United Provinces

[Leptomeninges]

Looking for any tips on a recent UP campaign (VH-CAI/Normal-BAI)!

I generally try to make my Empire games interesting by resisting the urge to overly cripple my main enemy factions in the early game. I decided to play UP as an aggressive trade nation rather than mucking about much on the continent.

Turn 1 I made trade agreements and alliances with Rhineland and Hannover. I dropped the Maratha trade agreement for one with the Ottomans. I'm planning on expanding into India in the early game and covet the Maratha territories. I send trade ships out to the various theaters and hit pirates as appropriate.

Turn 2 I hit New Spain with a DoW. Hannover and Rhineland join the war. I took Brussels with my continental army. I have no other territorial demands in Europe! (Ever hear that one before?) But seriously, I want to maximize my trade lanes or I'd stay out of Europe completely. But in the new world I do have my covetous eyes on Cuba and land there with some Line Infantry trained at Curaco.

France declares a turn or two later. Hannover and Rhineland join the war on my side with the Italian states and Louisiana fighting for France. I fight an offensive engagement against France on the continent and get mauled pretty badly despite having superior total numbers and artillery. Not sure what the deal is, but France just chews me up.

I'm able to take an undefended French New Guinea with the Pikeman unit that started in UPs adjacent territory. I make peace with France in exchange for Curaco and get a bunch of cash and a trade agreement in return. I take Cuba, then Hispanola and then make peace with Spain in exchange for some of France's cash and a tech.

I don't recall the turn #, but it's still quite early. My plan at this point was to solidify the South American holidngs and take a pirate island or two, but otherwise try to stay out of war as much as possible with the psychotic campaign AI in both Europe and America while preparing a push into India where the expansion shouldn't be as damaging to European relations.

I think it's a good plan, but I'm a little spooked by the strength of France's continental army! I'm new to Empire, but are UP's line infantry markedly worse than France's? Is there something about France's generals that makes their forces that much stronger?