deciding on what provinces to take, keep and build on

[gaijinalways]

Interesting, I was reading through the guides again, thinking about which provinces are best to get on the map.Some of the better provinces are harder to keep (more rebellious) or are in tougher locations (abetting many provinces). Shamefully, in my current campaign some of the better provinces for overall income I gave up as I pulled back to defend my overstretched empire (Anitoch, Tripoli, whereas Kazar I gave up when the Horde came). I still hold Constanople, Venice, Flanders, and just recently picked up Sicily and Naples (after a necessary Pope cleaning).

But since in my current GA campaign I have a lot of enemies, trade is minimal. So holding more of my home provinces, provinces for building units, and good farming provinces are more useful.

As to building, I have some rebellions internally, one a reemergence in Aquitaine (the Argonese 3X), and the Germans bribing Provance. In some cases some provinces that are more likely to be lost I don't build on too much, Croatia and Greece are good examples. I have heavy troops nearby in Venice and Constanople, both of which are more built up. The Polish are just getting strong enough maybe to attack (from Hungary and Austria). So often areas that are good for farming, can build fairly good troops with a special bonus are good to have. Switzerland and Tyrolia are good for troops later (and now, still teching up), but they are not good income producers.

I was wondering, what provinces do you most like to hold, and why, and what do you tend to build there. Of course, getting some provinces may be the luck of the draw in certain campaigns (and of course your starting faction), but I asume people have their favorites. By the way I tend to build balanced armies (both good for attack and defense), so I like some long and short range missile troops, some cav, and spears and perhaps a few swords. Usually I tend to have more spears and missile types, with the scattered missile units and cavs. Of course, gaining Wales helps, as well as the earlier mentioned Switzerland and Tyrolia for good spears. Also of course, often it easier to defend provinces closer to each other, though I know it can be possible to gain provinces spread out from each other to increase trading in various areas (though defense of these provinces can be tougher).

[Ciaran]

There are basically three types of regions that are worth taking:
1) Trade provinces. It should be obvious that holding rich provinces (Flanders and Venice come to mind immediately) is desireable for the cash they generate.
2) Military provinces. That means those that provide either valor boni to units you´re likely to use a lot (Toulouse for Chivalric Knights, Switzerland, Mercia and Wales[if you´re English]) or that provide you with iron.
3) defensible provinces. Defensible provinces are characterised by the fact that they can be taken without need to build up an additional army. Sooner or later you will come to a point where you can´t take any new province without stripping one of yours of it´s defences. It´s hard to give any examples, as this depends a lot on which provinces you already own, but typical examples - from my experience - are Hungary or Burgundy, as well as Egypt (if you´re playing a Western European faction)

[gaijinalways]

Good points, as some combination makes for provinces you're more likley to take depending on;

your starting position
what happens during the progress of the game
your style of play
what provinces you already have obtained in various stages of the game
what troops you wish to build
where you wish to defend your borders
who attacks you
who allies with you
who is an enemy
trading rich areas you can take
farming rich areas you can take
where the stronger AI factions are relative to your provinces
which areas are better to crusade to
type of campaign one is playing
(related with that)
keeping home provinces
making other GA goals
rebel actions
reemerging faction occurences (where and when)


I currently own Britany, Constanople, Flanders, Lorraine, Champagne, Aragon, Toulouse, Milan, Tuscany, Naples, Sicily, Croatia, Venice, Switzerland, Tryolia, Burgandy, Northumbria, Wales, Mercia, Wessex, Genoa, Nicea, Anjou, Armenia or lesser armenia (which ever is father west), Trebizond, Greece, Navarre, Serbia and Anatolia.

Of course, I'd like to take Aquitaine back and Provence as well, sews up my inner lands. Since it is a GA campaign, I don't feel like I need to take more territory, except when it is to punish trangressors or to force a peace process (see, things really haven't changed that much in 700 plus years). You can see I am spread thinly from West to East, with a thin strand through Venice, Serbia, Croatia, greece, and Constanople. Beleive it or not, it was more of an accident. I wanted Constanople, and the other provinces were just part of the lifeline prior to putting in harbors. In 1263 now, I am not sure I will take anymore property, though the recently acquired Sicily and Naples might make nice trading ports if I can develop them enough (though that trade is just not coming now).

Actually part of my development had to do with crusades I did as I was wiping out the BYZ and Eggy. I actually went further west into Kazar, but as mentioned earlier, gave it back to the horde and later retreated further east allowing the Spanish and the horde to duke it out (worked, both are weaker now).

I think provinces you take are definately important, and was wondering what bloc of provinces most players like to hold at various stages.

[Matador]

Like you said it really depends on who your playing. Right now I am playing the Turks on GA and I think two of the best provinces for that game are Constaintonople (however you spell it) and Egypt. They both have excellent income, and provide great defensive positions. Since I have my coast protected with ships, all crusades have to go through Const. So I put a defensive army of about 2500 men, under the command of a 7 star general, and crusades no longer bother me. Also because of the constant fighting in Const. I can use it as a training ground to get high valour units that I can put in offensive armies. Eygpt works pretty much the same way, but it is mainly a protection from the Almohads.

If any of you play the Danes, then take Sweden right away. It is very easy to protect and if you build a large fleet, has trade income to rival venice or flanders.

I could go on all day but I will stop here.

[Agent Miles]

Trade is great, but fickle. Agriculture should be the backbone of your faction. If you repeatedly build and then destroy a 20% increase to agriculture in a province, your ruler will eventually get the Steward line of VnV’s. I know that at hard setting, after you do this eight times your ruler is a Steward, after fifteen times a Great Steward and after twenty three times a Magnificent Steward (MS). Now all of my agriculture in every province gets a 30% increase, even ones that I conquer later. When my ruler dies, the increase stays and the next ruler can start the process over to become a MS too.
So let’s say that as Egypt I devote Sinai and Arabia to agricultural “research” (you should use provinces where farming income sucks). I stagger my build so that each turn one of the provinces builds the 20% improvement, which I destroy and rebuild. Twenty three turns (and 7500 florins) later, my ruler is a MS. I then send him off to die in single combat at overwhelming odds, and I do the same with his heir (He must have an heir for this to work!). In about a century, all of my agriculture will be 120% more productive. Along the way, you are going to get governors in these provinces that also are MS. If you started with a four acumen general to begin with, then this is an additional 70% increase to the agriculture in a given province. Have an emissary strip them of their governorship of the research province and make them governor of your most productive agricultural provinces (Egypt, Antioch, Flanders, etc). Better yet, building farm improvements counts toward the Magnificent Builder VnV!

As for what to conquer, I go for choke points. Again, as Egypt (or the Turks or Byz) take everything south of Khazar-Bulgaria-Serbia and west to Morocco. You must only defend four border provinces then. Then take all of Spain up to Navarre-Aragon (or Aquitaine-Toulouse), all the islands, Flanders-England and Saxony-Scandinavia. Crush the Golden Horde and conquer everything north and east of Lithuania-Kiev. You now have eight border provinces and more than enough total provinces to win the short game.

[gaijinalways]

I personally chickened out of trying to hold provinces where the horde arrived, though perhaps I could have held. I notice often, after the horde loses 250-350 in a battle, it tends to give up (on expert, no less). But, to be honest I was stretched thin , so I felt it was better to pull back a few provinces and let the Spanish do my dirty work (thinning the horde).