Question: Have you ever declared war on anyone in ETW?

[Xipe Totec]

I have often started a war against the Mughals by invading Bengal unprovoked even when already trading with them, as GB , UP , and France in my early games. It did feel like taking candy from a baby though, conquering India. It tended to make the mid-game far too easy as India is such a cash cow. Since the recent patches 1.2 and 1.3 I have played:

Sweden , where I couldn't resist snatching unguarded mining-rich Norway from my friendly neighbour Denmark , which feels morally acceptable because as Sweden you have a natural desire to unite Scandinavia and protect your rich homeland.

In recent games as Austria , Prussia and Russia I never needed to DOW anyone, but had to keep expanding just to stop the constant pillaging by everyone I bordered.

As France I was fairly aggressive though: I dow'ed Westphalia just to shorten my border, after conquering Flanders, Holland, Hanover and Wurtemburg in a purely reactive way. Also the Iroquois, to unite Canadian provinces with Louisiana. I never went to India except for taking Ceylon from the UP who foolishly declared war on me immediately after taking Flanders from the Spanish. What a godsend! After I had taken UP's empire and Holland itself, Spain used its army which had retreated from Flanders to start pillaging around Paris, taking out my university and trade port before I could take them down. Another godsend though in the long run as I soon took over Spain's entire American empire.

In my last game as the Republic of the Marathas , I started early snatch 'n' grab wars with Mysore and Portugal so I could throw everything north at the Mughals. After conquering all of India I only fought defensive on the northern border, but I couldn't resist conquering North America with Sikhs and native American 'Indians'. Then I just had to colonise Great Britain. I could just imagine my elephant riding general writing home from Edinburgh 'It ain't half cold, Mum!'

[Elmar Bijlsma]

You know, I think I've only the once initiated hostilities, in my very first campaign as UP versus Spain as I marched on Flanders.
Otherwise, the AI is so eager to fling one AI nation under the wheels of my nation the moment I finish of another that I never needed to find an enemy. The turns during which I have had no enemies at all can be counted on one hand. *sigh*