France is one of the 12 major factions available for play.
played in v 1.0
FRANCE - ESTIMATED MODERATE
played on VH/H
France is a lumbering beast, strong, powerful, but slow to get started. It starts with two provinces in Europe and I believe five in the Americas. Right away you're going to notice you're surrounded by folks you hate you. The Iroquois are relatively indifferent to you, and in the early game they won't be the ones to break the peace. Your main army in North America is weak, consisting of militia and auxiliaries, and you've no war factories near by that can build that stack up. You have a navy near Canada, I suggest parking this near Newfoundland where it can keep an eye on your trade routes. Canada itself is a land that desperately needs built up lacking many basic infrastructural options.
Further south in the Caribbean and South America you'll notice a few provinces, Windward Islands and French Guyana. Both can be highly profitable if you spend the money to build their plantations up to the next level. There are no significant force options here, early game though I haven't noticed a need for them. As the game progresses you may need to move your navy from canada down here. (takes about three turns with movement)
Lastly you have Europe, where a lot of your force is concentrated. You have one navy in the Med, one in the English channel, and two armies, neither of which are very strong.
Fortunately Paris is an amazing tech factory and can build five units of line infantry a turn. I suggest queuing up some troops and getting to work ASAP as you're going to need a strong army for the turns ahead. Your first move should be of a Diplomatic nature, allying with Sweden. Sweden loves you already so this should be easy to obtain. Alternatively you can also trade French Guyana to the Dutch for an Alliance and secure three allies early on. I found this to be an amazing way to really throw your weight around, as each ally always followed me into a war. Even the United Provinces, who hated me.
The first turn you'll receive a mission to defeat the Iroquois from Louisiana. It might be tempting to rush off and do that, but doing so this early could dangerously overstretch you. There's no time limit on the mission so my suggestion is to bide your time. Begin your turn by building up your Lumber yards, Fur markets, and plantations as best you can. This will take numerous turns as you have a lot of them but trust me, this is France's way to prosperity. You have a number of farms that need upgraded, but you can benefit much more from your fur, spice, and sugar markets due to your extensive trade empire. It is therefore my suggestion that you forgo research into agriculture for other things, specifically the steam pump which will allow you to upgrade your silver mines.
In the meantime, you should build a barracks in Quebec on your first turn as well. You've got a lot to balance in your budget but try to work it in, the Iroquois may be quiet now, but unless you have a good source of troops in Canada they may not be that way for long. This will allow you to begin training Colonial line infantry, they'll be the backbone of your North American empire.
The reason I do not suggest focusing on North America from the start of the gate is two simple reasons. Savoy and Wuttemberg. In every play through I have done of France (all three) These two powers have declared war on me within the first five turns. Normally Wuttenberg will declare first, and Savoy will do so a few turns later. Both are allied to Austria and both have the potential to bring the powerful nation's armies against you, yet Austria seems to have bigger problems on its hands and with the exception of once I never saw them enter the war. The one time Austria has declared war on me, they have never committed a large force to aid their ally.
Whatever reason for this inability to engage on their part, take advantage of it. Once you've gathered a large enough army march on Wuttemberg and silence them for good. Stuttgart will be difficult to hold, so bring up the southern army and have it act as a garrison. Exempt the city from taxes as well for good measure.
Savoy won't be deterred by their northern neighbor's fall and will declare war within a few turns of this. You can build up relations with them to prevent war, but I actually encourage you to fight them and take their capital. Doing so will net you a Mediterranean port and a foothold in Italy that you can potentially use as a future bargaining chip. Position your main army, as soon as you can remove it from Stuttgart, near the border and wait.
While you wait for the eventual declaration, spend your time well. Build relations with Bavaria, with whom you now share a border with to ensure they won't get any ideas. A war with them now will ensure Austria's involvement in your affairs and the small state is more powerful than it looks. Also continue to build up your colonial holdings, with a focus on your traders and infrastructure. You have a number of Fur traders, both in Canada and new found land. I recommend these be your number one priority in upgrading. Like plantations they are expensive to do so but the payoff is clear. If you keep your trade routes free of pirates you'll be making a killing when these are done upgrading. Your plantations in the Caribbean are worth mentioning as well. If you have the money to spare your furt markets are built, then feel free. Your cash may feel tight during these turns, but keep building your infrastructure for the next three to four turns. Trust me it pays off.
Only after you've built up your trade should you consider your agricultural sector and research. You've numerous farms that need upgrades in both Europe and the Americas, but waiting to upgrade them will not hurt you half as bad as it would if you were land locked.
Savoy should have had about enough of you living in peace and will declare war anywhere between 1703-1705. Immediately move your army into the mountain pass north of their city, this will allow you to burn the town on the border while also forcing Savoy's army out of their capital. Savoy, like many of the early small factions, relies on the numbers of its militia to win the battles. If you've built up a nice army, however, of Line and horse they will be easy enough to beat. You might get a little bit of a bloody nose, however if you can survive with at least 400-500 men then that will be enough to take their capital. While your army pushes its advance on Land (which could take anywhere from two to 3 turns, depending) blockade Savoy's port and cut off all their trade.
Savoy's navy may sally from their port, if this happens then fight it out on the seas. It's highly imperative you win, as you will continue to strangle their trade. They also may not sally, 2 out of 3 games they decided to sit it out. Que sera, sera, deal with the situation as it needs.
Savoy will be your first real test, their army is large and they have a navy around the size of your Mediterranean fleet. If you can keep the pressure on with the Blockade and defeat them on land, the city will be yours easily. The province makes about 3k a turn and will be a huge boost to your economy. By the time you sack Turin, your infrastructure in North America should be starting to pay real dividends. Before I took Turin I was making about 5k/turn, after I took it an easy 3k a turn was added to that.
The true test of France for the early game is tip-toeing around the powers who neighbor you while throwing your weight around against the little guys who dare to try to defy you. If you can make it through the first ten turns without upsetting the British or, likewise, the Iroquois before you're ready to fight them your life will be much easier.
After knocking out the two minor factions in Europe that trouble you, France finds itself in unique position. You can really approach the next turns however you want. In Europe you have a very stable position and a web of alliances that ensure that no one wil mess with you. Maintain your power base in your new acquisitions and shift your focus onto North America. Remember your fleet near Newfoundland? Send it south to the Caribbean to help guard against pirates. For the first 10 turns the pirates were quiet, but this changed soon enough and they began to raid me around turn 15. Move south to try and deal with them, if your current fleet proves inadequate then trash one of your trading ports and make a Dockyard (a new port will appear around turn 16-20 in Newfoundland) You should also begin to build up a few trade fleets in northern France and send them to the trade threatre of your choice to help generate some cash.
Begin building up a force in North America while upgrading your cities as you're able. Now for the hardest part. Striking the Iroquois while guarding against the Huron. This will be your second test as France and arguably far harder than Savoy provided, however, when your trade fleet reaches its destination you'll understand why you took the time to send it. It's highly worth the trouble and turn time it takes to build. As your trade fleet begins to generate income, position your Canadian army near the river that divides Montreal and the territory of the Iroquois. If the Huron declare war, try to buy them off. Alternatively you can march up to fight them, however I found that they had 1.5 stacks just waiting in the wilderness outside my borders. It's much better to build relations with them in the hope they will cause trouble for the Brittish.
Do not declare war on the Iroquois before you can win. They are a tough nut to crack. Unless you have a full stack you can expect to be ground to a halt in your first invasion. Their melee units are tough, and their bows out range your muskets so you really need to be aggressive and press your advance hard. If you're not careful your force can be mauled right off the bat. My advice is to push and be relentless. The war against them will be costly but if you enter into it with enough men, you'll come out the other side with them destroyed no problem.
Also, do not be afraid to stop your conquests to rebuild your forces. It's a good idea to continue producing troops at Quebec every single turn, then have them march out when they reach about 6+ line units at a time. This constant reinforcement pulse will ensure you will take out the Iroquois in a timely fashion.
Once you've dealt with the Iroquois, then congratulations. You've just completed Louisiana's mission to you and they should join you. Once this happens you will gain a number of profitable settlements as well as completely encircle the British and the Cherokee nations around the Midwest/coast. You are now free to really act as you see fit. The hardest part of France is, as i said, the first ten turns. Survive those with a strong position and you are relatively secure for the next two decades.
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