He's right, the game is prone to crashing whenever one chooses a nation and proceeds to the loading screen. But there is a way to get around this, as well as using the moddir.
You have to overwrite the vanilla map with watk3.11, then install the AB4K, THEN overwrite the map again with the AB4K. Sounds a bit stupid, but it was the only way I could get it to work. And work it does, like a charm.
I have played two nations to the 1560's so far: the Hanseatic League and Brittany.
1. Hansa: good balance of events and opportunities. Very satisfactory and quite easy to utterly crush the Kalmar Union alone or with the help of Scotland-Norway. However, I feel that the Sund crisis should grant cores to the Hansa immediately after the "Let us have our due" option for Kalmar. Or at least when the Hansa has conquered the region - due to its sheer importance (historically).
One small issue would be the time when the Teutonic Order annexes Danzig and decides to return it to the Empire. The event itself is worthless for the League, because it merely confirms a core, which it already has, while Danzig remains a vassal to the Teutonic Order.
This relationship with the Teutons could also be much better exploited further in a series of events which would see the two powers fighting to expand their influence further in Russia. (the Teutonic Order crusades, while the Hansa trades along the Volga). Too bad the Order can't relinquish its baltic lands as a "lease" to the Hansa (which can become permanent if the player so chooses - AND if the Hansa remains Catholic) in exchange for hefty financial (and possibly military support in its Russian crusade).
In other news, it was very, very entertaining to fight trade wars as well as real wars in such a spread out empire - one war against Scotland was particularly interesting. I don't think I've maneuvred like that in a long time for victory. Becoming the dominant colonial force can be pretty easy if you grab the Carribean and its hinterland. The way to the Incas and Aztecs (without events sadly) is open. And thus, when I left it, the empire was more than filthy rich, in NO alliance whatsoever and at peace since the early 1500's.
2. Brittany is a bit simpler, because you only have 2 major strategic areas to concern about in the beginning. The beginning is very easy if you play your cards right and declare war on Scotland. You have a fantastic leader who, equiped with cavalry can and will utterly crush anything in his path on the English plains as well as the French forests in the south. By 1500, I had annexed Scotland (diplo), as it is of no use as an ally - although it had been of great assistance earlier as the Hansa. (this time they just piled 47k troops in Wales and sat there whenever I was at war). And now a century to go until the Union of Great Bretain...
Granada poses an interesting question, because the southern border of France is in a near constant state of war and I was forced to defend myself three times in 20 years, until I got fed up with it and I swarmed them completely. The need for Crusade related and Liberation of Iberia related events is dire here.
3. The world: Usually, the Iberian theatre of war is very interesting, with the frontline swinging back and forth in a very realistic manner (usually) which I have never seen before in other mods. (including MyMap).
A close second would be the Central European front: Bohemia-Silesia-Bavaria.
I was thrilled to actually see the very nice "Fed to the lions, thrown to the wolves" event for Genoa and Istria WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME in about 40 games.
Something needs to be done about Ukraine. It gains a good size early on, but it too often starts by annexing Kiev and in 2 out of 3 games it gets thoroughly kicked or disintegrates altogether after a century or so.
Byzantium and the Balkans, always a challenge, with many paths open to expansion, recession and development. This includes Wallachia and Moldavia which could become part of the Bulgarian Empire of Vice-versa. Oh, and Ragusa, definitely needs to be given a change to grow in the Levant, Egypt maybe and later the new world. (historically, Ragusan ships were seen as far as India in the 1500's)
This is what I have so far, will give more feedback in a week or so when I try other countries and make them do my evil bidding.
Thank you for this great mod!
