EU3 MMP2 Succession Game

[Csargo]

Good luck guys. I'll be watching

[CountArach]

Well, done CA! I didn't expect Aragon to amass armies quite that large... good to see my lack of foresight with the Aragonese war wasn't fatal.

There was a moment, right after I lost in Calabria, where I paused the game and had my head in my hands. I was just like "Oh no... this war is lost..." and I was just determined to hold on for as long as possible. Still, it seems that Calabria is truly just a death trap for any potential invader. They get -3 to all their attacks when crossing and take large amounts of attrition.

Hopefully Venice will hang on to Romagna for a while... if it isn't in Papal hands at the time of the next (inevitable) war, I'm pretty sure we'd be able to take Rome in a peace treaty, which would be a big gain for Naples.

Yeah that would be really good and would get us quite close to dominating Italy. On the other hand I think that a lot of nations get a casus belli against us if we do take it - defending the faith and whatnot. Oh, and they still hold on to Avignon so we can't annex them in one go unless that has been taken.

Just a random little note about the Knights - when they were annexed out of the Baleares they ended up moving to Corfu after Venice granted that to them. There may be a potential for some sort of future attack there, but I think it is likely the Ottomans will arrive first. That said the Ottomans are really struggling this game. Albania (!) is defeating them in a war and so is Hungary.

[TinCow]

Yeah that would be really good and would get us quite close to dominating Italy. On the other hand I think that a lot of nations get a casus belli against us if we do take it - defending the faith and whatnot. Oh, and they still hold on to Avignon so we can't annex them in one go unless that has been taken.

Capitals which are totally isolated from the rest of a nation's possessions (including no sea route) can be taken in peace treaties. With the Papal States holdiing Roma and Avignon, it should be possible to demand Roma in a peace treaty without annexing them.

[CountArach]

Capitals which are totally isolated from the rest of a nation's possessions (including no sea route) can be taken in peace treaties. With the Papal States holdiing Roma and Avignon, it should be possible to demand Roma in a peace treaty without annexing them.

I did not know that, that's interesting. We shall see.

[Monk]

Just loaded up the save for a first look and it looks like I've got some reorganization to do.

Pre-turn assessment is our nation survived the war with Aragon but not without a number of wounds. WE is high and the interest is really hurting our monthly income. We're actually in the red for monthly, but still maintain a nice lump sum at the end of the year. I fear if we went to war that would change quickly.

Aragon hates us us after the war but we've got potential allies everywhere. I don't think we'll ever be fighting against her alone again, I think i'll work to make certain of that.

Just a random little note about the Knights - when they were annexed out of the Baleares they ended up moving to Corfu after Venice granted that to them. There may be a potential for some sort of future attack there, but I think it is likely the Ottomans will arrive first. That said the Ottomans are really struggling this game. Albania (!) is defeating them in a war and so is Hungary.

The Ottomans are fighting a coalition of Albania, Hungary and Bavaria (and the Emperor of the HRE himself). They are in a tough spot. If WE wasn't so high I might consider a few token landings in greece.

Starting my turn now!

[Chaotix]

If EU3 wasn't still so expensive, I would probably buy it and join this game.

As it is, I am content just to read the awesome write-ups you guys are doing. Keep it up!

[TinCow]

Pre-turn assessment is our nation survived the war with Aragon but not without a number of wounds. WE is high and the interest is really hurting our monthly income. We're actually in the red for monthly, but still maintain a nice lump sum at the end of the year. I fear if we went to war that would change quickly.

I will generally mint a lot to pay off loans as quickly as possible for that reason. One huge change from vanilla to MMP2 is just getting used to the idea of having a bit of inflation in the early game. As long as inflation remains under 5%, I don't worry about it too much... particularly with National Bank not being available at the beginning of the game anymore. MMP2 is absolutely brutal on finances, but I guess that's what makes it so rewarding when you succeed.

[Monk]

I will generally mint a lot to pay off loans as quickly as possible for that reason. One huge change from vanilla to MMP2 is just getting used to the idea of having a bit of inflation in the early game. As long as inflation remains under 5%, I don't worry about it too much... particularly with National Bank not being available at the beginning of the game anymore. MMP2 is absolutely brutal on finances, but I guess that's what makes it so rewarding when you succeed.

Yeah. It's been a constant struggle between keeping inflation low and needing new coins minted. Truth be told I normally cheat a little and turn off inflation, but its an interesting (and troublesome!) mechanic to manage.

I played around 10 years last night and will finish up today. I have a feeling this could be a long reign since Queens cannot take to the field.

[Monk]

Played 20 more years, bringing the current total to 30 and am at 1513 now. Still not done.

Gonna take a break and try to get through the rest of the reign a bit later. I think Giovonna will go down as the most disliked ruler of Naples, but she's done good work for the nation. Ungrateful wretches!

[CountArach]

Played 20 more years, bringing the current total to 30 and am at 1513 now. Still not done.

Oh wow... I'm glad you got a long reign though. I felt kind of guilty leaving you to clean up my really shoddy finances and I was worried that that would be the entirety of your reign.

[Monk]

And done! Oct 1515 and I can finally pass this on. I'll get to a write up soon and upload once its finished, either tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Oh wow... I'm glad you got a long reign though. I felt kind of guilty leaving you to clean up my really shoddy finances and I was worried that that would be the entirety of your reign.

It certainly did define the first five years. It felt like every time I payed off a loan another popped up, I remember saying out loud "Jeeze guys, how many loans did we take?!"

Fortunately I had other things to worry about through my reign. We have bigger problems than our financial situation - but you'll see that soon enough.

[Warluster]

Well I am still around, so I guess its mine turn now?

I tried a game as Austria in the 16th (Or 15th) century. I realise that they are probably the easiest to play, but I have some experince with the game now.

Looking forward to see the writeup, Monk! I'm am very curious to see what else happened, other then the tonne of financial problems.

[CountArach]

Well I am still around, so I guess its mine turn now?

Yep you're up next.

Looking forward to see the writeup, Monk! I'm am very curious to see what else happened, other then the tonne of financial problems.

As am I... I think the worst-case scenario would be a fight against the Italian States AND the Emperor because then we can't use Calabria as a choke-point.

[TinCow]

I tried a game as Austria in the 16th (Or 15th) century. I realise that they are probably the easiest to play, but I have some experince with the game now.

If you have an questions about how MMP2 works, don't hesitate to ask. It's stupidly complex sometimes and the manual skips over a surprisingly large amount.

[Monk]

Giovanna III took control of the country in 1483 on the heels of the brutal war against the Aragonese, fought in defense of The Knights' sovereignty as a state and for control of Calabria. The war itself is considered a small defeat, as the Knights were forced to relocate to Corfu and the Neapolitan throne incurred massive war debts.

The situation in 1483 was dire, with pirates running amoke on the coasts, interest and inflation rates soaring and an army tired and demoralized from constant fighting - Giovanna had her qork cut out for her. Her first order of business was on the line of economic reforms, increasing the treasury in an effort to stave off deficits and help pay back the debts gained during the war. Although her edicts were at first looked upon with disdain, they proved wildly successful. By 1487 - all war debts had been repayed and Naples was once more a debt free nation.







Such responsible tactics earned her much love within the commerce and aristocrat factions, who threw their support behind the crown in great numbers. With such support, Giovanna expanded Naples' trade, launching an incentive into the Lubeck markets and grabbing a huge share of the market within two years! With the expanding economy, however, came problems.

Pirate raiders had always plagued the shores of Naples, and during the war the scoundrels took advantage of the nation's preoccupation with Aragon and had grown into a serious problem. Giovanna desired to enact a National defensive measure against them, one that went further than the Limited efforts of her Grandfather! Yet there was simply not enough coin to be found, it is said that Giovanna was furious, how could there not be enough coin? She had nearly single-handedly balanced the nation's credit!

It was, unfortunately, the reality of the situation. Pirates were ransacking coastal villages, preying on Neapolitan trade and THe Knights, an order dedicated to fighting them just a stone's throw away in Corfu, did nothing to aid! The queen sent missive after missive, demanding the Knights send patrols into the Adriatic, but there was always an excuse. The Grandmaster always had something else to do. And when he refused to meet with The Queen's messanger one late Tuesday, in the Augest of 1486, Giovanna had enough.



The Priories of St. John across Naples were closed, their assets siezed, and it was made a punishable crime to wear the symbol of The Knights in public. The Grandmaster declared Giovanna's acts blasphemous and appealed to the Pope for aid, but the Holy Father, already under pressure from Neapolitan threats to stay idle, did nothing.



Three months later, Giovanna made it official. The Knights of Corfu were declared enemies of the Neapolitan thone, criminals who in their inaction had not only dragged Naples into a costly war against aragon but had let pirates have their way with Christian shipping. Naples declared war upon Corfu and an invasion force of three thousand men invaded Corfu.



The Grandmaster was defeated in the field, his men retreated to their fortifications and the port was put under naval blockade. Refusing to surrender, however, the Corfu Knights fought off the siege desperately hoping that someone would come to their aid. However, their inaction against the pirate threat had not only been noticed by Naples, but by all the powerful city states. Only Genoa protested the landings on Corfu, but they knew better than to openly support the Knights.



Corfu was captured. Though she had no legitimate claim to the island, Giovanna annexed the Knights domain declaring their sovereignty null and void. The international community was shocked, but with the strain on their coffers provided by the pirates, they elected to say nothing.

With the Corfu Knights defeated, their priories siezed and all their riches added to that of naples, Giovanna declared an unofficial war against the pirates of the Adriatic. Her efforts lead to great works of defense built along the coastlines. Under her new anti-piracy measures, no village would be left unguarded, and by the end of her reign every last pirate gang who operated along the Neapolitan coast had been hunted down. Shipping activity skyrocketed in response as country after country declared piracy activity dropping to all time lows.

Shortly after the war against the Knights, a new Pope was elected by the Holy See. Unfortunately, it was no secret that the new Pope was in the pocket of the Aragonese throne - most thought nothing of it until the Papacy declared open war upon Urbino! Naples, having sworn to come to their ally's aid, responded by declaring war upon Rome, as did many other states of Italia. Against such a strong alliance, the Pope was easily defeated.

Giovanna petitioned the Allies to allow Naples to take control of Roma, but save Urbino, the was a nearly unanimous objection. Naples had recently been accused of involvement in the death of the Austrian king. Though a cruel lie, Naples had been successfuly framed with the event and her reputation severely tarnished. The allied coalition would not accept Naples in control of Roma. Therefore, Giovanna pushed to allow Urbino to take control. Some even protested this, as with the long history of Marriage between the two dynasties, they argued it would be the same as naples controlling Roma through them! Such arguements, in the end, failed.



The papacy lost the rights and privileges that came with ruling Roma and Naples' most trusted allied gained the ancient legacy of the city. While disappointed at the turn, Giovanna was glad such a compromise could be reached.

But while Napes had been fighting against otehr Italian interests, its truce with Aragon had expired. Giovanna had considered warning Aragon and setting her nation on the path to another war with the strong power - but she never got the chance!



The thrones of Aragon and Castile merged to form a united Spanish nation, which now controlled nearly all of the western Mediterranean. Naples, however, was not without allies. Even as Spain strengthened its new position, Portugal reached out to those surrounding the juggernaut, and in a surprising move guaranteed the independence of Naples. With such a guarantee, Giovanna felt relatively at ease. Spain would not risk crossing Portugal just to start a war with naples, but Sicily still groaned beneath their occupiers. A new strategy would be needed to deal with the diplomatic solution.

Sadly, Giovanna never had the chance to formulate it. She continued in her campaigning against pirates and introduced a bold new reorginization of the military. She increased the standing force from six to eight thousand, and introduced first the Longbow, and later the Wheel-lock rifle. She was seen as a modernizer, bringing her nation into new ideas whether it wanted them or not. She followed the examples of her Grandfather, heavily favoring Market Economy and worked tirelessly in expanding trade in both Lubeck and Orlan.



Giovanna died on Thursday, 16th of October 1515. The circumstances of her death have remained a mystery. Some say she was given a rather large dose of poison, others say it was simply her time. She had led the nation for over thirty years and had seen it through multiple social, economical and international crises. Despite the bickering and the objections she faced, the nation mourned greatly - as if they had lost a motherly figure. If she had known how they mourned, Giovanna would never have believed it for she always said "Let them hate me, so long as they are safe."

The new king Ferrante II, was greeted with suspicion and mistrust, possibly because of the shadow out from which he stepped. With a balanced deficit, a newly formed and strong army and diplomatic ties to many states in Italy (many through marriage) he had found himself command of a strong country. What he would do with that command, is beyond the scope of this recounting.

Save file


OOC: Yes. We got the Framed! event, and while at 3/21 rep! Must have been 1 in a 100,000 chance. I lead us through it as best we could and got the rep down pretty low again. I think we're at around 7/21 now.

[CountArach]

Excellent work Monk! We are in a very nice position now for sure. It looks like Venice is doing rather well, having taken Ferrara as well as retaining Romagna. I'm really not sure what we can do about Spain - maybe incite rebellions? Even then that's risky whilst we have a relatively high reputation.

[Monk]

Excellent work Monk! We are in a very nice position now for sure. It looks like Venice is doing rather well, having taken Ferrara as well as retaining Romagna. I'm really not sure what we can do about Spain - maybe incite rebellions? Even then that's risky whilst we have a relatively high reputation.

Venice is in a rocky position. They just lost a war against most of the other northern powers and were forced to pay a large tribute. They have suffered numerous rebellions and are only now really recovering.

As for Spain: They look tough but they have no allies. Aragon was allied with France and when Castile took majority control when the two merged, France was put off. The situation became tense right before i finished my reign, France annexed Navarra and now Spain holds a CB on them. An opportune DoW when the two inevitably clash might let us take Sicily, but its still a long shot.

I think keeping strong relations with Urbino is our best bet for new territory, keeping up a RM with them as long as possible. We might inherent their lands if we're lucky.

[A Very Super Market]

Ach, I'll never understand the finer details of EUIII. The only country I can play as is whichever one is the most powerful. Naples would be far beyond my grasp of gameplay.

I notice that Serbia has managed to absorb Bosnia, Ragusa, and Montenegro. Interesting....

[TinCow]

Ug... the Spanish union. I was hoping we'd get Sicily before that happened. It's going to be a lot harder to beat Spain than Aragon.

OOC: Yes. We got the Framed! event, and while at 3/21 rep! Must have been 1 in a 100,000 chance. I lead us through it as best we could and got the rep down pretty low again. I think we're at around 7/21 now.

I get Framed about once per game. The MMP team are liars if they say it is rare. It happens to me in pretty much every game. The few times when I've had the cash to try and prove my innocence, it's failed as well. I'm generally resigned to dealing with the 10 BB every game at this point.

[Monk]

Ug... the Spanish union. I was hoping we'd get Sicily before that happened. It's going to be a lot harder to beat Spain than Aragon.



I get Framed about once per game. The MMP team are liars if they say it is rare. It happens to me in pretty much every game. The few times when I've had the cash to try and prove my innocence, it's failed as well. I'm generally resigned to dealing with the 10 BB every game at this point.

It was a tough situation to be sure. Before the merger, Aragon and France were Best Friends Forever. If I would have tried to get Sicily I know we would have been destroyed. Now, Spain and France are at each otehrs throats. If spain gets DOW'd by France, there's a high chance Portugal will join in, and if that happens Sicily might not be so hard to take.

It's a long shot, but our hopes f or Sicily have always been thus.

[TinCow]

FYI:

I downloaded it on the Friday and was ready to finish the entire thing Friday night, but for some reason the save game won't load. I click on the save game and it is just endlessly going with that hourglass spinning.

I'll have another go later today but if I can't fix it by Monday I am going to have to skip my turn to keep the game moving.

If we hear nothing from Warluster by tomorrow, I'll start the next reign.

[TinCow]

Alright, I'll step into the next slot. I'm a bit busy tonight so unless my reign is really short, I will not be finishing it today. I'll definitely start playing though.

[TinCow]

I just loaded up Monk's saved game to start the next reign, and it won't load. When I select the file from the save game list, the hourglass just spins endlessly and the game never loads. CountArach, can you try to load the save? Monk, can you try and make another version of that save and/or double check that the save you posted loads properly?

[CountArach]

I just loaded up Monk's saved game to start the next reign, and it won't load. When I select the file from the save game list, the hourglass just spins endlessly and the game never loads. CountArach, can you try to load the save? Monk, can you try and make another version of that save and/or double check that the save you posted loads properly?

It works absolutely fine for me, mate. Is it possible that you put it in the right save games folder? It has to go in the mod/MMP 2/save games folder, rather than the vanilla one.

[TinCow]

Nope, it's in the right place. I just d/led it again and put it in there again to check, and the hourglass just sat there and turned for about 5 minutes until I gave up. I couldn't even CAD out of it and had to reset the computer to get out of the game.

Did you guys patch EU3 with the non-beta version of the 3.2 patch? I know that came out shortly after we started this, but I didn't update because I was afraid it would cause problems with this game.

[CountArach]

Did you guys patch EU3 with the non-beta version of the 3.2 patch? I know that came out shortly after we started this, but I didn't update because I was afraid it would cause problems with this game.

I definitely used the correct (ie - Beta) specs and I'm sure Monk did as well or else he wouldn't have been able to play my save file.

[Monk]

Nope, it's in the right place. I just d/led it again and put it in there again to check, and the hourglass just sat there and turned for about 5 minutes until I gave up. I couldn't even CAD out of it and had to reset the computer to get out of the game.

Did you guys patch EU3 with the non-beta version of the 3.2 patch? I know that came out shortly after we started this, but I didn't update because I was afraid it would cause problems with this game.

No. I followed the MM install instructions to the t and used the exact version of 3.2 that they specified (still a beta build). I just tried to load the save-game still on my comp and it loaded just fine, I haven't tried the one on the .org but seeing as this one I have works fine for me... I am uploading it within a few moments.

If that one doesn't work for you guys... so fingers crossed.

[Monk]

Re-upload.

[TinCow]

At work now and can't test it. Will do so when I get home. I've also posted a thread on the EU3 tech support forum, so hopefully this will get figured out.

Worth noting that this appears to be the exact same problem Warluster is having.

[TinCow]

No joy on the re-upload. I tried my own save from the first reign and I could load that just fine, however I could NOT load CA's save game either. I'm suspecting that you two might have a different installation than I do, which perhaps let you read my saves but doesn't let me read yours. Can you check what version you see on your main menu screen in the bottom left hand corner? Mine says:
EU3 v.3.1(VIOG) Mod: Magna Mundi Platinum 2 v.1.15