Choosing a Nation

Maybe an idea would be to limit the geographical scope of a sort of mini game "G11" just having the Holy Roman Empire active there are positions enough for every one. With Other Major powers as NPC

Or the 18 Provinces of China all with players & an NPC Emperor, with all foreign influence banned.

Austria is a difficult position, in theory you possess the largest Army in the Reich and the enormous prestige of being HRE.  In practice you need to be constantly alert to any threat from the Turks whilst trying to resist any attempt by the French to establish hegemony over Western Europe.  On paper an alliance of Reich states possesses the strength to stand against anyone, however trying to get the various Electors to act in unison is like herding cats.

Austria is you are correct a Major Power with issues.

It's central position between East & West mean it must constantly be on it's guard.
The HRR is a potential powerhouse, but unfortunately because a lot of the elemental parts of the Empire are inactive it is hard to get a degree of common purpose.

If your lucky & either France or Ottomans invade an appeal from Vienna may get the Reichsarmee to rally to your aid but it is never certain that everyone will do their bit.

There is also the religious question, historically as a Hapsburg & staunch Catholic you can champion the cause, but this may alienate the Protestant Electors. Relations with Rome ( may it never burn) are also not always easy.

Austria is a constant tight rope walk position, you need to be diplomatically on your game & try to get friends & allies because there are a lot of enemies out there.

J Flower wrote:Austria is you are correct a Major Power with issues.

It's central position between East & West mean it must constantly be on it's guard.
The HRR is a potential powerhouse, but unfortunately because a lot of the elemental parts of the Empire are inactive it is hard to get a degree of common purpose.

If your lucky & either France or Ottomans invade an appeal from Vienna may get the Reichsarmee to rally to your aid but it is never certain that everyone will do their bit.

There is also the religious question, historically as a Hapsburg & staunch Catholic you can champion the cause, but this may alienate the Protestant Electors. Relations with Rome ( may it never burn) are also not always easy.

Austria is a constant tight rope walk position, you need to be diplomatically on your game & try to get friends & allies because there are a lot of enemies out there.

I think Austria is the most tricky position of the game.

UK has a complicated handling, due to the many aspects you have to manage, like colony, market, parliament, Scotland and not least the Jacobite pretenders. BUT you are isolated on an island, and it is not easy to bring a huge army to London to create a severe problem.

Russia is backwards, but has huge manpower and a condition that, despite the absence of natural barriers, makes hard to conquer the entire country. Also, it is quite difficult for a non european country, to generate a real menace to Moscow, and is instead quite easy to locate all productive assets in the safe area of urals.

Spain has america. France has manpower and tech advance.

Austria has a lot of potential advantages but difficult to keep on the table, as Hungarians and Bohemians might be as problematic ad Scottish and Irish, but less global trade power is provided to balance the situation. Also a player in the HRE could easily become a pain in the neck rather than a resource, for example if they adopt a strategy of expanding themselves into the Empire. Not to mention the religious issues.

i really cannot imagine a more challenging position to be as a player (with a nation, being the jacobite pretendent do is more difficult, since you do not have a nation on your own).

try Venice play it hard and use other assests apart from ships ....was top of the honour roll for over 1 real year when I played

Kingmaker wrote:try Venice play it hard and use other assests apart from ships ....was top of the honour roll for over 1 real year when I played

How hard is venice in your opinion?

Think that if someone is looking to play a micro position interesting ones (other than a out and out Pirate) to look at are:

1) Ragusa .....a Catholic Naval and Trade based position which historically pays a small tribute to the King of Hungary (Austria) and the Ottoman Sultan for protection and lower tarrifs on its trade.

Historic Trade Rival of Venice & probably needs a Friendly Sultan or Rumelian player but being a Catholic Ottoman could be interesting.

2) Danzig.......A German city with a lots of Scots in it which was centre for Baltic Grain Trade and the most important Port in the Polish Commonwealth.  Famous for being well defended & more of an Exchange than a Naval power in its own right but in theory you could build a  Venice in the North or even lobby for your Shipyards to get that Russian Naval Contract.

3) French Corsairs.......can be played as simple "Pirates" but its more interesting to note how socially well established some of these Captains were.  Forbin for instance was one of the select few who attended Louis XIV wedding to his 2nd wife & he also sailed the Old Pretender to Scotland in 1708 but brought him back.  Feel that this is more like a French version of Francis Drake than Blackbeard.

To really get into the role play aspect you really need a generous and easy going French Player who is not just going to throw you into the Bastille on sight.  But I like to think that G10 has shown that a really minor French Corsair position does not harm France and may even be of help.

Basically, France is such a huge position that some times it helps to have a 2nd Int Service, a second lot of R & D going on & a second lot of French propaganda.  Likewise if a war starts the "Privateering branch" can do nothing which the French Navy could not do but if you are a French Player trying to run a major land war & run major fleet moves someone else doing the small stuff is no bad thing.

Venice needs money and tech theory have bases just need to update their tech hard but interesting

Nexus06 wrote:

Kingmaker wrote:try Venice play it hard and use other assests apart from ships ....was top of the honour roll for over 1 real year when I played

How hard is venice in your opinion?

From the view point of Rumelia in G2 Venice was very hard........positively Cockroach like in its ability to soak up punishment and bounce back.

Its Merchants were better than Ottoman Merchants, its Navy (at one stage up to 50 Lineships & 50 Frigates plus Galleys many Ships with crack crews) was better than the Ottoman.  Its Army was also very good though it lacked lacked Light Infantry & Light Cavalry & its Cavalry in general got hammered by Rumelian Lancers.

If Venice is a small power its a very big small power!  Probably fair to view it as top of the 2nd Division with a possible premotion to 1st if like in one game someone gifts Venice the Duchy of Milan.

From Rumelian point of view I always considered that Austria and Venice were natural allies and if Austria Army and Venices Navy ever co-operated I was dead meat.

Hah! from my experience of running Austria and other positions,  Austria is a piece of Cake to play compared to the really tough positions like the Polish Commonwealth, Sweden, Jacobites, even Rumelia:

- As a German Catholic who is strong but not overbearingly strong like France,  Austria gets loads of possible Allies.  Being viewed as a possible anti Ottoman & anti French power even Protestants like England/UDP & non Catholics like Russia & Persia are likely to be friendly.

- If you play the Emperor properly showing due respect for the Electors & the Aulic Council and do no go around trying to take over other Imperial Estates its a licence to print honour points.

- Its not a religious minority Govt like Rumelia or the Moghul & its not geographically spread all over the place like Spain, Venice, Prussia, Sweden and the Western Colonial powers.

- Its got a really good Army with drill bored cannon, Light Infantry, Light Cavalry & all other types of Cavalry & Troops plus its commanded by one of the worlds great Generals.

- Ok its not got a Navy or Colonies but its only got a small coastline to defend and its not totally landlocked.  I always think a offer to provide drill bored cannon to the Venice, UDP and Bavaria is a good way to start talks over security in the Adriatic and building a canal to link the Danube to the Rhine and the North Sea.  Really lucky Austrian Emperors get the 2nd son or other relative made King of Spain.....end of problem ref Navy and getting colonial markets for Austrian Manufactures and getting loads of really cheap high quality tobacco etc.

Kingmaker wrote:King has no power he is an elected monarchy  it needs all 4 heads of the commonwealth  to agree to go to war and every one in the Polish Sjem must vote in favour. The King is head of state has no power

Having played Augustus the Strong Elector of Saxony and King of Poland I would argue that for a cunning diplomatic player willing to play a very long game (did anyone say Jason) the Crown of Poland is not just a empty title which gives a otherwise fairly standard German State a few extra honour points.

Ok if you ask the Sejim of Poland, Lithuania, Courland etc for troops or cash the answer is a big fat "NO" and a demand that the King should "live on his own" but the right to summon the regional Sejim is very very handy for meeting the nobility and building up your own party. Plus if the place was invaded by nasty Turks, Russians etc the answer may become a yes esp if you can provide the cash. And some of these forces were substantial like the 200 Squadrons of Cossacks in Lithuania

As King you can also:

- Recruit freely across the Commonwealth (may change in parts which are player Character).

- Hire troops in the Commonwealth......I had agreement with by Loyal West Bank Cossacks to hire 200 Squadrons of Light Cavalry. The fact that I did not have the cash was a bit of a problem but in the right circumstances think the Emperor, King of France or Even the Pope would have paid.......plus a really big profit to Augustus.

- Station Royal Troops as you see fit.....I was building a Royal Navy in Danzig & building a nice Royal Fortress to Guard the Ottoman border. Basically I had a picture of of invaders taking out a few heroic defenders and thinking this is easy then getting swamped by Winged Hussars, Cossacks after the Sejem had been inspired to say "YES"

- Invest & trade across the Commonwealth (handy for Saxon Miners). Even clear large areas of Timber on the Royal Esates to plant extra crops.

- As King appoint own officiers and clerks (agents) to Administration of State & Church. So while it was not the Kings money to spend he know exactly how much tax was in the treasuries and his Royal Hetmen were making sure active troops were being drilled & equiped and via same Hetmen could make proposals to Sejem about spending some of that states revenue so tolls on foreign traders were being used to fund new port & defences for Danzig.

- As King run Polish foreign policy. Ref declarations of War the King & any Polish Lord has the right to declare war inc the right to declare war on the King if he breaks the "Pacta Conventa" in some way. Note always write your own.....do not allow Richard to write a "Pacta Conventa" for you!

Basically, to do things as King of Poland you are either a) Using limited Saxon Money b) Using funds from allies or c) Acting like a CEO trying to convince a really skinflint board of Directors that they should spend some cash. Compared to more normal positions its really, really hard and I dropped after two Famines in two years effectively wiped out Saxony.

But if you can dodge early Famines which can ruin any position I think it may (and I stress the may) be possible to use the Royal Position to do something with the Commonwealth. But its hugely challenging and tough position suitable only for a really flexible player.

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Kingmaker wrote:King has no power he is an elected monarchy  it needs all 4 heads of the commonwealth  to agree to go to war and every one in the Polish Sjem must vote in favour. The King is head of state has no power

Having played Augustus the Strong Elector of Saxony and King of Poland I would argue that for a cunning diplomatic player willing to play a very long game (did anyone say Jason) the Crown of Poland is not just a empty title which gives a otherwise fairly standard German State a few extra honour points.

Ok if you ask the Sejim of Poland, Lithuania, Courland etc for troops or cash the answer is a big fat "NO" and a demand that the King should "live on his own" but the right to summon the regional Sejim is very very handy for meeting the nobility and building up your own party.  Plus if the place was invaded by nasty Turks, Russians etc the answer may become a yes esp if you can provide the cash.  And some of these forces were substantial like the 200 Squadrons of Cossacks in Lithuania

As King you can also:

- Recruit freely across the Commonwealth (may change in parts which are player Character).

- Hire troops in the Commonwealth......I had agreement with by Loyal West Bank Cossacks to hire 200 Squadrons of Light Cavalry.  The fact that I did not have the cash was a bit of a problem but in the right circumstances think the Emperor, King of France or Even the Pope would have paid.......plus a really big profit to Augustus.

- Station Royal Troops as you see fit.....I was building a Royal Navy in Danzig & building a nice Royal Fortress to Guard the Ottoman border.  Basically I had a picture of of invaders taking out a few heroic defenders and thinking this is easy then getting swamped by Winged Hussars, Cossacks after the Sejem had been inspired to say "YES"

- Invest & trade across the Commonwealth (handy for Saxon Miners).  Even clear large areas of Timber on the Royal Esates to plant extra crops.

- As King appoint own officiers and clerks (agents) to Administration of State & Church.  So while it was not the Kings money to spend he know exactly how much tax was in the treasuries and his Royal Hetmen were making sure active troops were being drilled & equiped and via same Hetmen could make proposals to Sejem about spending some of that states revenue so tolls on foreign traders were being used to fund new port & defences for Danzig.

- As King run Polish foreign policy.  Ref declarations of War the King & any Polish Lord has the right to declare war inc the right to declare war on the King if he breaks the "Pacta Conventa" in some way.  Note always write your own.....do not allow Richard to write a "Pacta Conventa" for you!

Basically, to do things as King of Poland you are either a) Using limited Saxon Money b) Using funds from allies or c) Acting like a CEO trying to convince a really skinflint board of Directors that they should spend some cash.  Compared to more normal positions its really, really hard and I dropped after two Famines in two years effectively wiped out Saxony.

But if you can dodge early Famines which can ruin any position I think it may (and I stress the may) be possible to use the Royal Position to do something with the Commonwealth.  But its hugely challenging and tough position suitable only for a really flexible player.



   

So Sad you had to drop! are you sure you do not want to give a second try?

Nexus06 wrote:

So Sad you had to drop! are you shure you do not want to give a second try?

I already play in two games of Glori du Roi & in Scrable for Empire (or Scrable for Railway Concessions in my case) plus if and when it starts I would like to play in the Roman Game.

Anyone know when the Roman Game is due to start?

If one of these games folds in the future I might look at trying a Polish position again. But I think I am more likely to have a go that an Indian or Far East position since I have not had one of these.

In a totally new game of Glori I still think I can be trusted to play Sweden & give the Russians and the Danes the odd challenge.

Last I think we heard, Richard said that he'd start the Roman game when turn processing had sped up.

Not sure what the current state of that and the roman game is.

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Nexus06 wrote:

So Sad you had to drop! are you shure you do not want to give a second try?

I already play in two games of Glori du Roi & in Scrable for Empire (or Scrable for Railway Concessions in my case) plus if and when it starts I would like to play in the Roman Game.

Anyone know when the Roman Game is due to start?

If one of these games folds in the future I might look at trying a Polish position again.  But I think I am more likely to have a go that an Indian or Far East position since I have not had one of these.

In a totally new game of Glori I still think I can be trusted to play Sweden & give the Russians and the Danes the odd challenge.

 

It was just a selfish statement on my side, as i was very happy to have a polish neightbourgh!