MAARriage Game 1337: Hapsburg Ambitions

[dmurgell]

I am asking for some advice as to how to proceed.

Sorry I don't have the game and can't help about mechanics. But I like your AAR and I follow it with interest.

 

[hjarg]

The old truth of location-location-location.

I'd say you have an insurmountable problem called the Alps between your capital and Adriatic. Even with paved roads you'd be getting soonish, these mountains ain't going anywhere.

The solution- I'd fiefdom/vassal all your Adriatic holdings and your German enclaves. Perhaps even your western core lands. You'd be more likely to get better income that way.

Then, I would build a bailiff in both of your silver mines near Graz (assuming they're at 0 proximity) and concentrate on maxing these.

Also, I'd limit building rgo-s to locations you have high control (50+) because ROI otherwise would be bad.

In short, release vassals, develop your core lands and silver and perhaps build your own market to get into the silver trade yourself.

 

[Hootieleece]

I would be above 50 with all with the -30. But there's another -20 too, which makes it impossible to avoid rebellion in all colonies.

The old truth of location-location-location.

I'd say you have an insurmountable problem called the Alps between your capital and Adriatic. Even with paved roads you'd be getting soonish, these mountains ain't going anywhere.

The solution- I'd fiefdom/vassal all your Adriatic holdings and your German enclaves. Perhaps even your western core lands. You'd be more likely to get better income that way.

Then, I would build a bailiff in both of your silver mines near Graz (assuming they're at 0 proximity) and concentrate on maxing these.

Also, I'd limit building rgo-s to locations you have high control (50+) because ROI otherwise would be bad.

In short, release vassals, develop your core lands and silver and perhaps build your own market to get into the silver trade yourself.

I know that in 1.1 Austria will get an advance that will "fix" the Proximity issue the Mountains pose. I realize that I haven't been building roads, but as you say they probably wouldn't help anyway due to the terrain factors.

I was hoping there was a way to attack this problem without a "Vassal Swarm". This shows the need for a building like a "Courthouse" for a proximity source to build in provincial capitals that are cities or towns. I had built Counting Houses in several places (Pola, Zadar) thinking they functioned like that, but the proximity and control maps prove the theory wrong.

At least I don't have a problem with Diplomatic Capacity so I can create plenty of vassals. My problem is that I don't want too many, so loyalty tanks due numbers and relative strength. That is one reason I have been wary to create subjects for the most part based on my French run in 1.04.

 

[hjarg]

I was hoping there was a way to attack this problem without a "Vassal Swarm". This shows the need for a building like a "Courthouse" for a proximity source to build in provincial capitals that are cities or towns. I had built Counting Houses in several places (Pola, Zadar) thinking they functioned like that, but the proximity and control maps prove the theory wrong.

There is one. Bailiff, a rural building that gives you 20 proximity. Note, not +20, but just 20, so it works only if you build them in locations with up to 19 proximity. Though it is pointless if you build it anywhere with above 0.

 

[Hootieleece]

There is one. Bailiff, a rural building that gives you 20 proximity. Note, not +20, but just 20, so it works only if you build them in locations with up to 19 proximity. Though it is pointless if you build it anywhere with above 0.

I will try that one, but I think it empowers the Nobility Estate. I have a few places I could strategically place them on the proximity map. May be even build some roads. Definitely expanding some RGO's and Marketplaces in towns.

If after ten years that doesn't help the economy, I will try the "Vassal Swarm" Approach.

 

[hjarg]

I will try that one, but I think it empowers the Nobility Estate. I have a few places I could strategically place them on the proximity map. May be even build some roads. Definitely expanding some RGO's and Marketplaces in towns.

If after ten years that doesn't help the economy, I will try the "Vassal Swarm" Approach.

Just, silver mines first!!!
(Assuming they have 0 proximity)

 

[Killcrazy13]

I think @hjarg has given you strong advice on building your economy and I don't really have much to add.

Bailiffs are expensive to build and run so save them only for very valuable locations such as gold mines, silver mines and gems, and only if they have less than 20 proximity.

Beyond building up your RGOs in high-control locations, I would take a serious look at your marketplace situation. It seems like your profits are divided and unconcentrated because you lack control of where trade goes and the ability to acquire goods that are vital for your economy. Build more marketplaces and look at consolidating where trades happen. Contrast the Croatian market (which the AI built up) vs Budapest/Nurnberg. It's close in trade capacity but offers significant profits because of market centre control which makes it easier for those goods to be used profitably to suit the local merchants in the market.

Your Budapest market screen is interesting as you're losing money on silver - is this tied to your Precious Metals law, or is that Hungary's 'no export rule' effecting yours? If you want to keep the metal in the country, you need a way to channel it productively. Otherwise, you end up with the stagnation that Hungary has - too much gold, not enough uses, so gold prices crash. Look at maxing out the Jewel Smiths as an option.

I've played a lot of Victoria 3 and this game's economy borrows some of its ideas in terms of production stacking - you need lots of base RGOs like Lumber, Iron, Food as a baseline to keep people alive and feed your profitable industries like Weapons, Guns, Paper. It's also useful to figure out how to optimize your different cities based on the RGOs in their province. For e.g. if you have Silk, you can look at building Fine Tailoring in the city, even better if you have dyes and other associated goods for the trade building, all in the same province. Now, this won't drastically change your profits but it's that +20% optimization to get just a little more out of your economy.

However, the biggest gains to me are 1) Build RGOs in high control areas 2) Find a way to make your own market or focus on one market and try to get the most trade advantage there.

 

[Hootieleece]

Just, silver mines first!!!
(Assuming they have 0 proximity)

I think @hjarg has given you strong advice on building your economy and I don't really have much to add.

Bailiffs are expensive to build and run so save them only for very valuable locations such as gold mines, silver mines and gems, and only if they have less than 20 proximity.

Beyond building up your RGOs in high-control locations, I would take a serious look at your marketplace situation. It seems like your profits are divided and unconcentrated because you lack control of where trade goes and the ability to acquire goods that are vital for your economy. Build more marketplaces and look at consolidating where trades happen. Contrast the Croatian market (which the AI built up) vs Budapest/Nurnberg. It's close in trade capacity but offers significant profits because of market centre control which makes it easier for those goods to be used profitably to suit the local merchants in the market.

Your Budapest market screen is interesting as you're losing money on silver - is this tied to your Precious Metals law, or is that Hungary's 'no export rule' effecting yours? If you want to keep the metal in the country, you need a way to channel it productively. Otherwise, you end up with the stagnation that Hungary has - too much gold, not enough uses, so gold prices crash. Look at maxing out the Jewel Smiths as an option.

I've played a lot of Victoria 3 and this game's economy borrows some of its ideas in terms of production stacking - you need lots of base RGOs like Lumber, Iron, Food as a baseline to keep people alive and feed your profitable industries like Weapons, Guns, Paper. It's also useful to figure out how to optimize your different cities based on the RGOs in their province. For e.g. if you have Silk, you can look at building Fine Tailoring in the city, even better if you have dyes and other associated goods for the trade building, all in the same province. Now, this won't drastically change your profits but it's that +20% optimization to get just a little more out of your economy.

However, the biggest gains to me are 1) Build RGOs in high control areas 2) Find a way to make your own market or focus on one market and try to get the most trade advantage there.

I would have played today for a while to use some of this good advice. So I could relax. Instead I went down an internet rabbit hole or two about the Federal Escalation in Minnesota and protests and also the protests and crackdown in Iran. It got me to thinking heavily and worriedly.

I will try to find time to play EU5 and relax soon and then write about it. I will also be reading and commenting on other AAR's as I can because that gives me joy.

 

[Chac1]

Like you, some of us are worried about the state of things, but we too find joys in AARs. So I have taken some focused time to catch up with this one. What I really appreciate is your willingness to try to improve. Not only are you working on experiments to improve the AAR, but you are also working on how you play and approach the game. I think your sharing is helping folks learn the game. There's a lot of good discussion here about game mechanics.

an AI generated portrait just testing.

I like what you are doing with your AI art experiments. Some of the regular readers ( @hjarg , @Killcrazy13 , and @dmurgell ) are really leading the way in recent months regarding their use of AI art. So you can look to them for suggestions.

I would also suggest you drop in on our thread about AI art. There are some good suggestions there too. Your early experiments are quite good.

Author's Note: This was written with AI. This is me experimenting. I wrote a summary and short blurb notes based on my screenshots. The CoPilot AI wrote it as a Academic Narrative based on a Blabber Mouth and Righteous Ruler Traits as seen here. The game play has remained much the same, but I decided to be more proactive and less reactive but was still limited due to a lack of resources. The biggest thing was asking France for money. I never tried that action before. It is like asking the Pope for money in CK3. I hope to continue the tales of the Habsburgs with AI help. I might even try my hand at more AI generated images in the future. NEVER call me a WritAAR of the week since I have a "ghostwriter" now.

I think there was a good discussion about this earlier, and I do think the use of AI to help folks who are not native speakers is something that is actually improving communication.

What I noticed was a tonal shift. Like others, I sensed someone else was writing instead of the usual author. Also, I felt the philosophy of the AAR shifted. It seemed more like a history approach rather than a game play approach. Nothing wrong with shifting approaches (how can I complain as someone who has evolved in my first AAR) but it was noticeably different.

Which is another reason I did the AI experiment just to see how effective a "tool" it was and how useful. Since it is all the rage these days.

Like you and others, I have adopted a pragmatic approach. I am using it to help where it is needed, which for me is in image creation as my main AAR is image heavy. So it is a tool that aids me, but just one of many.

although his diplomatic skills do not quite match those of his father.

Oh, the blabbermouth? So, yes, the father has those skills but he undercuts himself. The AI chapter revealed just how much that happens. Are all those events tied to diplomacy in the game? Or is there some creative imagination going on there from your viewpoint to make game events understandable?

If the son is worse, watch out!

All these dangerous stairs in castles and palaces all over Europe......the Artisans must be made to pay!

In September 1453, the emperor’s older sister fell down yet another set of stairs to her death!

Do the investments in infrastructure include better staircases?

I don't think the staircase problem will ever be solved since other writers are making the same observations in their AAR's. I just sort of wanted to share in the joke.

I think that Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin should be the official anthem of EU5. Especially Today since it is Jimmy Paige's 82nd birthday.

Joke definitely shared and I appreciated all these references, including the joke from @dmurgell about "Stairway to Heaven." Thank you for honoring the guitar god on his birthday.

 

[Hootieleece]

I have played some more and will be posting the end of Ferdinand's reign in the next few days. The problem with lack of market share and need to mint are killing the economy. Which is why I was hesitant to mint to begin with.

 

[Nikolai]

I have played some more and will be posting the end of Ferdinand's reign in the next few days. The problem with lack of market share and need to mint are killing the economy. Which is why I was hesitant to mint to begin with.

Challenges often make for good stories. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

 

[Hootieleece]

Chapter 13: Ferdinand II (1459-1462)​

Ferdinand II receives the Ansbach ambassadors in January 1462 by court paint Fabrizio Tortini.

Following the Privy Council meeting in July 1459, Ferdinand initiated a plan aimed at strengthening the Austrian economy. He authorized his administration to secure six loans totaling 91 ducats each at an 8% interest rate. Concurrently, the treasury commenced increased coin minting to address budget deficits, inadvertently triggering an inflationary cycle that persisted throughout his reign.

The funds obtained were directed towards the comprehensive upgrading of the RGOs in Wien, Linz, and Graz, as well as the renovation and expansion of marketplaces in those cities to their maximum capacity. Ferdinand anticipated that these measures, concentrated in regions under direct royal control, would stimulate economic growth. However, upon completion and full staffing of these projects approximately two years later, the impact on monthly budget deficits proved negligible. Austrian merchants faced substantial competition from counterparts in Ansbach, Hungary, and Moldavia, limiting their ability to capitalize on domestic resources.

In response to the ongoing need for loan repayment, Ferdinand sanctioned further coin minting, as efforts by merchants to correct trade imbalances in the Buda and Nurnberg markets were unsuccessful; while balances might rise mid-month, they consistently declined at the start of each month. Ultimately, Ferdinand established a minting level that produced approximately +10 ducats per month for loan repayments. This policy accelerated inflation, exacerbating challenges in agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The resulting shortfall in tax revenues also constrained military expansion and maintenance.

Shortly after the first loan repayments were made, Ferdinand II Habsburg fell down the stairs and died of his injuries.

The significant events of this period are as follows:

In 1460, the Prince-Bishop of Trier lost imperial territory to the Kingdom of France due to an ill-advised alliance with the Kingdom of Aragon. Ferdinand watched helplessly as France seized control of the southern Low Countries.

In April 1460, an imperial relative was presented to the emperor on charges of disclosing state secrets to foreign agents. Recognizing that he himself had previously struggled with similar indiscretions and acknowledging their status as a member of the Habsburg dynasty, Emperor Ferdinand chose to spare their life. The act of clemency was granted solely due to their dynastic ties.

In August 1460, the emperors diplomatic drive to improve relations with Italian States after the Aquilian War continued to bear fruit as Brescia joined the Holy Roman League in the Italian War Situation.

Due to budget surpluses resulting from minting, the Nobility petitioned for increased pensions. However, the emperor, facing financial constraints, denied their request, leading to a decline in the Nobility estate's loyalty.

In January 1462, Ansbach requested Landgraviate Status and since half the fee would end up in the treasury Ferdinand agreed to the request.

In February 1462, the first of the 6 loans was paid off by the treasury.

In April 1462, Emperor Ferdinand II passed away as the result of a fall down the stairs. His death was met with little mourning, attributed to his tendency to undermine his own diplomatic and military initiatives through indiscreet remarks.

AUTHOR’S NOTES: After taking the information on game mechanics. I decided on what I thought would be the lowest cost option to kickstart the Austrian economy. Unfortunately, our merchants lack competitiveness since they are split into four different markets. So even though we expanded our marketplaces and thus access to goods and started increasing the products available it had an almost negligible effect on our budget balance. I am using the trade automation (It sets up promising trades, but on the first of the month we are out competed thus creating another deficit) So to pay off the loans, I resorted to minting knowing that it would create inflation.

On the Positive side diplomatically the Holy Roman League led by the emperor is growing thus creating a small chance to win the situation in Italy and reverse the outcome of the Guelph and Ghibelline situation of the last century that led to an imperial defeat.

The biggest problem for me as the emperor is the lack of funds that creates a situation where I must watch helplessly as even allies and friends help themselves to imperial territory.

I have continued to play as his heir Phillip but the problems of funds and being dragged into unwanted foreign adventures continues......

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Shortly after the first loan repayments were made, Ferdinand II Habsburg fell down the stairs and died of his injuries.

In April 1462, Emperor Ferdinand II passed away as the result of a fall down the stairs.

Do later historians see Ferdinand as so much of a footnote that his death from falling down the stairs is mentioned twice? Or are these stairs famous?

 

[Chac1]

Thanks for the new chapter @Hootieleece . At least you are taking the advice and trying to apply it to your challenging economic situation. Good to see your diplomatic approach getting slow results. One would expect that pace with that as your strategy. We will see if the next king can right the economic ship of state.

Ferdinand II receives the Ansbach ambassadors in January 1462 by court paint Fabrizio Tortini.

Again, appreciating your experiments with AI art. What platform are you using again? ChatGPT?

Do later historians see Ferdinand as so much of a footnote that his death from falling down the stairs is mentioned twice? Or are these stairs famous?

Stairs in EUV are certainly infamous given how many deaths are attributed to stairs not just in this AAR but throughout this sub-forum. That is unless the Austrian historians are just trying to increase Ferdinand's importance by making him yet another staircase victim.

 

[Killcrazy13]

Historically the Austrian Hapsburg were often in debt to banks and lenders so you're living up to the legend.

More seriously, seems like the lack of your own market is painful. Also loan repayments do eat into your revenue. If they're cleared, you should start seeing some gains from those RGOs. Just keep incrementally building them when you have the chance.

 

[dmurgell]

Shortly after the first loan repayments were made, Ferdinand II Habsburg fell down the stairs and died of his injuries.

Me grabs the guitar and starts playing the unofficial EUV subforum anthem...

The biggest problem for me as the emperor is the lack of funds that creates a situation where I must watch helplessly as even allies and friends help themselves to imperial territory.

Well, that and living in a two-storey manor with stairs...

 

[Nikolai]

Seems like Ferdinand was basically a footnote in history, but Austria marches on.

 

[hjarg]

Another victim of the infamous stairs!

The King started off economic reforms. And then, he died falling down the stairs. Suspicious!

Also, i think you need some inflation to get money printers go brrrr parliament issue.

 

[Hootieleece]

I had a very successful France run and nearly one million ducats in the bank, when an event fired. The flavor text said something about how the people were gathering to discuss what to do about the impending financial crisis. Financial crisis? I've got a million ducats!

Intrigued, I accepted the event which granted a character whose financial acumen would fix what wasn't broke.

I suspected it would all end in tears, but it started well enough. More events fired that granted huge sums of cash. Then an event fired that said that financial wiz actually made things way worse, bad events followed, and eventually I ended up with 90% inflation.

Honestly I expected this all to backfire before I clicked it, but the scale was off the charts.

I didn't realize I had this in my quotes. I had responded to another thread on the forums.

Do later historians see Ferdinand as so much of a footnote that his death from falling down the stairs is mentioned twice? Or are these stairs famous?

I was an editing mistake.

Thanks for the new chapter @Hootieleece . At least you are taking the advice and trying to apply it to your challenging economic situation. Good to see your diplomatic approach getting slow results. One would expect that pace with that as your strategy. We will see if the next king can right the economic ship of state.


Again, appreciating your experiments with AI art. What platform are you using again? ChatGPT?


Stairs in EUV are certainly infamous given how many deaths are attributed to stairs not just in this AAR but throughout this sub-forum. That is unless the Austrian historians are just trying to increase Ferdinand's importance by making him yet another staircase victim.

Things are going slowly and the money issue is really been slowing things down from the beginning. It is often why I haven't been as proactive as I as player would have liked.

I am using Co-Pilot by Microsoft for my AI generated images.

I think falling down the stairs to death will remain a running joke.

Historically the Austrian Hapsburg were often in debt to banks and lenders so you're living up to the legend.

More seriously, seems like the lack of your own market is painful. Also loan repayments do eat into your revenue. If they're cleared, you should start seeing some gains from those RGOs. Just keep incrementally building them when you have the chance.

This is true they were often in debt. In EUIV and maybe EUIII there was a Rise of the Fuggers event that gave an inflation reduction and lowered interest on loans.

I am thinking that I just might have to take loans and create my own market in either Wien or Graz. (Problem cost 800 Ducats before inflation)

Me grabs the guitar and starts playing the unofficial EUV subforum anthem...

Well, that and living in a two-storey manor with stairs...

I appreciate the video and the nostalgia brought on by that song.

Seems like Ferdinand was basically a footnote in history, but Austria marches on.

He was emperor for almost 35 years.......not quite just a footnote.

Another victim of the infamous stairs!

The King started off economic reforms. And then, he died falling down the stairs. Suspicious!

Also, i think you need some inflation to get money printers go brrrr parliament issue.

It was his time he had ruled for about 35 years......i was hoping for a different ending.

Oh, I still have to mint/print money and Inflation is soaring. It is at 25% so far under the next ruler.

The Parliament issue hasn't come up yet.......

 

[jak7139]

Lets hope the economic reforms have put you on the right track, though it seems like it will be slow going.

Ferdinand II wasn't a bad emperor, just not a very good one either.