Blitzing too far

[Jacke]

I found that when you get on the Blitz roll, it's all too easy to blitz too far. You bite off more than you can chew with way too many AI empires interested in ruining your whole day, especially before you build up your economy and MIC's.

When trying out Jirisys' Europa Barbarorum Mega Mod Pack for EB 1.2 v1.03, I found that with Atraphoenix' Realistic Movement Mod, it's even worse, as you'll usually be bigger and unable to both build troops and your cities at the same time.

It's easy to avoid it directly--just don't attack them (especially with a two-front war). But with the scripted interest in certain provinces, you can easily take out an Eleutheroi city and now find yourself with another empire fighting you. You get the warning, but you don't always listen.

Playing as Koinon Hellenon, I first found taking Kallatis in Mikra Skythia will bring the Getai to war. In my most recent game, I took Byzantion in Chersonesos Thraikia and got a persistent war with Pontos.

We'd gone to war before over them attacking Sinope and Trapezous, but I'd always gotten a ceasefire, trade rights, and a good chunk of Mnai from them every time. They wouldn't back down this time, so I attacked and conquered them, taking Nikaia, Sinope, Amaseia, and Trapezous. But I was fighting the last of Makedonia at the same time, so it took a while--during which I slowed way down on building up my cities.

And like the guy in Harlan Ellison's "Along the Scenic Route", winning one war can get you even more. I've got Arche Seleukeia and Hayasdan looking my way, as well as war with Sauromatae over their attacking Crimea. Trapezous is a long way from Sparte and I'm still fielding Hoplitai Haploi as my main troops. :( The only thing not turning this into a complete disaster is my alliance with Eperios, who's expanding north, still fighting the Romani over Taras and drawing Getai's interest. And the Grey Death is fighting Ptolemaioi as well as Pahlava and Saka Rauka, so they're a bit distracted. But it's going to take Force Diplomacy to keep Hayasdan off my back until I build up my empire so I can actually field some decent units.

I realised when I attacked Byzantion it was a turning point. Another opinion I should have followed was a naval invasion of Lesbos to take out Mytilene and Makedonia. During my war with Pontos I did eventually take Makedonia out, but by going overland via conquering Nikaia and Pergamon. Having 2 AI empires as opponents hurt my empire's development . After taking out Makedonia (and leaving Byzantion alone) I should have looked west at Eperios and built up before going after them.

[Tyrfingr]

Massalia is one of those other places that the AI (especially the romans) go crazy for. In my most recent Arverni campaign, a regular tribute of 100 mnai for X turns (constantly renewed) has kept me at peace with the Romans since 270BC (it's 215BC now). The romans instead directed their attention eastwards and wasted fullstack after fullstack trying to take Mrogbonna, without success.

Same thing in my koinon campaign, a regular tribute has kept the pontic princes away from Byzantion for 40 years and are now on a killing spree in the east, effectively dividing the world into two spheres of interests.

Early alliances + regular tributes is the key.