Is EU3 fun yet?

[Habbaku]

After playing a second game, I am convinced that the itty bitty French vassals need to be removed and France should control those places directly from the start. Otherwise, with a 1399 start, AI France invariably gets crushed (usually by Burgundy, sometimes also by England and Castile). Only Brittany and Provence/Anjou should really be independent, the rest of them should just be merged with France right away. After all, there aren't separate earldoms in England, or other feudal vassals in Castile, Sweden, Poland, or wherever, so there's no reason for France to be singled out.

In the five-odd GCs I've started as Castille (playing through the first hundred years or so to get the feel of things), I've only seen France crushed by their neighbors once.  I hardly thinks it's an "invariable" thing for them to do so.  Nonetheless, those vassal states are a rather large drag on the home country, but without them you have the issue of a united France beating up everyone around them rather handily.

[Barrister]

As well I can't think of historical examples of English or Castillian vassals actively allying or plotting with foreign powers the way it happened in France during that time period.

[DGuller]

After playing a second game, I am convinced that the itty bitty French vassals need to be removed and France should control those places directly from the start. Otherwise, with a 1399 start, AI France invariably gets crushed (usually by Burgundy, sometimes also by England and Castile). Only Brittany and Provence/Anjou should really be independent, the rest of them should just be merged with France right away. After all, there aren't separate earldoms in England, or other feudal vassals in Castile, Sweden, Poland, or wherever, so there's no reason for France to be singled out.

It didn't turn out that way in my Ottoman game on the latest beta.  France blobbed up very nicely, up to their modern borders and then a little beyond, by the time of the Reformation.  However, it seems like they're on an irreversible path towards collapse as of this moment.  They got suckered into becoming a badboy, with all one province minors DOWing them and then surprisingly getting annexed.  If that wasn't enough, after at least a solid decade of BB wars, with a WE of merely 18, they decided to convert to Protestant.  Good luck with that.

[Razgovory]

Protestantism is the path to ruin.  I've never been able to do well as the Ottomans.  Since historically they conquered alot of their coreligionists following that path leads to alot of badboy.  Conquering the the Egyptians is tough.  And when you finally get to the point where you are besieging Alexandria Hungary decides to declare war.   Though I did once manage to turn Russia into a progressive democratic and technologically superior state, which is pretty unrealistic.

[Viking]

As well I can't think of historical examples of English or Castillian vassals actively allying or plotting with foreign powers the way it happened in France during that time period.

I think both those nations stopped doing such silly things hundreds of years earlier. Silly shit like that brought in the Moors and Louis I of England. 

[Viking]

I've been trying to get "Ewige Landesfrieden" as Holy Roman Emperor as Great Britain. I've done it 4 times now. I don't get a Diet event telling me no even. Anybody know what's going on there? Would it help if I vassalized everybody or got them all to +200 ?

[Razgovory]

What are you trying to do?

[Viking]

What are you trying to do?

Well, form the HRE obviously. Ewige Landesfrieden is one of the steps in forming it.

[Barrister]

As well I can't think of historical examples of English or Castillian vassals actively allying or plotting with foreign powers the way it happened in France during that time period.

I think both those nations stopped doing such silly things hundreds of years earlier. Silly shit like that brought in the Moors and Louis I of England.

Hence why I said "in that time period".

[Solmyr]

I've been trying to get "Ewige Landesfrieden" as Holy Roman Emperor as Great Britain. I've done it 4 times now. I don't get a Diet event telling me no even. Anybody know what's going on there? Would it help if I vassalized everybody or got them all to +200 ?

I've had that too. It seems you cannot have the game paused while selecting the HRE reforms, or they won't fire (though imperial power is still subtracted).

[Solmyr]

As well I can't think of historical examples of English or Castillian vassals actively allying or plotting with foreign powers the way it happened in France during that time period.

I think both those nations stopped doing such silly things hundreds of years earlier. Silly shit like that brought in the Moors and Louis I of England.

War of the Roses? War of Castilian succession? Granted in the former there wasn't a lot of international interference (IIRC) but still, those conflicts saw some part of the nobility oppose the reigning monarch. This is already simulated via events in the game, why would France be special and also have actual vassals?

Btw, in my games it's usually Burgundy blobbing, after it crushes France.

[DGuller]

Protestantism is the path to ruin.

It can work well, just don't do it when only 20% of your provinces are Protestant, and you're at maximum war exhaustion.

I've never been able to do well as the Ottomans.  Since historically they conquered alot of their coreligionists following that path leads to alot of badboy.  Conquering the the Egyptians is tough.  And when you finally get to the point where you are besieging Alexandria Hungary decides to declare war.   Though I did once manage to turn Russia into a progressive democratic and technologically superior state, which is pretty unrealistic.

Actually, the fellow Muslims help me out by becoming bad boys.  I've driven the Mameluks back to Egypt without ever paying more than 1 Infamy point per province.  At this point I think I can vassalize them with a subjugation mission.  Castille and Portugal are also doing their part on their end of Africa, so hopefully they'll take care of some Muslim states on their own.

[katmai]

Yeah in my limited experience now (3 GC games) Burgundy is the Blob on the Continent.

[DGuller]

I've been trying to get "Ewige Landesfrieden" as Holy Roman Emperor as Great Britain. I've done it 4 times now. I don't get a Diet event telling me no even. Anybody know what's going on there? Would it help if I vassalized everybody or got them all to +200 ?

It would help.  When you have no notice, it means that the majority voted down your proposal.  Check the log, you'll see it.  Try proposing it after you've come to the aid of a couple of HRE members, and everyone is over the moon with you.

[DGuller]

In my Ottoman game, Burgundy is down to OPM status.  The fatal blow was it collapsing and releasing two big Low Countries.