Project: Complete World Conquest with Hansa (Hanseatic League)

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Hello guys,

After a while now I took out again my old EU3-Game, trying how far I can get with world Conquest.
I didn’t really expect it at the beginning, but I worked out.
After finishing I wondered how other player made world conquest it and searched for AAR-Reports for total world conquest under EU3, Divine Wind – but I didn’t find anyone. Instead I found several threads with discussions like „Is the conquer of the world theoretically possible?“

So I want to offer my game as a suggestion how it may work. In different times of this game I followed different goals and strategies, so this description has several chapters for the different times and goals.
If interested I can later add the savegames of the chapters and some shortcuts. Just tell me qhat you are interested in.

Played Version: Europa Universalis 3, Chronicles aka Divine Wind, Patch 5.2, from 1399 - 1821

Note: I played in German, so my translations may sometimes not fit with the commonly used english terms.

Hope someone is interested.
Ciao, Al Sting

 

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1399, Chapter 1: Build a Trade Power
3 provinces (Lübeck, Hamburg, Bremen)
Income: Monthly 11,1 (Tax: 10,5; Production 0,6); Yearly Taxes: 55,7
Advantages:
- Merchant Republic: Good in Trade, Owns a Trade Centre in Lübeck
- With only 3 Countries the Tech Research is quite cheap
- Part of HRE, neighbouring countries are quite peaceful
- Coastal nation
Disadvantages:
- Part of HRE, neighbouring countries are hard to occupy and even harder to keep.
- With only 3 countries Hansa is smaller and weaker than many neighbours, so try to get out of any war troubles. The armies and the money is better invested elsewhere.
Goals: Getting a trade power to finance accelerated tech research and expansion. Stepwise switch from mercantilist to free trade.
Tech Goals: Government Tech Level 4: New Idea
Trade Tech 7: Idea „Quest for new World“ (As fast as possible, also with early research penalty)


1426, Chapter 2: New discovering and first colonies
3 provinces
Income: Monthly 27,5 (Tax: 11,3; Production 1,3; Trade: 14,9); Yearly Taxes: 77,8
Goals: The Quest for new World-idea was successfully discovered and implemented, so the search for new provinces starts. First colonisations follow, but are restricted by the colonization range, dependent of Naval Techs and the position of core provinces.
For an early colonization of America a core province much closer to America is required. In 1426 Canary Islands is the first Colony, getting a core province in 1476.
Tech Goals
High Trade Tech to increase Trade Range
High Naval Tech to increase Colonization Range
Naval 10: Construction of Barques (To earn the colony tariffs, one middle or big ship is required for each colony. Otherwise only a percentage of the tariffs is payed. The cheapest of these required ships ist he barque-class.)



1481, Chapter 3: Early Colonization of America
13 provinces, 7 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 72,9 (Tax: 16,5; Production 3,9; Trade: 54,4); Yearly Taxes: 117,5
Goals: - Discover the world
- Colonize America.
- Fight Indian countries: Zapotec and Inca first for ransom, later for conquest, Huron and Creek directly for conquest
- Avoid wars with European countries – may backfire with the weak standing in Europe.
- Evangelize occupied Indian provinces.
Late goal: With ransom from Indian Countries: „Sympathy Offense” in HRE:
- Switch from Merchants Republic to … Monarchy
- Royal weddings etc.
- With income and ransoms from Indian countries the HRE-electors are bribed to elect you as new „Holy Roman Emperor“ in 1523

 

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1535, Chapter 4: Colonization of America, Strengthening of power in HRE
68 provinces, 60 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 209 (Tax: 27; Production 8; Trade: 140; Gold 4; Tariffs 31); Yearly Taxes: 150
Status: Huron and Creek are completely, Zapotek half occupied; only Inca is still free. Other European nations colonized several Caribbean Islands, but only few provinces of mainland America.
- Hansa has passed even Ming and Castille as the nation with the most provinces
Goals: - Increase Speed of Colonization of Mainland America appropriate to financial ability
- Carefully increase diplomatic and military commitment in HRE/Germany to build power and push reforms of HRE as Holy Roman Emperor

1575, Chapter 5: Push Reforms in HRE
136 provinces, 124 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 322 (Tax: 67; Production 29; Trade: 172; Gold 7; Tariffs 46); Yearly Taxes: 323
Status: America: All Indian nations are occupied. The fast colonization of coastal America continues to keep other European nations out of mainland America.
HRE: 19 vassals acquired, mainly via alliances, but also via few struggles. Two reforms of HRE were implemented
Goals: - Increase diplomatic and military commitment in HRE/Germany to build power and push reforms of HRE as Holy Roman Emperor
- Continue high speed of colonization of America

1618, Chapter 6: Form „Holy Roman Empire“
220 provinces, 206 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 459 (Tax: 148 [among them 70 from vassals]; Production 37; Trade: 196; Gold 7; Tariffs 70); Yearly Taxes: 539
Status: With pushed reforms of HRE all other HRE-Nations (excepted Mainz) became vassals of Hansa.
- The Colonization of coastal America is completed.
Goals: Priority: Formation of the Holy Roman Empire and stand of the following revolts.
- Start to colonize Africa, Asia and Oceania
- Use „Holy war“-Casus-Belli until 1650: Start to occupy non-Christian countries in Africa and Asia (1 BB-point / occupied province)

 

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1624, Chapter 7: Begin of Holy-War-Era
396 provinces, 245 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 1.473 (Tax: 321; Production 440; Trade: 448; Gold 44; Tariffs 218); Yearly Taxes: 1.003
Status: Successful formation of the new nation called Holy Roman Empire
- All vassalized members of HRE are now part of new nation Holy Roman Empire
- The huge and fast rise in number of provinces triggers the event “Overextension” with +3% revolt risk and +50% stability costs. Ended 50 years later when all new provinces became core provinces.
Goals, priority until 1650: Use „Holy War“ casus-belli to occupy non-Christian countries in Africa and Asia (1 BB-point / occupied province)
- Recruitment of land and naval military to prepare for wars in Europe.
- Continue colonization in Africa, Asia and Oceania
- Due to many new trade centres in non-core provinces, free trade doesn’t work anymore until the end of the game. So stepwise switch back from free trade to mercantilist trade.

1655, Chapter 8: End of Holy-War-Era & switch toward Colony Wars
540 provinces, 352 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 1.862 (Tax: 352; Production 414; Trade: 509; Gold 62; Tariffs 523); Yearly Taxes: 874 (Stability Level 1 instead of usually 3)
Status: Focus in the Holy War Era was:
- India (triggering trading route boni)
- Middle East with Jerusalem (trigger event: +0.5 missionaries / year)
- Arabian Peninsula with Mecca (trigger event: +0.5 missionaries / year)
- Egypt/Sudan/Ethiopia (provinces to colonize)
- Muslim countries in South East Europe & Bosporus (triggering trading boni)
- Colonization starts in Oceania & South East Asia, continues in deep mainland America
Goals - Occupy colonial provinces from European competitors (1 BB-point / occupied province)
- Colonization in Oceania & South East Asia and North East Asia

1691, Chapter 9: End of Colony Wars, Forced Personal Unions and Imperial wars
736 provinces, 477 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 2.690 (Tax: 597; Production 675; Trade: 537; Gold 92; Tariffs 789); Yearly Taxes: 2.643
Status: Africa and India were focus in the Colonial War Era, both are now strongholds.
- Several provinces lost their “oversee”-status due to new conquered land bridges to Middle East and Nord East Africa.
Goals: Personal Unions: In 1691 I got by chance a Personal Union with France. Learning this is a nice opportunity to win a nation peaceful after 50 years I will also try make Personal Unions with England ands Castille by force.
- Imperial Wars: With few remained foreign colonies the focus will shift to Imperial Wars (2 BB-points / occupied province).
- Colonization is coming to end quite close. The last free provinces in Siberia and Deep North America will soon be colonized.

 

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1741, Chapter 10: Personal Union and release & reannexation of Vassals.
872 provinces, 378 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 5.195 (Tax: 1.024; Production 2.088; Trade: 956; Gold 116; Tariffs 1.011); Yearly Taxes: 3.635
Status: Subsequent to the colonial wars England and Spain were pushed by force to Personal Unions too. Only two main European powers, Sweden and Smolensk, remained independent.
- 1741 France had been Diplo-Annexed.
- Several smaller European nations were conquered by Imperial Wars.
- Several provinces lost their “oversee”-status due to new conquered land bridges to Africa and India & South East Asia.
- Last colonisable provinces in Siberia have been colonized, the “growth by colonizing”-time is over.
Learning: The Diplo-annexion of France teaches several things:
- Annexing of Personal Unions costs 1 BB-Points / province, made around 40 BB-Points for France
- BB-Points over limit are harder to bear than in earlier times: Not only foreign neighbours start wars en masse, also in the own provinces spread a lot of revolts due to the excess of Infamy-limit.
- The Infamy can be reduced by releasing new vassals (only in peace-times!) with 2 BB-points / province.
- When core provinces are released as vassals, they can also be occupied 5 years later by War of Reconquest for 0 BB-points / province, a perfect recipe for shredding Infamy!
- By changing the nation all province buildings of level 5 or 6 are degraded to level 4. So don’t put these building in provinces of “future vassals”.
- After diplo-annexing of a personal Union you have to wait 50 (!) years to be able to diplo-annex another Personal Union. That’s five times as long as after diplo-annexing of Vassals! So it will not be possible to diplo-annex England AND Spain!
- In contrary to vassal-treaties a Personal Union-treaty cannot be dissolved by the leading nation. The relation between the nations has to get very bad so the minor nation finishes it when the king dies.
Goals: - Prepare England for diplo-annexion in 50 years and prepare Spain to finish the Personal Union so it can get occupied.
- Great level Conquering with Imperial Wars and the “Infamy-Shredder”.
- Techgoal: Government tech level 53, implement “revolution”-idea and start revolutionary wars (1 BB-point / occupied province)

1786, Chapter 11: England and preparation of final rush.
1116 provinces, 382 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 10.344 (Tax: 1.669; Production 3.953; Trade: 3.557; Gold 123; Tariffs 1042); Yearly Taxes: 5.631
Status: In 1786 the old king died. Subsequently England affiliated voluntarily to HRE (for zero BB-points), while Spain as planned broke the Personal Union.
Sweden has been occupied completely, Ming and Japan have been massively reduced. Many smaller countries in Europe and Asia have been occupied too.
Attacking Japan was quite easy at last: All factions are allied with Japan (only Kyoto), so by declaring war to Japan these allies joined the war and could easily be conquered.
- Several provinces lost their “oversee”-status due to new conquered land bridges to Siberia. On the other hand new conquered Japanese Provinces have “oversee-status”.
Goals: Occupy of the last remaining big countries: Spain, Persia and Smolensk as well as their remained smaller allies.
Think about the nomad nations that cannot be simply occupied.

1811, Chapter 12: Nomad Nations
1332 provinces, 418 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 14.754 (Tax: 2.235; Production 4.915; Trade: 6.321; Gold 149; Tariffs 1133); Yearly Taxes: 8.210
Status: Most countries have been occupied. Only 4 foreign nations remain:
- The vassal nation of Bihar – To get orient trade boni at least one independent trade centre in India, e.g. in Bihar, is required.
- Three nomadic nations at the Siberian border. As I learnt, nomad nations can be colonized if they are conquered. Each colonist brings 200 People, and if a foreign settlement reaches the size of 1.000 People the whole province defects to that nation.
Goal: Diplo-annex Bihar and Colonize the Nomadic Nations.

1821 Chapter 13: Final Status
1.356 provinces, 418 of them overseas
Income: Monthly 15.925 (Tax: 2.539; Production 5.189; Trade: 6.880; Gold 151; Tariffs 1167); Yearly Taxes: 9.446
Status: Success, the whole world of Europa Universalis III, Divine Wind, is part of Holy Roman Empire.