Europa Universalis IV announced

[Drakken]

There was no election during his prominence, leading cavalry charges can do that for you. The protestant electors fighting the emperor did hope to install him as emperor and potentially set up a parallel protestant empire. The concession of religious freedom in the treaty of westphalia did put an end to that ambition.

There's no way the three (Catholic) ecclesiastical Electors and the Elector of Bohemia (who was then also Archduke of Austria) would have voted for Gustavus Adolphus, plus you add the voice of the Elector of Bavaria, one of his harshest opponents, who was replacing the vote of the Rhenan Palatine, personally under Imperial Ban for trying to be King of Bohemia in the stead of the King of Bohemia - and failing.

While a majority is required de iure, by convention Emperors are usually elected by unanimous acclamation. Hence why his candidacy would have been a funny joke, akind to Ron Paul today. Yeah the Protestant princes would jizz at the theory of G2A as an Emperor, but it would have broken the Empire and Central Europe apart as the Catholic princes, Spain, Austria, and most possibly Poland, Denmark-Norway, and even France would have never accepted such a threat on their frontiers. Plus you'd replace one bellicosely intolerant Catholic Emperor (Ferdinand of Styria) for another as much bellicosely intolerant, but Protestant one. At least the Austrian Habsburgs were - most of them at least - renowned for their pragmatism and adaptability, while Gustavus Adolphus was an unknown factor, and even at the time was not known for his willingness to compromise.

Alos, I remind you, when we say "Protestant" in Holy Imperial politics, it excludes Calvinists, Reformed, and all other Anabaptist sects from the lot. The animosity between Lutherans and Calvinists was almost as bad as both Protestant sects against Catholics.

[Viking]

well, presumably this "election" was going to happen with swedish armies in wien, or after a declaration of independence by the protestants princes in league with sweden.

I'm not suggesting he had any chance of winning fair and square, I'm just saying he was a candidate.

[Zanza]

No it's not, because how is Spain supposed to get to Mexico in anything close to the historical timeframe then?

You can get all exploration ideas by 1519, which gives you a CB on all pagans.

[Caliga]

Yeah, I've since gotten that.

[Grallon]

How do you download any mods from that steam thing!? 



G.

[Anatron]

How do you download any mods from that steam thing!? 



G.

select the "subscribe"

[Anatron]

Now, my HRE history knowledge is admittedly limited, but France has now been emperor for 2 terms. Would it have been possible to have an emperor that isn't also a member?

If you vassalize hte HRE princes then they will vote for you to become the Emperor.In multiplayer I vassalized Cologne and Trier as Burgundy,so they voting for me now.

[Josquius]

I'm not quite getting trade. So I'm Burgundy and I've colonies in the Americas. I need to tell my merchants to push trade forward right? Yet...it all seems to go to London and not Antwerp...

[Valmy]

Now, my HRE history knowledge is admittedly limited, but France has now been emperor for 2 terms. Would it have been possible to have an emperor that isn't also a member?

I think Sigismund was only King of Hungary when he was elected. 

[Anatron]

I'm not quite getting trade. So I'm Burgundy and I've colonies in the Americas. I need to tell my merchants to push trade forward right? Yet...it all seems to go to London and not Antwerp...

Unfortunately there is no direct connection from Northe Sea to Antwerp.
So if you have colonies in North America you have to send a merchant to Cheaspeake Bay and forward the trade to North Sea->Lübeck->Antwerpen

In long term you should capture Savoy and Genoa too.Then later you can use the Genoa trade nods to tranfer trade from the Indias too.

[Anatron]

Now, my HRE history knowledge is admittedly limited, but France has now been emperor for 2 terms. Would it have been possible to have an emperor that isn't also a member?

I think Sigismund was only King of Hungary when he was elected.

Sigismund of Luxemburg:

1387 – 1437 King of Hungary

1419 – 1437 King of Bohemia

1433 – 1437 Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigismund,_Holy_Roman_Emperor

[Drakken]

I'm not quite getting trade. So I'm Burgundy and I've colonies in the Americas. I need to tell my merchants to push trade forward right? Yet...it all seems to go to London and not Antwerp...

Unfortunately there is no direct connection from Northe Sea to Antwerp.
So if you have colonies in North America you have to send a merchant to Cheaspeake Bay and forward the trade to North Sea->Lübeck->Antwerpen

That's not entirely exact. He should use his Merchant to Collect Trade from his American colonies, and part of their trade revenues will magically transport itself to his budget. Otherwise, its trade revenues will be lost.

[Zanza]

That's not entirely exact. He should use his Merchant to Collect Trade from his American colonies, and part of their trade revenues will magically transport itself to his budget. Otherwise, its trade revenues will be lost.

That only works if there is no competition in Chesapeake Bay. If there is competition there, he get's a -80% or so modifier on trade efficiency as he is collecting outside his home node. That's very hard to compensate if the competitors send ships.
The right way to get trade from North America would then be to let England forward as much trade as possible to London and send a trader and huge amounts of small ships to London to forward trade from there to Antwerpen. That will still mean England collects a lot of it in London, but you'll almost certainly lose more on the North Sea > Lübeck route as Lübeck and North Sea are quite competitive as well.

[Viking]

What is Assad doing in his bunker when not ordering Chemical Weapons attacks? Playing EUIV apparently, just look at his diplomacy...

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Syrian-FM-Syria-formally-confirms-mission-to-restore-Israeli-occupied-Golan-Heights-327477

Syrian FM: Syria formally confirms mission to restore 'Israeli-occupied' Golan Heights

What does he get? Prestige +10? And how does he deal with being 10 tech levels behind the  in mil?

[Caliga]

That only works if there is no competition in Chesapeake Bay. If there is competition there, he get's a -80% or so modifier on trade efficiency as he is collecting outside his home node. That's very hard to compensate if the competitors send ships.
The right way to get trade from North America would then be to let England forward as much trade as possible to London and send a trader and huge amounts of small ships to London to forward trade from there to Antwerpen. That will still mean England collects a lot of it in London, but you'll almost certainly lose more on the North Sea > Lübeck route as Lübeck and North Sea are quite competitive as well.

I don't really get this trade shit.  It's too complicated.  TBH I have hated trade in all of the EU games and wish they'd just do away with merchants and any mechanic involving management of trade at all.  I just want to conquer places and control the trade from them, and focus my energy elsewhere.