My first Mp game

[TeutonicKnight]

Not exactly my first, but my first with people who know how to play the game and boy did I get my ass spanked cherry red. First game I was Spain in the GC early year. France and I allied up to help France expelle England from thier land and shit, that went about as right as the running of the bulls. I landed about 40K troops on England and lost all 40K to an army of 15k cav. I found out quickly the advantages of cav early in the game. The only thing that went right was the Armada repeatedly, but at high cost, defeated the RN, forceing England to build slowely in Europe because he couldn't ferry them. Frnace had terrible luck, just as it appeared he would push England off somebody declared war on him and annhilated his cav army, thus giving England breathing room, and essentially putting France in a horrible situation as all of Northern France was in English hands, while the south was in good shape with Spainish troops supplementing his. The game crashed and we agreed to start again.

I was Spain again, but the start date was 1492 and France was not as greatful for my help I had allied up with Portugal, England and Milan. France wanted his core provs so I had no beef with that, as I knew he would be too powerfull for me to stop if he wanted it. England gave up Calaise too. A few years later France wanted Military access to Portugal and Portugal initially refused and I was told, by France, to talk some sense into him or else. I replied that I can't speak for Portugal and I would back my allie up. I didn't know that Portugal had already given access when France request it from me. Thinking that France would use it to attack Portugal, I refused, thus touching off a very lively and bitter battle that would involve most of the power nations. I, with the advice from a great player, strated building mass cav but was too little too late as France was already prepared. he took Navarre and I countered back with my cav and initially had some success, Britian had landed in the North of France pulling Frances armies away and Portugal had sent its army to my border. Shortly after that Austria and her allies declared on France. Austria had some horrid luck as he forgot to move his matienece bar to 100% and lost a few key battles before realizing that. I moved up and took some prov's in Southern France, while England got annhilated up North as did Austria. Austria sighned a peace agreement giving flanders and artios to France, while England landed the BEF in Navarre and we prepared to drag this out as long as possible with hopes that our combined Economies would be too much for France and he would white peace out.

Alas it was not to be, France with too many leaders and me with only one, lost the border war and it was just a matter of time before I would be completely occupied. After about 10 years of war and France occupying all of the Iberian penninsula, sighned a white peace with me and Portugal, Egland had already sighned once it was realized that I could not win the war. This severly slowed down my exploring and colonizing efforts as I had only 1 colony at the time of war and couldn't afford to colonize during war. The game continued and I was able to absorb the Mayan's, Incas, and Aztecs into the greater Catholic world =)

 

[unmerged(10191)]

hmm...

In what time span did all of this happen?

 

[Damocles]

I was France in that game. 99 percent of the reason why I declared war was to A) Bring the Iberians in line with France foreign policy and B) Hoping that JohnMK would make good on his threat to DoW me in support. I was after continental hegemony, and I knew that while fighting me, neither England, Portugal or Spain could colonize or explore effectively, thus hamstringing them in the crucial years until I gained more explorers.

I was outnumbered from the start with two mediocorish generals (mov 3 shock 3, mov 2 shock 4). It was me vs a player England, Portugal and Spain, and later, a player Austria, John.

Spain had about 70 troops in those bordering mountains so we had a rough go at it fighting back and forth...When Austria (John) Dowed me, swooping down with 50k cav. I met him with 50k and what followed was mutual obliteration.

England landed, so I had to raise another army to run him off, and the while, Austria was reinforcing a second army in the Lowlands under a shock 5 general while I didn't have any north.

On a gamble, I pulled all my troops from the Spanish front and coalesced them into one big army in Paris, making it appear as if I had more armies then I really did (leaving behind a few straggling infantry). Spain invaded but happily sat on a few Acquitaine provs taking horrendous attrition in Rous.

As John invaded with his new 30-40k army, thinking I was helpless (There was about 30k of his german cologne/palatinant allies running about as well) he offered to just take a couple provs and would pull out.

Well. About a second later I hit him with about 50k cavalry and annihilated him completely, along with the best leader in Europe that sticks around for 20 more years. I took Flandern off him and turned my attentions to the south.

There were several Portugese, English and Spanish armies in Spain, defending those mountains, so I spent about a year building up a sufficiently large pair of armies (draining my manpower to 0 from 84), to force my way in. it was bloody and back and forth, but eventually, I ended up owning every prov in the Iberian peninsula after about 5 years. Taking their capitals, I got their maps and secured military access and left it that. I mean, what was I going to demand, Oporto or Kent? I was content for the moment to lay claim to 5 intensly rich islands in the lesser antilles as my right to colonize.

One of the most fun wars I've ever had. Tho, if John hadn't been at half maintenance our first battle, since we were almost completely even in force size, it could have swung either way...Even then, I must've had bad luck because it was just mutual obliteration of some 100k cavalry total.


TeutonicKnight is one of the fastest learners I've ever seen in a MP game. He really developed into a threat and I was continually surprised at how well he adaped to human opponents from single player. There are many incompetent, terrible players on vnet, which makes it really cool to discover the occassional newbie who is willing and eager to take advice and put it to immediate use.

Nice job, TK .

 

[Damocles]

On a sidenote, it was claimed that France is way too powerful (As I've lamented that England is, in 1419). But at least if Spain is moderately diplomatic in giving way, they will eclipse their northern neighbours economically soon enough. England and Portugal too can become incredibly rich. As Portugal, I had 200 a month income by the early 1500s, almost from trade alone....In comparison, a united France starts with around 40 in 1492.

 

[Prince Eugene]

Who were the English and Portugese players?