Europa Universalis III

[al Roumi]

I have to be honest, the worst thing about EUIII is simply time. To do anything, it takes a lot of time (such as research, moving to areas, diplomacy waiting times, cool downs on bad-boy rating, converting, etc) with no easy way to do things or get into very favourable situations due to other limits such as small income. In this respect, it is very different to the Total War series where it is quite in the opposite in many ways.

True. Going back to Total War games after EU3 makes them seem rather simple on the grand strategy front though. I think it's partly due to the lower number of regions in TW games, and how this can really hang the AI out to dry in e.g. ETW.

As in both EU3:IN and ETW, the hardest and most intersting part of the game is the first phase, where you are establishing your nation/state. That said, barring a mid/late game Maratha blob in ETW, EU3 has more potential for also creating large rival nations to challenge yours (hello BBB aka France).

[Beskar]

EU3 has more potential for also creating large rival nations to challenge yours (hello BBB aka France).

France was a real pain in my game, they kept declaring war on me and I kept losing due to Man power. Everytime I sent a massive army to their shores, they were able to double my numbers and push me away so I had to play a game of trying to keep them. Though, my navy was vastly more powerful than theirs, which allowed me to keep them away from getting to the British isles, so it was a game of them declaring war on me and being unable to do damage to them and vice-versus.

However, with France managing to get into a bunch of wars on different fronts with Lombardy, Brittany, Savoy and Castile (which owned ilberia and big chunk of Morocco, except for the last one of Portugal), allowed me the opportunity to deal a crippling blow to them. While I didn't have the power to wipe them out, I had the power and situation to get them to release their vassals such as Normandy, etc which really stemmed the great blue blob.

France in the game has recovered the land from their ex-vassals, etc, except for Normandy/Picardi/etc which I own. However, they are in no situation to take me on (I am the strongest power in Europe, with Vassal Alliances with Portugal (which i helped them in expanding) and what I will call a "Greater Netherlands" and "Greater Switzerland" and Bradenburg which dominated central Europe and I got really lucky and ended up in a Personal Union with them. (also due to these, I ended up Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, even though I am not a member. Though I do own a couple of provinces which are in it)

However, biggest issue in Europe been this whole provinces randomly turning protestant and calvinist which weakened all the European powers quite significantly. In Europe, the major powers are Sweden, Bradenburg (who are in personal union with me), Papal States, Hungery, Lithunia, France, Castile and Novograd. (both of these could turn into Russia and Spain when they got the cores)

What worries me though, are the powers outside of Europe, amazingly. The Chinese power is bordering Novograd, and owns vast territories but due to religious instability is crippled with major uprising and national uprisings. Far more closer to home which is the possibly the biggest threat is Ottoman Empire who pretty much owns Parts of the Baltics, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and North East Africa (it conquered Ethiopia area) with Persia as a vassal owning Iran area, and Mamaduks as a vassal owning Eygpt. They are strong with hardly any troubles though minor conflicts between Hungary and Ottoman keep occuring.

I am currently expanding colonially however it looks like Castile got a massive headstart in this area and Portugal later joined the Fray and far more recently, France.

[al Roumi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

France was a real pain in my game, they kept declaring war on me and I kept losing due to Man power. Everytime I sent a massive army to their shores, they were able to double my numbers and push me away so I had to play a game of trying to keep them. Though, my navy was vastly more powerful than theirs, which allowed me to keep them away from getting to the British isles, so it was a game of them declaring war on me and being unable to do damage to them and vice-versus.

However, with France managing to get into a bunch of wars on different fronts with Lombardy, Brittany, Savoy and Castile (which owned ilberia and big chunk of Morocco, except for the last one of Portugal), allowed me the opportunity to deal a crippling blow to them. While I didn't have the power to wipe them out, I had the power and situation to get them to release their vassals such as Normandy, etc which really stemmed the great blue blob.

France in the game has recovered the land from their ex-vassals, etc, except for Normandy/Picardi/etc which I own. However, they are in no situation to take me on (I am the strongest power in Europe, with Vassal Alliances with Portugal (which i helped them in expanding) and what I will call a "Greater Netherlands" and "Greater Switzerland" and Bradenburg which dominated central Europe and I got really lucky and ended up in a Personal Union with them. (also due to these, I ended up Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, even though I am not a member. Though I do own a couple of provinces which are in it)

However, biggest issue in Europe been this whole provinces randomly turning protestant and calvinist which weakened all the European powers quite significantly. In Europe, the major powers are Sweden, Bradenburg (who are in personal union with me), Papal States, Hungery, Lithunia, France, Castile and Novograd. (both of these could turn into Russia and Spain when they got the cores)

What worries me though, are the powers outside of Europe, amazingly. The Chinese power is bordering Novograd, and owns vast territories but due to religious instability is crippled with major uprising and national uprisings. Far more closer to home which is the possibly the biggest threat is Ottoman Empire who pretty much owns Parts of the Baltics, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and North East Africa (it conquered Ethiopia area) with Persia as a vassal owning Iran area, and Mamaduks as a vassal owning Eygpt. They are strong with hardly any troubles though minor conflicts between Hungary and Ottoman keep occuring.

I am currently expanding colonially however it looks like Castile got a massive headstart in this area and Portugal later joined the Fray and far more recently, France.

In EU3:IN France is an infamous pain for any continental european power. Playing as England it's easier to do as you did and play an almost historical game of withdrawing from the mainland in the 100 years war and focussing on colonial adventures -maintaining a fleet big enough to keep the island apart.

There is plaenty on how to beat France on the Paradox forum, basically you need to pick your moments (as you did, when they were at war with several others) and seek to partition their terrirtory with (ideally English) provinces owned by a (otherwise) neutral/ally state of yours. I think theat partitioning and lack of "land bridge" cuts the income received in the provinces seperated from the capital.