Challenge: The Center of the World

[Tomn_Peng]

I don't own any of the "advanced" Paradox games, and for some time now my only experience with most of them were the AARs. That said, I have decided to try and live vivaciously through one of those who own and are reasonably good at the game. Ye who believe it can be done, I present to you the challenge of China: Center of the World.

Primary Goals:

1. Expand and maintain Chinese borders to match modern borders as closely as possible. However, once accomplished, not one province outside of those borders is to be annexed. China is, after all, the center of the world, and who needs barbarian land?

2. Vassalize all nations near China, preferably near their original form. All must submit to Chinese superiority!

3. Ensure the survival of all vassals (and would-be vassals). A good overlord is like a good parent; stern but caring.

4. Fight Qing, restore Ming. China belongs to the Chinese, not a bunch of horse-bound barbarians.

Secondary Goals

1. Expand the vassalization initiative to cover all of Asia. India, Japan, the South-East Asian lands, all must submit to China! Also Russia, if they've gotten close enough.

2. Colonies are not allowed, but trading posts are. See above about barbarian land.

Tertiary Goals

1. Create a Grand Army, pack that into a Grand Fleet, sail them to Europe, pick the largest and most powerful nation in Europe, and then conquer the capital, just to show that you can.

2. Vassalize said powerful nation. All must submit to Chinese superiority!

3. Vassalize all of Europe. See above.

4. Vassalize the world. See above.

So, any takers?

 

[yourworstnightm]

Sounds good, however you might want to annex Korea and Vietnam, since they are easy to take on.

 

[Eber]

There's a bit of a problem with your goals.

The main problem is vassalization. I think it would be near impossible to only conquer the lands that mondern China have and vassalize every other province. Why?

Well for one, just because the country is a vassal (especially forced vassalization) does not mean they will have a) good relations with you and b) stick with you.

See the problem with your whole premise is that you'll get to the point especially when you get to India that you're have so many vassals that you won't be able to please all of them. Also these vassals still can be in military alliances and eventually these vassals may declare war on you. Also, conquering the world and vassalizing is completely out of the question if modern borders must stay intact and colonization is prohibited.

In EU3, there are no trading post anymore, only cities. (Unless I'm wrong here but in my experience, I have not seen any trading post options).

It would be a nice premise, but I just don't see it being possible with so many limitations especially for playing a tech-penalized nation such as Ming. Sorry to burst your bubble. Maybe lower your limitations a bit. How about, colonizing is allowed and complete domination of only Asia is allowed but Europe and the Middle East must only be vassalized. If those are the limitations, the game would still be very difficult but at least possible then.

Just my two cents.

 

[Tomn_Peng]

Part of the motivation for these different goals and methods is that world conquest is actually a tad boring, to my mind, if only because it crops up more often. Most "challenge" AARs seems to be either about world conquest, or about bringing a tiny, underdeveloped rump of a nation to some degree of greatness. But how many of them are about a fairly powerful nation trying to maintain supremacy over a vassal population, constantly at odds with both the superpower and each other, eh?

To be honest, the tertiary goals were thrown in after I started to get carried away, and the bubble of world vassalage was already thin to begin with. So your point is taken: The primary goals will stay the same, but the secondary goals were be merely to see how much you can vassalize before the whole structure implodes upon itself. I maintain, however, that the first tertiary goal is kept, for the sake of spice.

 

[Varam]

Hey, this is a really interesting challenge. I love having pre-defined goals, and I've never done a WV before. I am willing to try and do it if nobody else is interested.

 

[Tomn_Peng]

Feel free. Heck, tell ya what: If anyone is interested in taking up this challenge, start your own threads. Compete to see who can have the most vassals by game's end while, along the way, successfully accomplishing the Grand Expedition! The winner will receive one (1) imaginary coronation by a nobody of Chinese ethnicity as the Emperor of an alternate China-dominated world.

By the way, I dunno the game mechanics, but is it possible to give away provinces to other nations without losing a war? If so, annexation for the purposes of giving the land to other, more deserving nations is allowed. Say, for instance, you've decided that France has gotten rather too large and powerful. Cut them down to size, and give the land away to their rivals, thereby maintaining a balance of power. If not, oh well.

 

[Varam]

You can sell provinces to other factions, but there are some kinks with the feature.

You can force a faction to grant independence to a country that it has annexed, though.