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Webstantine

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May 10, 2013
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  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis IV
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Europa Universalis III Complete
The Tuscans Envy II

If you know of me and my AARs you may be aware that they aren't exactly smoothly made, successful, or finished. I have yet to have an AAR that hasn't been destroyed, deleted, impossible or forgotten. But this time is different, it's a new game and a new start for Webstantinople, I'm going to be pllaying as my first AARs country, Tuscany. So the first time round I may have deleted the save file whilst raging about the Phoenix mod not installing properly, but let's pretend my EU3 AARs never happened okay.

I choose Tuscany mainly because it was my first AAR but I was also reminded of it by a fellow AAR writer named Tanzhang (symbols) so I guess they get some praise for this as well. I don't have any particular goals for this AAR as it's mainly me figuring out EU4, I've played a few short games as Muscovy and The Livonian Order but they weren't very long but I know the basics now. I hope this works out and isn't a complete waste of time like Lorraine, Naxos, Meissen, Aachen, Auvergne, Hainaut and the last edition of The Tuscans' Envy.




Contents:

Prologue: Below this post!
Chapter I - Urbiyes
Chapter II - The Paypal States
 
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The Prologue

Where was the Prince? He was supposed to be ages ago; Viola was told to wait for Prince Cosimo in the study after being told, "He'll be with you in a min.". She had been sitting in the study for two hours now, but then she heard the familiar clunking of Cosimo's improvised leg, she put all the documents she was looking through back where she found them just in time for the Prince's arrival, "Ah, Viola, sorry I'm late."
"It's no problem prince, how's your leg?"
"Still hasn't regrown, these cures France keeps selling me aren't very effective. Still using this stick instead."
"You still haven't cleaned the blood off it. It's been there for weeks."
"I was meaning to, still getting over the attack. So why are you here then?"
"Me and you are going to start a partnership you see? You have the country and I have... something important I'm sure , we're going to conquer the world my friend!"
"Wait, do I get a say in this?"
"Of course not Cosimo, you know how this works by now." She laughed, "Tuscany belongs to me and it has for centuries."
"Centuries, really, you're barely even 20 years old Viola."
"Well aren't you the charmer Mr Di Medici, so I'll give you a say in this then. You say yes and we take all the glory, you say no and accidents could happen."
"I've considered the options and I think I'll go along with it as an investment in prolonging my life."
"Really? I think you'd look good dead, oh well. Can you get down that map for me?"
Cosimo reached up with his stick and knocked it off the shelf and caught it in his free hand, "Here you go Miss Viola."
"Thank you" Viola unrolled it on the table, it showed Tuscany and the rest of central Italy.

WkZb7E5.png

"So what's first to go in your mad scheme?"
"It'll work, trust me Cosimo. First off is... that one there."
"Which one where?"
"Now I don't know there names dear, but the little blue one."
"Urbino, I guess that's logical then, we can get access to the other side of this peninsula."
"Of course it's logical I though of it. Now I'll get the army ready and you have to get another portrait done."
"What? Why?"
"People need to think your in charge and portraits give power."
"If you say so you lunatic."


fsw4CtK.png

~Prince Cosimo de Medici~
 
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Hi,

Looking forward to reading your AAR. By the way, is there a mod out to change the HORRIBLE flag of Tuscany and replace it by Florence's symbol ?
 
Hi,

Looking forward to reading your AAR. By the way, is there a mod out to change the HORRIBLE flag of Tuscany and replace it by Florence's symbol ?

It's actually the Medici coat of arms isn't it? Anyway you can do it yourself in a few seconds, it's easy!

1. If you don't have Photoshop or another quality image editor, download paint.net (google it.)
2. Search "Florentine Republic" on wiki, and copy the flag or coat of arms (whichever you wish to use for Tuscany)
3. Go to wherever you installed EUIV and open up the flags folder (default should be something like C:/Steam/steamapps/common/Europa Universalis IV/gfx/flags)
4. Do a search for file TUS (Tuscany) and open the file in Photoshop, paint.net, etc.
5. Paste the image you copied from wiki unto the TUS canvas, and crop as necessary, then save.
6. Profit!

Oh and Webstantine, take full advantage on any mission which gives you a free claim on one of your OPM neighbours. If you've got the cash, you may want to hire a few mercs just in case Siena and Ancona forge an alliance while you're besieging one of their capitals, but your starting six should be enough to get the job done. Oh, and that colour green looks awful on the default blue forum skin, may I humbly suggest you change to a more visible colour? :)
 
I'm not using green though, do you mean the Slate Grey? I use the HoI background so I don't know. I'll try the mod thing later though modding and related altering of things confuses me immensely.


Okay I changed my background and it does look fairly dreadful, is this Teal better, I want the colour of Tuscany.
 
Okay I changed my background and it does look fairly dreadful, is this Teal better, I want the colour of Tuscany.

It's properly visible, at least. :)
 
Well it's the closest I can do, it's not terribly Tuscany coloured but it's okay.

You could try using red -- the colours of the Florentine republic were red and white after all. Alternatively a nice yellow might do, given it's the dominant colour on the Tuscan flag, but that might cause some of it's own problems.
 
I - Urbiyes

"So then Cosimo, you ready to attack Urbino yet?" Viola 'asked'.
"Don't you want to prepare at all, maybe make a claim on their province?"
"Time is money Cosimo, we're in a hurry!"
"Urbino's not going anywhere, they've been there for two centurys!"
"Just declare the war Cosimo."
"My citizens will be angry though." Cosimo complained.
"That'll be fun to watch."
Cosimo saw he was defeated and left in a hurry.

8nPOGjG.png

"I don't think you thought about how we're going to win Viola."
"We double them in men, what's the problem?"
"We have no general! Who will lead?"
"I hired a guy named Pietro Di Campofregoso. He knows what he's doing, which is good because I have no idea."
"That surname seems familiar, I'm probably imagining it, I'll send the men."
"Already have, you really aren't very efficient are you?"

Qp9O3vz.png

"Here you go Cosimo, Pietro's report from the battle." Viola looked smug.
"So he won then, guess I owe you a drink then." Cosimo sighed.
"Maybe next time you should think before acting on someone's surname that you don't like for reasons you don't know."
"Hey I thought it through, it wasn't a great victory anyway, we lost more men!"
"Well I told them to siege the castle afterwards, so that's started!"
"Hope they actually do well this time."

XozHjgw.png

"The siege is over apparently Cosimo."
"Oh good, we've been playing Scrabble for over a year now."
"I won every time."
"What about when I got 'rebellion'?"
"You beat me by one point, doesn't count, I am undefeated, like us in the war."
"So what do we do now?"
"We have a carriage to Ancona, we're going to meet the Urbinese king Federigo to make peace."
"How long is the journey?"
"About half a day."
"I'll get the Scrabble board then."

6ErHZGF.png

"Look Cosimo, I don't care what you say, 'undeterior' isn't a word."
"We're here now, we have more important things to do Viola."
"Don't tell me what's important in my country!"
The two walked/hobbled to the gates and spoke to the guard, "Hello, we're here to see the king."
"Right you are your highness, OY FRED, OPEN THA GATE WILL YA?"
"SURE THING GREG!" The gate rumbled open and Viola and Cosimo walked/hobbled in.

"Federigo! Where are you?" Cosimo shouted.
"I'm locked up by your guard, first door on the left. The key is hung outside."
Cosimo and Viola got the key and opened his door, Federigo ran out, knocking over Viola and he sprinted for the exit, "THROW YOUR STICK COSIMO!" screamed Viola.
Cosimo grabbed on to the wall ornament with one arm and with the other he threw the stick at Federigo and impaled him through the chest, Viola grabbed Cosimo and dragged him over to Federigo, "Cosimo give me the papers, and the pen."

r7vxJxt.png

Cosimo hastily searched his pockets and handed the items to Viola, "Okay Federigo, we need you to sign here."
Federigo coughed, "Whatt?"
"Just your signature on the line."
"What are the numbers all over this paper?" he asked.
"Just Scrabble scores, but that's not important, due to your silly stunt we're running out of time, NOW SIGN!"
Federigo grabbed the pen and scribbled in the box, Viola pulled the stick out of him and handed it to Cosimo, "We have what we came for. Bye Federigo!"
Federigo was trying to drag himself to the hospital ward and didn't reply.

6ODzd8J.png

Viola exited covered in blood with Cosimo walking with his stick with what appeared to have half of one of Federigo's organs on the end, the guards stared until Cosimo shouted out "The War is over men!" and cheering broke out before they got back into the carriage.
"Well that went swimmingly Cosimo!"
"I guess."
"Wait before we leave I need to see someone, call that guy over."
Cosimo yelled for a random citizen, "What do you want your highness?"
"We want to put you in charge of making this place a core, can you do that?" Viola asked.
"Sure I guess, I'll start right away then!"
"Okay goodbye."

iTll8li.png

Cosimo and Viola were back at the castle, it was time for step two of the plan. "So we need to send someone to The Papal States now." said Viola
"Why would we do that?" asked Cosimo "Are we making friends?"
"No, we're making room for expansion."
"Eh? I don't understand."
"We're going to convince the people of Romagna that they want to be part of Tuscany!"
"That seems risky, the target being the holy father and all!"
"We're not wimps are we Cosimo? Besides you're only pretending to have a say in this."
"Oh yeah, ok."
"Great, so before that shall we have a game of Scrabble?"
"Trying to make up for me beating you on the way to Ancona eh Viola?"

AGodo9A.png
 
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Tuscany's going to be a tough row to hoe (as indeed any of the Italian minors.) You're off to a great start though. Enjoy!
 
Yeah, you probably should've waited and manufactured a claim on Ancona before attacking. (Just what were your diplomats doing that's so important I wonder...) Sometimes you can get a mission which gives you a free one at the start, so perhaps you were just a tad unlucky?