So I started a new game as Muscovy, and after a rough start (Novgorod annexed both of the countries north of me in the first three years) I managed to assimilate significant bits of my immediate neighbors and secured 7 coastal cores in former Finland (Sweden annexed all of Scandinavia).

I spent a couple years pumping ships out, and once I had a fleet of about 12 carracks and a few smaller ships I decided to go poke my nose around. Unfortunately I happened to be at war with England, and a fleet of 64 carracks annihilated my little armada.

WTF, England?

Skilledblob

Germany3392 Posts

July 30 2011 00:37 GMT

#502

england starts with 30 carracks so dont bother trying to beat them in a sea fight

Igakusei

United States610 Posts

July 30 2011 00:59 GMT

#503

So it would seem. Well, I guess I'll keep hammering at Lithuania and Poland while re-building the navy.

All the Khanates to the southeast are annoying as hell because you can't annex them, and you can only "invade" as fast as you can recruit colonists.

Skilledblob

Germany3392 Posts

July 30 2011 01:02 GMT

#504

better focus on forming russia and expanding to the east. There really is no need for russia to have any kind of navy

Pondo

Australia283 Posts

July 30 2011 08:50 GMT

#505

I've just started playing for a couple days now and I don't get conquering a province? I occupy them but when do I get ownership? Do I have to wait X years?
I've just given up and accepted their peace treaty for most of their provinces; but then my reputation goes down!?

Ramong

Denmark1706 Posts

July 30 2011 10:29 GMT

#506

You get infamy, BAD reputation when you take provinces.
So a large conquest is not always the best solution.

When you have taken a province you have to wait 50 years before your country recognize it as your own.

Skilledblob

Germany3392 Posts

July 30 2011 12:44 GMT

#507

On July 30 2011 17:50 Pondo wrote:
I've just started playing for a couple days now and I don't get conquering a province? I occupy them but when do I get ownership? Do I have to wait X years?
I've just given up and accepted their peace treaty for most of their provinces; but then my reputation goes down!?

when you win a war of course you should be the one setting the conditions for a peace

left click any province of the opposing country, in the bottom left will open a window which in it's top has a button which allows you to set the peace conditions.

the next window that pops up will tell you the % which your current conquest is worth. This % number gives you a general direction of how much you can demand from the enemy before they will decline your peace offer. 100% being the maximum.

You got the options Annex, Demand Tribute, White Peace ( nothing for anybody), Give tribute

of course if you win you want to annex them if they are a small country meaning around 3-4 provinces. You can only annex when you won the sieges in all of their provinces.

Demand tribute should be the option used the most. Depending on your Casus Belli you get varying bonuses on the different forms of tribute you can get e.g. a reduction of the infamy gained through annexing provinces.

Annexing whole countries, provinces or vassalizing them will give you Infamy, if you hover over the Infamy number in the top right of your screen you can see a limit on the start it should look like this 0.0 / 33.0

the first number is your current infamy and the second one is your infamy limit. Go above this limit and every country around you will gang up on you because they simply hate you for your warmongering.

I hope this helps you a bit

Igakusei

United States610 Posts

July 30 2011 17:24 GMT

#508

It seems like the size limits on a target country for annexing (3-4 provinces) are very close to the size limit for forced vassalization. Any bigger, and the price for vassalization is listed at >100%. Aside from infamy, is there ever a reason I should vassalize the remnants of a conquered nation rather than just annex them?

Skilledblob

Germany3392 Posts

July 30 2011 17:31 GMT

#509

On July 31 2011 02:24 Igakusei wrote:
It seems like the size limits on a target country for annexing (3-4 provinces) are very close to the size limit for forced vassalization. Any bigger, and the price for vassalization is listed at >100%. Aside from infamy, is there ever a reason I should vassalize the remnants of a conquered nation rather than just annex them?

you can later annex a vassal through diplomacy which gives you a lot less infamy. Aside from that a vassal is a reliable alliance partner, pays you money, and depending on their size can field soldiers to help you out.

Igakusei

United States610 Posts

July 30 2011 17:47 GMT

#510

Ah, good to know. Do vassals reliably stay pretty loyal? Can they break the alliance by refusing to enter a war that you later start? That was one of the things I hated about vassals in total war games: you are eventually forced to go to war with them anyway.

Advocado

Denmark994 Posts

July 30 2011 17:59 GMT

#511

Does anyone know if building a marketplace on a province with Gold as a trade ressource is a complete waste seeing as it has 0 local trade value? o_O

MadVillain

United States402 Posts

July 30 2011 18:42 GMT

#512

Good tutorial, I'm watching it now and it has mad getting into this game much easier.

Happy conquering!

Ramong

Denmark1706 Posts

July 30 2011 18:43 GMT

#513

On July 31 2011 02:59 Advocado wrote:
Does anyone know if building a marketplace on a province with Gold as a trade ressource is a complete waste seeing as it has 0 local trade value? o_O

Yes, I believe that it is a wast of time.

Euronyme

Sweden3804 Posts

July 30 2011 21:26 GMT

#514

On July 31 2011 03:42 MadVillain wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9kVHkqLhuE

Good tutorial, I'm watching it now and it has mad getting into this game much easier.

Happy conquering!

Watched it too, but couldn't stand the voice more than five minutes and just gave up and started testing myself..
Honestly you just have to hover your mouse over shit to see what it does.. Trial and error solves the rest. Took me about three days to understand it all. A few things still bug me when it comes to naval combat (how the fuck one pirate shit can kill a 300 stack of threedeckers (late game caracks) with full 4 star morale 0 attrition damage and a good captain, but that's about it.
I usually stick with ground wars in Germany anyway as I find that the most exciting. Screw colonies :p

Skilledblob

Germany3392 Posts

July 30 2011 22:17 GMT

#515

On July 31 2011 02:47 Igakusei wrote:
Ah, good to know. Do vassals reliably stay pretty loyal? Can they break the alliance by refusing to enter a war that you later start? That was one of the things I hated about vassals in total war games: you are eventually forced to go to war with them anyway.

vassals are forced to help you in a war when you are allied with them, they cant refuse

Advocado

Denmark994 Posts

July 31 2011 03:38 GMT

#516

Is there any general consensus on the best which advisors are the best? (type)

Skilledblob

Germany3392 Posts

July 31 2011 15:03 GMT

#517

On July 31 2011 12:38 Advocado wrote:
Is there any general consensus on the best which advisors are the best? (type)

it can be very situational.

Personally I like the inflation reduction, the diplomat for infamy reduction and then depending on what country I play third advisor most of the time one who increases tech speed.

BeigeVolvo

Norway17 Posts

July 31 2011 15:13 GMT

#518

On July 31 2011 12:38 Advocado wrote:
Is there any general consensus on the best which advisors are the best? (type)

Early game the flat modifier advisors are the best (tech, inflation, infamy).

Late game the percentage modifier advisors are the best (production, trade, tariffs, discipline).

YourMom

Romania565 Posts

July 31 2011 17:41 GMT

#519

Neat game but I have like over 40% inflation 50 years in lol. Is it FUBAR ? :D