This may seem strange to some, but the service of 9 Lessons and Carols is a peculiarly Anglican ceremony with no Catholic equivalent.  Given King James’ commitment to ecumenism and improving church music, it should be no surprise that he supports the Anglican bishops in this whilst remaining true to his faith and worshipping in good Catholic style with his fellow believers for the good of his own soul.

4. In the Kalmar Union of Sweden and Denmark, protestant lawyers are trying to work out the practical details of what the union means in the hope that they can shortly explain to the rest of the world what they are.  Meanwhile in Regensburg, more lawyers (believed to be Spanish advising Emperor Leopold) forced through a motion condemning the “invasion of the Imperial Free City of Bremen by Swedish mercenaries forces landed by French ships believed to be in the pay of France or England” despite some representatives maintaining “such an event has not actually happened!”  Scottish lawyers, who are never slow to offer their opinion, contend that it is standard procedure this side of the English Channel to establish the facts before a trial, and the sentence after conviction.  They are slightly surprised that Spanish lawyers reverse this order, but then this simply proves why “Spanish justice” is a meaningless phrase.

5. Spanish confusion is also evident in Vienna where the Spanish ambassador gave a lecture on the ability of eunuchs to grow beards.  Scottish lawyers have struggled to find any legal precedent to support the Spanish claim.  Meanwhile in Buda the Duke of Kollonitsch has dismissed reports of misbehaviour by Austrian soldiers as “the stuff and nonsense of lurid fantasy.”  Given the rather novel approach of Spanish investigators, Scottish lawyers are unsure whether we should indeed grant greater credence to such reports – has an investigation been made and facts uncovered or is this another example of the Spanish deciding on the sentence first and then looking for some facts to justify it?

6. In Constantinople the wise and very patience Ottoman Grand Vizier listened to a history lesson from the Russian ambassador whilst comparing the size of their beards.  It is believed that the Grand Vizier’s beard was somewhat impressive and his hair needed to be trimmed so he could hear what was said.  The absence of a response led to the ambassador closing his embassy.  King James is believed to be saddened by their failure to communicate.  The English ambassador, Viscount Falkland, has no such difficulty with the Ottomans – he does not possess a beard and is known to prefer a wig which does not impair his hearing.

7. In Bethlehem an Orthodox church has been opened at the request of Spain.  This may have been to gain favour with Russia or simply to irritate the Grand Vizier.  It is not known if either succeeded.

8. Following on the heels of last month’s stunning Russian intelligence success, the 22nd Foot searched Jamaica for evidence of HWIC and their associated companies which are banned from English colonies.  Unsurprisingly a Portobello Company smuggler docked in a small village to take on a cargo of pepper.  It was later discovered that there is indeed a large clandestine pepper growing operation on Jamaica.  Scottish lawyers are being consulted to determine if this is a breach of the Treaty of Scotland by Spain.  Pepper may seem to be an innocent product, but the duty on this high value product will be considerable.  No doubt Col.Taylor is amazed at Spanish audacity, operating so openly under the very noses of the French garrison.  The French may be superb on the battlefield, but not suspicious enough to track down Spanish smugglers.

9. Meanwhile in Yorktown the Virginia Senate has examined the evidence relating to the matter of Miss Eyre and Alan Standing, concluding that Senator Eyre was “involved” with HWIC.  This may throw an entirely different light on the findings.  Senator Eyre appears to be seeking a pardon from King James, citing his acceptance that “King William is dead” as proof of his goodwill.  Whilst King James is likely to be satisfied that the news has finally reached America, William was executed some years ago so it may be necessary for a better explanation to be provided.  Was the Senator being blackmailed by Alan Standing who had kidnapped Miss Eyre?  Was Spain, through HWIC, seeking to influence the Virginia Senate?  Are any Senators shareholders in the Portobello Company and have a sideline in pepper smuggling?  The whole Miss Eyre incident could simply be a falling out among smugglers.  We await the results of the next phase of the investigation.

10. Rumours that Persia is about to declare war on England have brought condemnation from the Imam of Yemen and the Great Moghul.  Both view any attack on England to be misjudged and like King James, would prefer peace in India.  Persia has not made any public denial, but in this instance the silence is deafening.  Contrary to the beliefs of some, it is not necessary for some part of the world to always be at war - a general rule of thumb is that nations prefer peace.

11. The Dutch garrison on Macassar which had been driven back to the citadel by Colonel-General Hyndford’s Welch Guards, has now departed for Batavia.  The reason, as noted earlier, is that after a decade of war, England is now at peace with UDP.  This should be welcomed by many nations, but it remains to be seen if the peace will hold or be delivered.  Despite UDP's bankruptcy, it is not believed that the financial settlement will prove impossible, since Spanish banks have a reputation for lending to those whose credit is poor.  Spain is, after all, suspected of being so heavily committed financially to UDP that it would cause less of a problem to lend Prince Friso the money he needs than to write off Spain's existing exposure.  English financiers are well aware of the old adage: "If you owe the bank £100 it is your problem; if you owe the bank £1M it is theirs!"  After such a long time it is inevitable that trust between UDP and the world (and especially between UDP and England) will take a while to be rebuilt.  There is certainly hope, though, that the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Lucan, Col.MacGregor, Admiral Benbow, the Earl of Orkney, Col.Keene and other high profile officers will return with tens of thousands of their men to London within the specified time.  For if Prince Friso fails to honour his word and clause 14 is triggered “peace” may prove to be as meaningless as “Spanish justice”.

count-de-monet wrote:Stuart Bailey - I think the explanation on the carp and swans is great evidence on how dedicated and amazing some of the players are to detail in considering potential challenges. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes the game/players so great.

I know in G10 I have been researching fish, plants and algae that helps keep the natural balance in rice paddy fields.  I hadn't thought of the impact of animal life on the hygienic presence of a body of water around a town.  Given the nature of Japanese castles I might have to re-think.   Does Japan have swans in 1700 ?  Im not sure - its a weird google search coming up.

Again I find myself agreeing with the Count It is the effort so many put into adding the smaller historical details that makes the game so fun

I know some swans are in Japan seasonally but whether there all year round is another matter

Stuart-you also mentioned windmills on the walls (I think), do they serve a specific purpose? I have a vague memory of windmills on city walls for grinding corn but might be mis-remembering

Ref Windmills on the ramparts of Fortresses in the low countries these were for grinding corn in peace time and were only on the ramparts due to these being a good place to catch the wind.

At the approach of a siege the defenders would grind as much corn as possible into flour and the take the windmills down to avoid damage.

Trees provided cover from the sun and looked nice but if the defender was serious they would be cut down at the start of the siege....otherwise the defenders would get showed with splinters. The felled trees then provided the defenders with timber which was vital for siege warfare and as anyone who has tried to dig through soil filled with tree roots can confirm the tree roots would greatly strengthen the defences.

PS Much as I like to like to claim that Spain is the cultural and economic heart of G7 I think Papa Clement account of the December 1713 paper rather over hypes the Spanish Govt angle. Fairly sure Spain was not mentioned/involved in 80% plus of the artacles in the Paper and I am very sure it has nothing to do with stories of run away lovers, smugglers and their families in the Russian American colonies! A sort of cross between Poldark and Dallas!

Stuart Bailey wrote:Much as I like to like to claim that Spain is the cultural and economic heart of G7 I think Papa Clement account of the December 1713 paper rather over hypes the Spanish Govt angle. Fairly sure Spain was not mentioned/involved in 80% plus of the articles in the Paper and I am very sure it has nothing to do with stories of run away lovers, smugglers and their families in the Russian American colonies! A sort of cross between Poldark and Dallas!

I do sympathise ... for years you have been diligently explaining how Spain is the cultural and economic heart of G7, a beacon of light standing in stark contrast to what you consider to be darkness and chaos of Jacobite England and King James who you have blamed for all the bad things happening everywhere. The more enlightened of players (and non-players) will by now have realised that although King James may be referred to as JR (Jacobus Rex), he is not at all like JR Ewing in Dallas! Perhaps in time you will be able to convince others that Spain is not quite so villainous as may be inferred. The trouble is that you made your mind up about King James and Jacobites before I started to play him, so it is as much a part of how you view the game as my own opinion of Hapsburgs. It is hard to change those opinions - I always knew King James was a decent sort because that is how I play him, but in the case of Spain in G7, you do have form in backing factions, hiding behind companies, leading revolts and generally doing all manner of sneaky things.

I hope Spain has changed, that you have seen the light and will join in the celebration of peace with good heart, but until that is proven in the game it is natural to suspect Spain of involvement in such matters where the evidence suggests it. After all, Spain is the global superpower in G7 with more money, men, troops and ships than any other single player. Your annual income is probably 20-30 times that of England, if not more, so you hardly need to be worried that I am going to catch you up any time soon. I will be busy for years rebuilding after the war so I won't have the time to be plotting the downfall of Spain! Spain could, if you decide, lead by example and make the world a better place instead of stirring up trouble for England, Ottomans or any other nation who doesn't happen to be in favour. Of course if this is so out of character for you, then have you not provided some evidence that you are still up to your old tricks?

Seems G7 is the only game to have two write ups,

Guess both are written from differing perspectives of the same thing.

Probably best to read & analyse both & try & work out what is actually going on , certainly makes reading the Newspaper for the turn more "interesting" as it gives an insight into how others view the same events in the paper.

Please keep it up the pair of you, possibly a way to give new players a feel for the special character that makes G7 different form the others & encourage them to take the plunge into the game.

For the information of anyone thinking of joining G7 they should probably be aware that some positions entered the game in 1700 and have held to their historic positions ever since! While some others have been rather more flexible (esp English Governments prior to 1706!).

Basically the two Hapsburg positions of Austria and the Hapsburg Spanish faction in Spain entered the game convinced that the Hapsburgs were the economic and cultural heart of G7 standing up for free trade and traditional freedoms against the darkness and chaos posed by the doctine of Absolutism.

Specifically they were still hung up on 50 years of aggression by Louis XIV of France but they were willing to also entertain the view that the Ottomans were the root of all evil. In 1700 at least the first part of this view seems to have been shared even more strongly by England and later on it was a view held by the Dutch.

In contrast Louis XIV of France held view that France was in danger of "enciclement" by hostile powers. Also that while the Habsburgs could be distracted by happenings elsewere his number one foe were the English & that they were out to get him......wanting to fight France to the last German and any other type of Hapsburg! While they grabbed Naval control plus control of colonies and trade (ie traditional English policy in many games).

Louis XIV plan to break this threat which his ministers have backed solidly ever since often to the disadvantage of French interests (compared to English) was to replace King William with King James and break the Anglo-Dutch link and the English Alliance with the Hapsburgs.

Somewhat oddly a Jacobite Lite English Govt bowed to huge pressure from Louis XIV and their inability to fight their way out of a paper bag and restored James II to England with William remaining King of Scotland and Stadtholder. They then murdered James II but this only brought in a fully fledged Jacobite Government which has roll played brilliantly and has at times made it seem like the Jacobite tail is wagging the French Dog (opinion from Vienna) and has had James III called a religious fanatic by the Jesuit order. Though he seems to have mellowed a little bit.

Naturally enough the fact that James II was restored by a French Army and his butal snubbing of a Hapsburg wedding proposal tended to confirm Hapsburg opinion that the Jacobites were not friends. A fact set in stone when James III invaded Scotland and murdered King William and the Austrian Envoy Prince Eugine of Savoy. These actions also made the HWIC and the Dutch who shared the exiled then murdered King William as a ruler very anti Jacobite.

Unfortunately.....for Spain & Austria..... the Jacobite playing up of the religious angle and an active player in Rome totally screwed a standard military reply to Prince Eugine getting beheaded. Spain and Austria sent limited military help to Scotland due to treaty obligations but at no point did Spain ever get think regime change via Military means was practical. His Most Catholic Majesty trying to explain to Rome that it had just shot a Catholic King of England and helped restore Protestant rule to Ireland is not a concept which goes down well in Madrid.

This unfortunately, resulted in the Hapsburgs long term Dutch and HWIC allies against French absolutism thinking that Hapsburgs were not really interested in their ambition to save England from Jacobite absolutism. So weirdly Spain is now blamed by one side for not fighting hard enough while the other blames Spain for all sorts of odd stuff which may have rather more to do with x3 Dutch Governments and x2 "Pirate" factions!

As I see things in 17013 -

Louis XIV greatly helped by the Jacobites can take a bow having achieved their aim to break the hostile ring round France and restore Jacobite rule in the British Isles. But a lot of damage has been done to the British Isles and France has abandoned a lot to achieve its objective.

The Hapsburgs have held the line and have even recovered some of their losses and following on from Carlos II Spain is once more a united 1st rank power.

Following victory over Sweden Russia has also joined the ranks of the Great Powers but seems to spend a lot of time wondering how it ended up with control of British Colonies in North America and how it lost most of an Army in Scotland and a fleet in American waters.

Whats happens next? Answers on a post card please.

A generally fair summary, Stuart, though perhaps missing some of the earlier background.

Had the Hapsburgs simply been content to develop culture and trade, why did they declare war multiple times on France and England? The answer is not perhaps what observers may expect. As the original player for France in G7 I am quite prepared to accept that you originally played Hapsburg Spain in a positive way and would probably have been content to gradually nation-build. Indeed France and Spain had reasonably good relations at the time. England was still the oddball even in the early stages of the game with multiple players in quick succession, one of whom had agreed to supply France with spoon dredgers – a treaty which was not honoured by the next player and which required a response. France had made the mistake of neglecting military preparations in the hope that she could sign treaties with her likely enemies and within the first few years of the game did indeed have treaties with all those likely to challenge her (Spain, Austria, Russia) except England. By 1703 France had prepared for a much more limited war against England out of frustration over dredgers, but was not going to declare war until the treaty with Austria had been signed. The Hapsburgs did not have a mutual defensive treaty with England and Austria was advised that France intended to take action against England over dredgers before she signed her treaty with France. War was then declared by France on England in the hope that England would simply send the promised dredger missions and France really wouldn’t have to fight for long.

However, just after this the game rules changed. In the old days each position had a very limited number of military change orders/turn (most nations only had 2, France had 3), which meant that campaigns were very slow and had to be meticulously planned. A change order would be used up by naming a formation, raising a unit, changing its equipment, moving a formation, etc, so for those players who have never experienced the restrictions of that system you can see just how quickly change orders are used up. The limit on change orders was scrapped and at the same time unlimited orders became available. There were also many other changes to the rules, the significance of which was not always understood at the time. Drill ceased to be in a particular skill (i.e. to improve rate of fire or marching) and became a general improvement in capability. This proved to be particularly disadvantageous for France since the French army I had raised was trained to fight Swedish-style: a couple of volleys, then charge in with bayonets. It seemed pointless for France to waste precious change orders drilling troops to improve rate of fire when French troops were not going to fight like that.

Safe in the knowledge that France was protected by treaties with Austria, Spain and Russia, the few small field armies which were put together under the old system were sent to England. 3 months after (when the rules had changed), Austria was able to accelerate her military development rapidly and declared war on France, breaking her treaty. Spain, to be fair, did not join in at this stage, but waited until the earliest point she could break her treaty with France. With France’s armies in England, Austria was able to march into undefended towns within France (towns which were undefended because under the old system of military change orders, there were not enough orders available to defend every town).

France had hoped that the English war would be over almost immediately, but despite being in the wrong over dredgers, England wanted to fight. Another feature of the rules at the time (which may subsequently have changed) was that the number of units which could be controlled on the battlefield depended upon a player’s honour score. This was linked to the way treaties operated – if you broke a treaty, your honour would persistently fall making it much harder to fight on. The English player found that he couldn’t stand up to French forces and dropped which meant France had to keep fighting in England much longer, at the same time as Austria was overrunning France. Austrian honour was also dropping because she broke her treaty, but she was gaining honour by capturing French towns, so the rate of decline was much slower.

The dilemma facing France was how to end the war with England so troops could be moved back to defeat Austria. Since the (now inactive) English government would not send the dredger mission and make peace, the solution was to change the English government to one that would. Hence France did a deal with James Stuart (the character, rather confusingly King James II who was still alive despite historically having died by the game date) and agreed terms such that when he took over England he would supply said dredger mission and run policies which were not hostile to France (which meant breaking up with the Hapsburgs and other anti-French rulers, which by that time seemed to number rather a lot of them since they were promised bits of France or her colonies if they joined in the war on Austria’s side).

France was able to win the war against England, restoring King James (II), but by this time half of France had been overrun by the Hapsburg alliance (which by now included UDP) and French troops were still stuck in England. Spain had also joined in and proved to be much more effective at fighting than Austria or UDP. I had started to move troops back to France and organise a defensive line, but had to drop for real world reasons. France was then picked up by a couple of different players in quick succession who had contradictory ideas about how to proceed: one wanted to fight, another wanted to make peace to rebuild. In the end peace was made, but it was not quite as decisive as the Hapsburgs hoped. Austria gained Franche-Comte, but otherwise the peace allowed France to achieve its strategic aims, just as I had hoped. Indeed, reading about the peace was immensely satisfying on a personal level.

Meanwhile England (under King James II) was still at war with UDP and had a new player who sought to find instant solutions to the situation England was in rather than recognising that the position needed a gradual turnaround with a proper consistent plan. As a result he did some good things, but then undermined that with some really dumb things which resulted in civil war, the murder of his own character (King James II) and replacement by Churchill (who also ended up killed (or rather reported as being killed) in a duel with the Duke of Norfolk who then became the ‘English’ character. I can’t quite remember all the twists and turns, but do recall that King James III (still safe in exile in France) was played briefly and he successfully launched an invasion of Ireland and would probably have taken more if he had continued. Various other factions appeared sponsored by Spain and others, who had decided that since they didn’t get the spoils they sought from France, they would take them from England instead. It was during this chaos that (I think) Spain tried to bring England back on board as an ally (and spoil France’s strategic victory in the peace) by offering a Spanish bride. I don’t know what I would have done if I had been playing England then – Spanish treaties tend to come with lots of strings attached (trade treaties require permission for Spanish military access, etc) so it is difficult to be sure whether I would have accepted the offer to end the war. Anyway, it seems to have ended badly with England and Spain at war, the English navy hitting Spanish ports with a vengeance, and some kind of compromise peace being quickly agreed between them. There was no such peace between England and UDP, and Spain then turned to creating/backing factions to undermine England and raise rebellion against King James, taking full advantage of the chaos. It is from this time that such factions as “Sons of Liberty”, “Defenders of England”, as well as more long standing once-played minor positions like HWIC and the Jesuits, really came to prominence, as the plan appeared to be that they would divide America, Scotland, Ireland and the English colonies between them. These minor positions were almost entirely dependent upon Spain for their cash/recruits and were employed as Spanish colonial governors (HWIC) or Spanish office in Rome (Jesuits), effectively giving Spain a prototype team position and enormous influence. I happen to think Stuart played very well at this time and his plan was well on the way to succeeding.

When real life had stabilised enough for me to consider rejoining the game I did see if France was available, but it had been taken by a very able player who unlike me knows how to form armies and fight with them. But King James was available, so I took on England as a turnaround project. Had I fully realised the extent to which the Spanish factions had infiltrated England, I may not have bothered. England was a huge mess, as I’m sure Stuart will confirm, and I didn’t think I would make much of an impact, but after the first few months I had saved Yorkshire from invasion and formulated a plan to try and turn things around. When initial attempts at peace with UDP failed (UDP being the only position officially at war with England), I had to fight on. Austria and Spain joined in the war on UDP’s side to remove me. I was lucky that 3 years had expired so France could come to my aid, as did Russia. It is somewhat ironic that Austria and Spain found that they faced the same situation in England as France did in the earlier war: troops cannot be in 2 places at once. So England was able to defeat Austria’s army at Hastings whilst France defeated Austria’s army at Orleans, knocking Austria out of the war. Spain had sent forces to Scotland which meant she was unable to defend her colonies and France was able to conquer most of Spanish America. A Russian compromise ‘white peace’ (The Treaty of Scotland) allowed Spain to regain her colonies and should have led to a general end to the war had UDP agreed. Before they signed peace, Spain and Austria handed over thousands of recruits/troops and money to UDP, so that UDP could afford to continue the war against England until they were ready to join in again. Despite this, UDP failed.

As of Dec-1713 England has now finally signed peace with UDP. William is dead and Prince Friso has renounced all claims to England, being content and wise enough to realise he has his hands full sorting out UDP to bother with foreign ambitions. What started as a war over dredgers between France and England became a war, as Stuart suggests, for France to replace a pro-Hapsburg anti-French England with a neutral or pro-French England. Thanks largely to Hapsburg intervention, England is now most assuredly pro-French, so France’s strategic aim of an English ally to counter the Hapsburg alliance has been achieved. That UDP has effectively been neutralised (if not removed) from the Hapsburg alliance by this peace is another great success for French foreign policy.

Has France “abandoned a lot to achieve its objective”? I don’t think so. A France without strong allies runs the risk of being torn to pieces (as we may be starting to see in G10). The irony, of course, is that the player for Austria in G7 is now France in G10, facing an even more powerful coalition to that which he tried to form in G7; and in G10 instead of England being in chaos, Spain is. In G10 France prepared for war from the outset with strong and experienced allies; he was not disadvantaged by game rule changes or ambushed by a coalition who broke a treaty, so on paper he is in a much better position. But France in G10 has so far failed to find a powerful ally to support him or managed to create one as I did with England.

As things stand at the moment in G7, Spain is certainly the most powerful position with France and Russia probably tied overall (both having different strengths and weaknesses). England is quite a way below them, but has the potential to recover, as does UDP. Some of the other positions have not been played for several years (if at all) so should have plenty of cash and recruits for those who want to pick them up. Assuming peace holds throughout 1714, this is a good time for players to join – peace should be good for trade and they will be able to ensure their lands are defended before any war kicks off again.

What happens next will hopefully not be driven by more France/Hapsburgs or Spain/England conflict, so perhaps a new dynamic in the game will appear from a new player?

Please don't be put off by Stuart's suggestion that King James has mellowed, though - I can assure you I haven't!

History even game history may be agreed myth........but my memory of G7 from 1700-1713 was that it was a lot more messy than the account from Papa Clement with a lot more ad-hoc reaction to events than less planning than in the above account.

Think in 1703 as Papa Clement says the English probably just blundered into war with France by accident. While France started out with more limited objectives than "regime change" this being brought in later due to mixture of annoyance and lack of English fight.

If the English had not messed up so badly that French demands increased its doubtful that the Emperor would have had a panic attack and broke a treaty (with nasty results for his honour) in order to try and save his English ally. This in turn dragged in the Emperor's Dutch allies and the King of Spain who refused to break a treaty just to save idiot English Governments which can not send a few dredgers on time but needed to be on same side as his dear old dad.

To great annoyance of Spain just as it was getting up a head of steam and was starting to make some real progress.....peace breaks out. Firstly when the English who had started the war are the first to abandon it and their allies!

Things then get really, really messy in England with a very rapid turn over of players which at one stage results in a very unpopular NPC Jacobite Govt in London and three players - the Dutch, the HWIC and Blackbeards "Sons of Liberty" trying to get rid of it but also working against each other. Think they just assumed the Govt was bound to fall of its own accord and never really pushed that hard even the Dutch Government who's troops spent three months trying to get of boats in Hull then sailed for home due to high sickness.

James III then took over just as the two other minor English factions and the Dutch had crossed the point of no return. Working on basis than having King William in Scotland was an open door to England than not even a blind Dutchman could ignore for ever James III then invaded Scotland using confused Russian troops amongst others which triggered heavy fighting inc Hapsburg troops helping Scots ally.

French then joined in on the very minute/second that their treaty with Hapsburgs ended. But after winning a great victory offered such reasonable terms that Hapsburgs felt obliged to agree to get their POWs back. In confusion and muddle typical of G7 the Dutch missed the treaty deadline and fought on for two more years winning a great victory over the English and being about to win another over French but then surrendered on much worse terms than they were offered in the first place!

As a said not sure what happens next but the rise of Persia looks interesting and so does the rise of the Union in a Baltic.

Spain is sending memo's to self that if it has to fight a third war its going to be one it plans itself with proper logistics and a proper plan of campaign and is not set of half cocked by allies in the middle of sodding winter. Also want somewhere warm with good ground for Spanish Horse. Would also prefer a foe the Pope is not going to moan about.........a Papal banner and a Crusade Bull would also be nice. In other games they are really common so how come I never get one? (unless its got my name on as a target G2)

Stuart Bailey wrote:History even game history may be agreed myth........but my memory of G7 from 1700-1713 was that it was a lot more messy than the account from Papa Clement with a lot more ad-hoc reaction to events than less planning than in the above account.

It is a long time ago (real world) - it may have appeared to be more messy from the Hapsburg/English perspective, but not from the French perspective.  I was always clear what I wanted to achieve, but it is true that changes in English players made it very messy to work out even if England was active.

Stuart Bailey wrote:Things then get really, really messy in England with a very rapid turn over of players which at one stage results in a very unpopular NPC Jacobite Govt in London and three players - the Dutch, the HWIC and Blackbeard's "Sons of Liberty" trying to get rid of it but also working against each other.  Think they just assumed the Govt was bound to fall of its own accord and never really pushed that hard even the Dutch Government who's troops spent three months trying to get of boats in Hull then sailed for home due to high sickness.

James III then took over just as the two other minor English factions and the Dutch had crossed the point of no return.  Working on basis that having King William in Scotland was an open door to England than not even a blind Dutchman could ignore for ever James III then invaded Scotland using confused Russian troops among others which triggered heavy fighting inc Hapsburg troops helping Scots ally.

This does misrepresent why I (as King James) invaded Scotland.  By the terms of the restoration and the Papal Bull I was King of England, Ireland AND Scotland, confirmed by my own asset list.  Scotland was not ruled directly by UDP, but some rebels with Dutch sympathies were in possession of it.  I imagine Scotland would have been available as an independent player position during this time, but if it had been played that player would have had to choose whether to accept King James or rebel as a republic or renew former links with UDP.  I was at war with UDP and rebels who were in possession of territories (worldwide) which had defected (like Scotland).

After I had stopped their invasion in Yorkshire and defeated their reinforcements at Hull, I offered terms to UDP.  These terms were ridiculously generous and basically amounted to me buying off UDP to end the war with as much as I could raise (£3M).  For UDP to turn that down (and not make any counter proposal) was arguably one of the greatest blunders in the game.  The only reason I can think of was that it was so generous UDP assumed I was finished so thought he could have the lot.  He was wrong.  I wasn't going to make the mistake of taking the fight to UDP in the Netherlands, but was at least able to rely on the Scottish Clans to take Scotland off the rebels - that move would increase the size of my army and bring thousands of loyal troops.  By the time the Spanish arrived in Scotland, I had already driven the rebels out of the Highlands, so they just held the central belt.  Russian troops did join and played an important part in holding off Spanish troops in Scotland.  Interestingly Austrian troops did not fight in Scotland, but landed at Hastings, presumably to split my war effort.  Both ultimately failed.  UDP made another mistake in moving troops from UDP to Scotland with all the supply/weather difficulties.  I was never particularly worried about UDP troops, but the Spanish were a different matter.  Spain had long range artillery so could fire at my forces, but I couldn't fire back.  If they did not have this advantage then in time as my army improved I would have felt more confident.

Stuart Bailey wrote: In confusion and muddle typical of G7 the Dutch missed the treaty deadline and fought on for two more years winning a great victory over the English and being about to win another over French ...

No ... the Dutch knew exactly what they were doing - a ceasefire was in place, long range Spanish artillery should have been returned to Spain under the Treaty of Scotland instead of being given to UDP, the Dutch broke the ceasefire and attacked at a time when my own troops were under orders not to break the ceasefire.  What happened at 1st Dumbarton was just pure spite on their part.  Thankfully they were not able to exploit their "victory", nor recrew any of the ships captured in dry dock, and many of the crews died after being forced marched by the Dutch across a famine zone.  Whatever they hoped for from that "victory" they lost through their own incompetence and greed.  Then at 2nd Dumbarton my much maligned army destroyed their long range Spanish artillery and remained in control of the field, after badly mauling their elite infantry and cavalry rendering them in no condition to fight for the rest of the campaigning season, the Dutch retreated to Glasgow before the French arrived to finish them off.  That was clearly a strategic victory for English forces and it marked the turning point for the Dutch in Scotland.  The Dutch never won any engagement with the French during the whole war, but lost several towns in UDP, so I don't know how you can assert that they were about to win a "great victory over the French!"

Stuart Bailey wrote: ... but then surrendered on much worse terms than they were offered in the first place!

There were many different peace terms offered to the Dutch over the war, only some of which were published in the newspaper.  The original terms I have already referred to above, but after this the terms were more favourable to England and increasingly so.  My thinking was that if the Dutch were not prepared to accept terms so obviously in their favour then eventually they would realise they were trapped in a war they couldn't win so would be obliged by circumstance to moderate their demands.  I played a long game and they didn't accept the weakness of their position until the end.

Stuart Bailey wrote:As a said not sure what happens next but the rise of Persia looks interesting and so does the rise of the Union in a Baltic.  

Spain is sending memo's to self that if it has to fight a third war its going to be one it plans itself with proper logistics and a proper plan of campaign and is not set of half cocked by allies in the middle of sodding winter.  Also want somewhere warm with good ground for Spanish Horse.  Would also prefer a foe the Pope is not going to moan about.........a Papal banner and a Crusade Bull would also be nice.  In other games they are really common so how come I never get one?  (unless its got my name on as a target G2)    

I don't know what Persia is planning, but depending on his strategy, yes that could get interesting as could the Kalmar Union.

Catholic Spain was always going to be handicapped in terms of Papal support when she decided to go to war in support of a Calvinist ally against a Catholic King (James) whose restoration had a Papal Bull behind it.  Why this still hasn't sunk in is a mystery.  I don't know why Papal Banners should be so common in other games - they are actually rather risky for any Pope to dish out.  Crusades tend to need a particular religious justification so again you are unlikely to get a crusade against King James unless (in another game) any such player was unwise enough to abandon the Catholic faith!

It will be interesting to see what happens with Persia and the Kalmar Union, also how England and the UDP adjust from wartime to (hopefully) peacetime economies.

Also, finally several of my long laid plans for Russia Department East should come to fruition, which if they work will be a great success...or if they fail provide a lot of comical amusement

Spoiler warning,

With the new recruits now on the muster roll, Russia intends to build some Ships. This Dangerous activity will initially be done in a controlled environment. A Graduate academy to teach swimming & life saving techniques is also planned in as part of the naval project. -Safety First!-

What is Persia planning?

Hah

I am not going to say!

Knowing you, good sir, it will be insightful and quite impressive, and Persia will catch everyone out

Jason2 wrote:Knowing you, good sir, it will be insightful and quite impressive, and Persia will catch everyone out

It would be rather good if the action could shift away from England to Persia/India/Far East or Africa.  I have found that often the non-European input can bring a much more interesting and surprising slant to the game if players persevere.

Of course it is always possible that Persia will do something which causes England problems - Jacobite Naval Intelligence has already identified 7 possible options for Persia which could be awkward, but responses are already being planned.

Cuddly and gentle Hapsburg Spain will continue its pursuit of El-Dorado, a cure for smallpox, the ultimate hop for Belgian Beer and most importantly the perfect Havanna Cigar.

Have I become too soft and fluffy? And do I need to toughen up by ganing style ready for the Roman Game?

Of course it is always possible that Persia will do something which causes England problems - Jacobite Naval Intelligence has already identified 7 possible options for Persia which could be awkward, but responses are already being planned. study

Bugger, not only do I need to build a Navy it needs "Intelligence" as well, now at least I know one of the underlying problems I was having, building an "Unintelligent" Navy is probably at the core of the Russian problem.

Russia is looking for new real estate at the moment, which could add a whole new twist to the Colonial powers game.

Bah Russia doesn't need this new-fangled "intelligence"...shouting at the lower ranks, vodka, flogging and a love of the Czar is enough...

...carry on with this "intelligence" lark and someone will start suggesting freeing the serfs next...

With all the wars in G7, there could be a shortage of serfs to free?

Luckily Russian serfs breed like rabbits...but don't taste so good in a stew