Game 10

Just ignore little Abyssinia we are not bothering anyone but we sent a letter to the mighty king of Portugal and hope to open up European Trade and will contact my African neighbor this turn.

Busy in my lands we are sending students to some schools we built and to do research on agriculture.

Then there is the adding of sewers and will be ordering the cities fortified and a palace built in the capital.

And I'll be focusing on arranging a strong defensive posture militia will be arranged for as part of long term plans and am asking for a count of those willing this month to defend their nation largely in support roles but the top men and women will be trained to use hunting rifles and in actions to give hell to the enemy abusing the home advantages.

Well making good moves not all my actions were processed so need to do some of those to. Busy.

But my people seem happy.

Nation building in the early turns is something I tend to do a lot of  Trying to get the basic infrastructure right does seem to work for me.

If you're finding not all your orders are being processed, it might be worth looking into the "extra orders" option, if you feel you can afford it.

Well they had taxes to adjust not a simple thing I'm sure. Anyway the big projects I wanted done are done.

I'll need my December income before doing more however no one I think will invade me this early and I have to do the Prospecting as my first action its important.

Then put recruits to work studying medicine, agriculture and doing research in that.

Then begin fortifications and a palace my leader paying some of the cost for the palace.

Most actions now are simple now.

While I never want to put anything past Richard, non-player nations don't invade others. I guess if a player gave some really huge provocation, it might happen. I think it's just the natural consequence of the nature of the game. If Richard really had to run invasions for all the unplayed nations, he'd get swamped in a ton of work.

So you should be safe from invasion unless you do something to provoke it (highly unlikely), or some other player decides to invade you (also highly unlikely). You're out of the main area of play, so you are surrounded by non-player nations and you should be safe until you go to war with one. And as long as you've spent the time and energy to plan that correctly, it shouldn't be hard.

True, I'm not planning on invading anyone, but its good to have sound defenses just in case.

tkolter wrote:True, I'm not planning on invading anyone, but its good to have sound defenses just in case.

And a sound defence also makes a good base for building an offensive force on...

The Real Louis wrote:

tkolter wrote:True, I'm not planning on invading anyone, but its good to have sound defenses just in case.

And a sound defence also makes a good base for building an offensive force on...

Or could just be a good force for a defence, enabling promotion of trade and winning the cultural and economic wars.

Nice thing I'm running a medium sized power.

I wonder if the Pope has thouhgt about what he is getting himself into by mixing it with the Hapsburgs & Bourbon factions in Italy.

I theory he is Spiritual leader of the Catholic world, so they should all listen to him.

Karl/ Leopold/ Louis have all sidestepped the throne of Spain , Louis( & therefore also Phillip) gave it to Leopold, Leopold didn't want nor did Karl, so we see the king of Portugal in the frame. A man desended from John I of Portugal also from the Daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon & Queen Isabella, Maria of Aragon , Queen of Portugal. So a line of succession exsists for him to be looked upon as a legitimate heir.

If he becomes king will we see France create it's own Pope in Avingon as it did in the past when the Pope upset things?

Will it be a race to the matches & lamp oil, for the gold medallion in Rome burning?

Is it time for Dutch insurance brokers to start seeling fire insurance policies in Rome?

Questions all awaiting answers in coming episodes of G10

J Flower wrote:I wonder if the Pope has thouhgt about what he is getting himself into by mixing it with the Hapsburgs & Bourbon factions in Italy.

I theory he is Spiritual leader of the Catholic world, so they should all listen to him.

Karl/ Leopold/ Louis have all sidestepped the throne of Spain , Louis( & therefore also Phillip)  gave it to Leopold, Leopold didn't want nor did Karl, so we see the king of Portugal in the frame. A man desended from John I of Portugal also from the Daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon & Queen Isabella, Maria of Aragon , Queen of Portugal. So a line of succession exsists for him to be looked upon as a legitimate heir.

If he becomes king will we see France create it's own Pope in Avingon as it did in the past when the Pope upset things?

Will it be a race to the matches & lamp oil, for the gold medallion in Rome burning?

Is it time for Dutch insurance brokers to start seeling fire insurance policies in Rome?

Questions all awaiting answers in coming episodes of G10

The Pope is the Spiritual leader of the Catholic World, so they have to listen to him on Spiritual matters. But inheritence law is not a Spiritual matter so over the inheritence of Carlos II the opinion of the Pope is purely advisory. Or perhaps a bit stronger than this ref Naples and Sardinia which are technically Papal fiefs (unlike Sicily).

Think the most extreme example of what happen to a Pope who really upsets one of the great Noble houses is the 1530's sack of Rome by the Hapsburg Army of the Emperor Charles V.

But I think I prefer the account of how Philip Augustus of France dealt with problems with Rome over his right to appoint French Bishops. Not only did his agent kidnap the Pope so roughly that the old bloke expired rather than give the answer Philip wanted but Gwilliam de Nugent then got around this small problem by locking a load of Cardinals in a upstairs room without food and water and lighting a fire down stairs so the room filled with smoke (not nice in the middle of a Roman summer) until the Holy Spirit entered them and they elected a new Pope willing to give Philip Augustus the document he needed. This remains one of the fastest Papal elections on record.

As the Portugese claim is via a cadet (in this case questionable birth as well) branch of the old Royal tree which replaced the legitimate line in Portugal but not in Spain. For their claim to be accepted this would mean the Pope will have to put aside many legitimate heirs and waive 1000 years of canon law. If the Bourbons and Hapsburgs decide to drop their claims to the Throne of Spain may I point out that Philippe d'Orleans Viceroy of Flanders is from a cadat branch of the Bourbon Family and would therefore have a much better claim than any Portugese!

At last a solution to the Spanish succession........all we need is the Pope to fudge ignore canon law and avoid Church Councils, fires and sacks of Rome for long enough to Crown Philip IV of Spain!

May have to look up the Mad, Bad Jimmie Stuart Guide (from G7) to running a somewhat unpopular Monarchy and what to do about Nobles who have been plotting High Treason. Sending Cardinal Portocarrero as Spanish envoy to Russia or perhaps Siam seems like a good start.

Sorry Stuart, I can't agree. I think you're diminishing the Pope too much.

The Pope has great influence. No, he can't dictate. But A legitimate complaint from the Pope I think can move a catholic power's honour... both ways. A wise catholic ruler will pick his battles with the Pope carefully. Just like a wise pope will not overuse his influence. You could try kidnapping the Pope in game, but I'm willing to bet that without a LOT of provocation, this will crater your honour, and give huge bushels of it to every catholic who attacks you.

At this point, both legitimate heirs have rejected the throne. They can certainly change their minds, and then try to persuade the Spanish lords to support them, but to date that has really not happened. Phillipe seems to be moving back towards taking the throne, but given the situation he does sort of need to win the Spanish over, not just wave his birth certificate at them.

That gives Portugal an opening. Spain needs a king. If the legitimate heirs won't own it, then somebody else will.

I'm not calling an outcome, and I don't really have an axe to grind, but I think the Pope has more influence, or should, than people give credit.

It is a tough position to play well, I think, but I wouldn't underestimate the power of the pope's opinion. The proviso is that people are smart. If the pope sticks to legitimate issues and the moral high ground, he will be strong. If he tries to get too political and self-dealing, he'll damage his own authority.

Have to admitt after reading the one page rule and time scales I assumed that the Pope is still NPC and Richard was giving things a little prod to get things moving.

From Agent reports it seems that most of the Spanish Army and regional cortez are fed up with the council in Madrid and just want a legitimate Monarch they can rally beind. So it seems if the Pope backs one of the legitimate heirs any new Spanish Player will be under huge pressure to accept the man with Papal backing and France and Austria will also be under pressure to accept any half way reasonable settlement and provide Spain with a Monarch. Doing your Christian Duty being very important in 1700.

What will be more interesting is if the Pope is seen to bow to Protestant pressure or start's trying to ignore Spanish law and attempts to start to try and split the Hapsburg-Bourbon inheritance into three or four. Basically this would put as back into the C13 & C14 with the Pope claiming superior authority over the Kings or Europe and a right to appoint who he likes to the Crowns of Europe.

At that point certain Protestant powers in G10 (you know who you are!) start to laugh themselves sick and start offering to sale fire insurance to Roman house owners and fire starter kits to visitors.

The Spanish Empire is going into at least 3 pieces as it is. That has nothing to do with 'protestant' anything. It has to do with Spain gambling on trying to keep it all and going for the illegitimate heir gambit. Had they moved past that and focused on a new heir, they might have been able to stave off paying off both France and Austria but I think that ship has sailed.

Now, France and Austria both want their price and are going to get it because Spain didn't win one to their side early on. At some point the spanish nobles will just thumb their noses at France and Austria and pick someone. I think we're seeing that now.

From winning the Spanish Succession in Game 8, I had a huge advantage in a pretty inactive France.

But I realized early on that you were going to have to give up something to get the deal done. I think Spanish players want to hold it all together and I can't blame them. But it is hard to run against both France and Austria when you need one of their heirs for a smooth transition.

I almost sent in a letter on the issue suggesting the leaders all get into the Colosseum wanting a piece of Spain these on wooden pieces the name on them and then toss in some clubs and shields and fight over it and those who leave with the wooden pieces get that territory leaving at a given set of points. Then its all fair the greatest warriors get the most stuff.

EDIT: I'm doing on my turns fortifications around each city, adding army camps bringing me up to four, building a palace for the Ivory Throne to be in, sending out prospectors as my first action this time and lets see building an academy to develop weapons improvements mostly along the lines of portable boom boom, small arms and indigenous weapons and tactics using these new weapons. And am sending recruits to my two training academies and my research campus. After I see what money I have in December will work on the roads and do some other small things. So seem to be doing well enough and well am happy I'm not in Europe right now. ^_^

I think that would be hilarious. Too bad it's a millennia and some out of period

Surely we'd have to fill it with water, so Stuart can get involved and commit some acts of piracy...sorry privateering...at the same time

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