Alright...

[unmerged(554)]

I have now played the game for some time and have begun to understand the basics. I have to say that once you learn to ignore the text difficulties, the game looks good, in some instances really good. Some thoughts (and questions):

1. Portugal (in the grand campaign) seems to have some financial troubles. What is the best way to strengthen your economy as a trade-based nation? My thoughts were to get the tech level that allows monopolies, get some trading posts and colonies, and wait for a new trade center to appear (that only you has access to).

2. I have trouble with my 'annual income'. Page 9 in the Archives lists a number of posts that make out your income but the actual amount received on Jan 1st is much lower than that sum total. What is 'annual income' really?

3. Before land tech 11 only conquistadors may discover land provinces, but sometimes an explorer passing by at sea gives my maps to land as well. Is this totally random or do explorers have a certain chance to do this every time you set sail?

4. According to the manual (and the board game) a conquistador in a province will increase the probability of the settlers' success. Is this taken into consideration when you send the settlers or when they reach their destination?

5. Battles do not seem to affect peace differentials very much (if at all). Possession of provinces seem to be much more important. Is this true?

6. Do the morale level of a force affect attrition or is this only a factor in battles?

7. Back to Portugal: Is there an event like the 'Annexation of Portugal by Spain' as in the board game or is this handled differently?

8. On a similar note: Is there an event like the 'Revolt of the United Provinces' as in the board game or is that handled differently?
(I like both Portugal and Holland.)

Hope to get some answers from all you insightful, experienced players. Thank you.

 

[unmerged(258)]

Well yoru questions are mostly things that I would like to know. However, as far as I can help (until someone who knows more posts):

4) Based on my experience, the success or failure of the settlement is not based at all upon the arrival, but is fully determined at the time you send the settler. So I would assume the effect of the conquistador has its impact then.

5)Battles have some effect on peace negotiations, but it pales in comparison to provinces conquered. I have fought a couple of wars where I won every battle (about 10-15 of them in each war) and saw perhaps 1 star added, while for each province there is at least one star added.

6)By holding the mouse over the attrition (skull) icon on the army information screen, it lists all the factors and their effects. I cannot read / have not tried to translate the German, so I cannot tell you if morale is one of the factors.

8)I have the board game, but have not played it yet. There is an event for the United Provinces that creates Holland/The Netherlands as a separate nation. It happens every game (at least every one that Spain still occupies the Lowlands), as I understand it.

 

[Emperor of Europe]

Here's what little I can help you with:

When you play Portugal, your best bet for an increase in income is most likely to grab some colonies and establish trading posts in the ones that have the most valuable commodities (ivory, spice etc.)

There's a very easy explanation for the appearant discrepancy between yearly income and the actual money you receive. It's called yearly expenses
What you get the 1st of January is yearly income minus yearly expenses.

An explorer has a certain probability to 'uncover' coastal provinces as he passes them. So sailing up and down the coast a few times should give you a better picture.

Regards,

Emperor

------------------
Uhm... nice province. I
think I'll take it.

 

[unmerged(391)]

Ok Delirium I try to answer full scale:

1. I'd agree on your thoughts but why wait for new COTs try monopolizing existing ones :I)

2. As stated above you`ll only get you 'net' income e.g your total minus expenses.

3. IMHO it's random and depending on your naval tech. in the beginning everey third or fourth pass of a coastal provice may reveal it. Later in the game. your ships will automatically discover any CP they pass

4.Your Conq must be present when the settlers arrive to have an effect...i think armys do to to a lesser content

5. When you win much battles ou may get 1 star or another

6. IMHO its only counted in battles

7. I don't think so as Portugal is a playable nation in the GC so maybe in one of the other scenarios (only have played GC so far)

8. Definitly yes there is. And you bet if you have a provice in the Lowland prepare for some major a**whooping. Once they have founded the Netherlands they can be annexed again.

Hope that helps

------------------
Live long & prosper

CC

 

[unmerged(590)]

As far as I can see, the income recieved on January 1st is the yield from a yearly tax, based only on the size of your population, in Swedish called 'Mantalspenning'. This income remains fairly static - and in Portugal's case fairly low - unless you expand your territory (well, the size and number of actual cities, that is). The yield from regular tax and trade are added to the treasury according to the budget.

However, if you decide to stay out of the European wars and don't want to see your inflation run skyhigh, playing Portugal is not very easy, especially as the stream of settlers seem to fade in the 1600s.

I tried to play Portugal as peacefully as possible - hardest level with aggressive AI, but I soon understood why she lost her major power status in the mid 1600s. =)

By 1630, I had trade stations covering all of Brazil, Africa, India and South-East Asia, three monopolies in my own trade centers (Table, Bombay and Tago), a few colonial cities, and two effective cities in India when 6000 and 12000 natives respectively joined my colonial cities. I then started fighting - and annexing - the Indian kingdoms, boosting my yearly tax.

But it became evident that I had to deal with Spain. My alliance with England dragged me into several wars with Spain, resulting in my grabbing Leon and Andalusia. As soon as I took Andalusia, all my trade stations in South America switched COT from Tago to Andalusia, where Spain kept pumping in traders.

In conclusion: you have to make landgrabs as Portugal, and preferably as soon as possible. But stay away from Andalusia. =)

 

[Carolus Rex]

just a short Q:
is you the delirium that has/had the offspring site??
just curious....

 

[unmerged(199)]

My answers:

1. Get gold mines. As Portugal, I'd suggest you transport 20k men (cavalry is a great bonus) and a Conquistador to the new world and annex the Incas and Aztecs before the Spanish get to it. I have managed to do this repeatedly as England (one time with no explorers OR any conquistadors), so it ought to be extremely simple for Portugal. The Inca and Aztec empires are extremely simple to conquor.

The truth is, EU is a wargame. The best way to win lots of points in the game is to fight and win a lot of small wars. Trading is (unfortunately) somewhat of an afterthought - except that it makes excellent sense to annex COTs, since you can then always dominate them.

2. Seems to be tax income only (not sure though). But it increases as you expand your territory and get those gold mines.

3. Random. I think Naval 13 gives all your ships reconnoiter ability - a very important ability - if you can, research up to this ASAP.

4. When you send the settlers.

5. Yes. Capture 2 provinces and the capital. Voila - 6 stars.

6. Don't know.

7. Not to my knowledge.

8. There seems to be an increased chance of the Dutch provinces revolting after the 1560s.

 

[Hartmann]

Strategy´s strategy concerning Portugal (nr.1) is correct . In addition:

- at first stay out of any alliances which only drag You into unwanted wars.
- continually bribe Spain ('Einführungsbrief') til´ You get quite good relations
- then ally with Spain!

As Spain is Your major worry in the first decade, making it an ally is the best winning strategy. If You have Spain as a friend You may conquer the Aztecs and Incas and plaster all of America with Your trading posts. Spain will not even move a finger to prevent You from taking almost all of the cake!

Hartmann (...just back from holidays...)

 

[unmerged(452)]

Originally posted by Delirium:
5. Battles do not seem to affect peace differentials very much (if at all). Possession of provinces seem to be much more important. Is this true?

Battles won do not affect the star counts much. But battles lost do. I have repeatedly seen fewer stars when I lost just one or two battles against a country of which I had occupied a number of provinces.

/zwingli

 

[unmerged(548)]

Originally posted by zwingli:
Battles won do not affect the star counts much. But battles lost do. I have repeatedly seen fewer stars when I lost just one or two battles against a country of which I had occupied a number of provinces.

/zwingli

Haven't tested it out in the CG but in EU the BG the size of the forces in a battle mattered. If two small forces had a small skirmish it would have little to no effect while the victor/loose in a large battle gained/lost 'stars'.


------------------
/ Stefan Huszics