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Author’s Note: This is where I had stopped playing the game for a period of months, and then came back to it))
Hmm…. Not sure what’s going on. Can’t load the standard EU 3 game, and I’m not sure which version that was. However, inside the “Sforzabackup” folder I have a version of EU 3 which does load, and appears to be v2.2 of Napoleon’s Ambition. It loads the old Sforza savegames, of which the most recent appears to be 1755, so I’ll continue building from here, with screenshots saved to the Sforzabackup folder.
The first thing I did on coming back into the game was do a survey of my highest tax-producing provinces and doublechecking that they all had proper facilities. I started a building project of about 600 ducats for Constables, Custom Houses, a Marketplace, even a Workshop in some forsaken place which didn’t know how to build anything.
The next thing I do is spend another about 1200 ducats ordering new military units of European high-tech styles (Caroline Infantry, Latin Hussars, Cohorn Mortars) in areas likely to be near areas of tension. This is generally in Russia and the Balkans & Middle East, because anything in Central Asia or India is unable to complete modern military units. We achieve Land 29 and begin building a War College.
I have 531 Badboy in December 1755.
As always, I’m concentrating on conversions to the Christian faith, particularly in Muslim provinces, but not exclusively.
In 1756, we get two brushfire wars starting – one against the Swahili, and another against Brunei. They happen to be allied with Lan Xang, a landlocked country in the middle of SE Asia. We can’t get there… Until the Ming allow us military access. THAT could get interesting!
To continue the trend, the Emperor figures we might as well open up another war – the 23rd War of Milanese Aggression! – against the Turks.
The Ottoman Empire doesn’t have much left to it. Only 8 provinces, including their capital. What’s that? Two wars? Three? Four at most, I suppose. Getting there…. Persia is allied with the Turks, and they become the alliance leader, which just allows us to go after them, too.
With only 23% of Ottoman war capacity available, this will be a short war – only a matter of how much I can take in the peace, once everything is occupied. They’ve mostly lost the ability to resist, which means an era is about to end!
In January, 1757, the Swahili are defeated, and their last province is ceded to us – Swahili cease to exist, independent of the Empire!
Milan’s allies are extremely effective in this 23rd war with the Turks (maybe they’ve just had lots of practice!). Austria and Lithuania each capture one of those few remaining Ottoman provinces.
Lan Xang makes peace in May, ceding four provinces to Milan, which separates their two remaining provinces from each other. Such happens when weak countries ally with other weak countries against Milan!
To the south, as part of the Brunei war, Makassar has been entirely occupied, and they yield their last province and become part of the Milanese World Empire.
Brunei, by July, has also accepted defeat. They retain the northern coast, while Milan takes 2 of their southern provinces.
Milan is traditionally very helpful to its allies, and this war is no exception. When the Ottomans accept our peace demands in October, 1757, Austria gets to keep Banat, and Lithuania annexes Carpathia.
Two of the provinces Milan took – Hum (in Bosnia) and Silistria (along the Black Sea coast, just north of the Turkish capital) become part of Milan’s Empire.
There’s not much left to the Ottoman “Empire” – just Thrace, and 3 interior provinces in Asia Minor. Two more wars, I think, should finish them off for good (I’m assuming the rules in Napoleon’s Ambition still didn’t allow more than 3-4 provinces to be ceded per war).
Milan begins building a Textiles Manufactory in Ancona, back in the home country. I’ve been so focused on war, and so beset by Inflation, that we haven’t had the money to invest in many manufactories at all – this will help a great deal, I think.
By 1758, the majority of Asia Minor has converted to Protestant Christianity. Islam is actually having a hard time even reaching the sea, except at Thrace!
Also that year, the last independent province in all of Africa ceases to be independent. Mutapa is annexed.
Portugal and France also have colonies in Africa. The rest of the continent is Milan’s.
At Kandahar, in March of 1759, we destroy most of one of the few remaining Persian armies. They lose 10,000, and escape with fewer than 600 troops to retreat into Sistan. You’ll notice we’re also at war with Baluchistan, and in April 1759, we annex them.
In May of 1759, Milan declares war upon Lan Xang again, and they surrender one of their two remaining provinces.
The remaining capital of Luang Prabang becomes a Vassal.
In explanation, Milan (as you may have seen) isn’t really desperately interested in conquering the world. We’re interested more in ensuring that peace will eventually reign. And so when stupid countries attack us, we bear the responsibility of taking their power and land away. Just so. <<nods>> As a vassal, Lan Xang won’t bother us again.
Another ally of the Ottomans was Astrakhan. In August 1759, they cede two provinces to Milan – north of the Caspian Sea – in return for another restless peace.
By the end of 1759, our final war comes to an end with victory for Milan.
Persia, having been entirely occupied during the process of war, and pretty much disarmed of almost all of its troops, gives up 5 provinces, mostly on the Persian Gulf, but some in Russia.
The peace, combined with the treaty with Astrakhan, connects several of the far-flung portions of the Empire, plus gets Persia mostly out of Arabia (except Aden), and even gave Norway a prize (Bahrain) for having participated as an ally. The conquest of Baluchistan also connects more territory.
