Victoria II

[Grey Wolf]

Well, this went stunningly well...

A bit of a crisis when my protegee Colombia became a Great Power and began stealing all my sphere of influence from me, but Prussia fought off the South German Federation and became a Great Power again, relegating Colombia and letting me get my sphere back.

France now has the world's best navy, a strong army, a large number of factories (thanks to the Socialists) and a more sensibly-sized colony in North Africa.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

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[Lord Insane]

Reminds me of that time I, as Germany, released Panama as a one-province state, consisting of that province surrounding the Canal (I didn't massive German emigration to the Canal, which is what keeping it would have resulted in).
A month later, they were a Great Power, solely on their prestige.

 

[Grey Wolf]

Reminds me of that time I, as Germany, released Panama as a one-province state, consisting of that province surrounding the Canal (I didn't massive German emigration to the Canal, which is what keeping it would have resulted in).
A month later, they were a Great Power, solely on their prestige.

I had a few colonial wars, against Two Sicilies and against the Netherlands, and called allies - suddenly I would notice that the Colombians had invaded Antioch or Tunisia "in support" of me. I assume they get some sort of prestige by being victorious in a war that they support me in?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Lord Insane]

I had a few colonial wars, against Two Sicilies and against the Netherlands, and called allies - suddenly I would notice that the Colombians had invaded Antioch or Tunisia "in support" of me. I assume they get some sort of prestige by being victorious in a war that they support me in?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

IIRC, allies get a prestige *hit* if you call them and they do not respond.

 

[Grey Wolf]

IIRC, allies get a prestige *hit* if you call them and they do not respond.

Maybe if they generate part of the War Score they get some of the prestige? There must be difference between being an ally that declares war and does nothing, and being an ally who sends their army overseas and helps to win the war for you.

I am in a slight worrying situation in 1932 since I am running at a huge deficit and its eroding my remaining balance. It won't bankrupt the country before 1935 is out, but I wondered what could be cut.

Education is now 100% so can I cut the education budget, or is 50% the minimum to maintain the current rate; if I go below will it start to reduce literacy?

Similarly, the most massive cost is administration (around £7000); again, I've cut this to 50% and still have 100% efficiency, but if I cut it further do I lose some of this efficiency, or is the % not so related to status quo in this game as it was in the first Victoria?

I also have a plethora of unprofitable factories who eat up about as much as the military budget, but I guess thats what having a socialist government does; at least they are there, giving full employment, and adding to my industrial score

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Lord Insane]

I am in a slight worrying situation in 1932 since I am running at a huge deficit and its eroding my remaining balance. It won't bankrupt the country before 1935 is out, but I wondered what could be cut.

Education is now 100% so can I cut the education budget, or is 50% the minimum to maintain the current rate; if I go below will it start to reduce literacy?

Similarly, the most massive cost is administration (around £7000); again, I've cut this to 50% and still have 100% efficiency, but if I cut it further do I lose some of this efficiency, or is the % not so related to status quo in this game as it was in the first Victoria?

Well, the education budget can probably be cut *to* 50%. It might not be enough, but at least it'd reduce the deficit, which would give more time to come up with other solutions (well, if you weren't safe until the end-date even without cutting the budget).

 

[Yorel]

North America after Second War of Americas.

The timeline has since advanced several years.

Why is there a French USA (Weird name by the way...)? Did the French supported the CSA?
Also, how does the Union hold Florida without any land connection?

 

[Grey Wolf]

Why is there a French USA (Weird name by the way...)? Did the French supported the CSA?
Also, how does the Union hold Florida without any land connection?

Game mechanics Probably...

I assume France conquered that area, and the computer doesn't know what to call it apart from French USA. Presumably France was allied to the CSA and added a conquest war goal?

As for Florida, its pretty easy to hold an area without a land connection if you've got a good enough navy. After all, that's pretty much what all colonies are

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Gladi]

Why is there a French USA (Weird name by the way...)? Did the French supported the CSA?
Also, how does the Union hold Florida without any land connection?

Check the flag in the corner.

Just before I entered Second War of Americas I got "Place in the Sun" casus belli on USA. So I took Iowa. It was French at one time, non?

As to the name. There can be French China or French Japan or Austrian Kalat or Austrian Egypt.

And Union has Florida because AI has troubles adding wargoals while in coalitions. I understand why, it would majorly suck if you fight some GP and then all your allies steal the peace, but times are you want you ally to eat peace of enemy. But Confederate armies has made short work of it in Second War of Americas.

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Grey Wolf- you have entirely different approach to Influence. I try not to ever be influencing more than six countries. Countries that are in my SoI are placed in two categories: safe and precarious. Safe is a country which is targetted by maximally one strong enemy influence. Safe countries are driven to 50 points at minimal level and left at that. Once enemy influence reaches over 70 points, I use my 50 points to expel enemy advisors. And then again reach 50 points.

Precarious country is such which is targetted by is such which is targetted by two strong enemy influences if not neighbour, or three if neighbour. Precarious country influence is driven fast to 100 points and enemies are expelled when they reach 55 point mark.

 

[Grey Wolf]

Grey Wolf- you have entirely different approach to Influence. I try not to ever be influencing more than six countries. Countries that are in my SoI are placed in two categories: safe and precarious. Safe is a country which is targetted by maximally one strong enemy influence. Safe countries are driven to 50 points at minimal level and left at that. Once enemy influence reaches over 70 points, I use my 50 points to expel enemy advisors. And then again reach 50 points.

Precarious country is such which is targetted by is such which is targetted by two strong enemy influences if not neighbour, or three if neighbour. Precarious country influence is driven fast to 100 points and enemies are expelled when they reach 55 point mark.

I'm still learning, tho my approach appeared to work well in this game. I started with Bolivia as an ally, helping them out in war and the more countries I added to my sphere of influence, the more countries would attack Brazil, until in effect my sphere of influence in South America became like a Pax Francia as nobody ever dared to make war on their neighbour.

I also have Bali so as to have a base in the East Indies; eventually I conquered 'Dutch Bali' (Flores, Sumbawa etc) from the Netherlands and established my own bases, but still keep Bali in my orbit to prevent the Dutch from displacing me there...

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Solomaxwell6]

I'm playing as Germany. I keep getting Acquire State casus bellis against France, so free territory. Took a few badboy hits with Free Peoples in France (but I've changed the defines a little, so it costs a little less than usual). I've been taking the best state off of Austria, one at a time, over the years, which is why I have the exclaves. East Switzerland has had an interesting history. Switzerland declared war on Sardinia early on, got their asses kicked, and lost East Switzerland. Sardinia became a great power, fought Austria right after I had softened them up, and grabbed Lombardia. Later, Austria gained that territory back and took East Switzerland in the process. Nothing exciting going on in Asia or America (the US had an independent CSA for years, now they're up to all of the continental US - Washington and that chunk of Maine). Lithuania and Latvia both appeared at one point. Russia declared war on Austria for East Galicia, and are getting their asses soundly handed to them.

I decided to end the game when I got a new Acquire State casus belli on France and declared war. I sent in about 6 groups of 30k men, with another 30k apiece to quickly occupy Brussels and Bern (Belg. and Switz. are allies of France)... Then I got a massive revolt. It was something like 273 divisions... And a massive amount of those were soldiers (despite the fact that they were paid well, without unreasonable taxes, and I almost exclusively hire Germans for the lower militancy). My military force was suddenly halved, and I had revolts in almost every province, while a war against a weaker but still dangerous enemy had just started. Fuck it.

 

[Gladi]

That is not proper France. This is!

Sorry to hear about that. Are there no more reforms that you can pass? I returned to my France game as after several years of constant revolt managed to pass trinket pensions and have been now revolt free for over a year. EDIT:Well after few more yeas I have had one larger revolt still.

Andamerican states are you on steroids? First CSA, now Mexico too is a GP.

 

[Solomaxwell6]

Sorry to hear about that. Are there no more reforms that you can pass? I returned to my France game as after several years of constant revolt managed to pass trinket pensions and have been now revolt free for over a year. EDIT:Well after few more yeas I have had one larger revolt still.

The makeup of the upper house doesn't allow any social reforms. There's a few political reforms, but only like 3% of the population supports any of them, anyway.

Edit: Just realized there was a 0.0 militancy in my picture. That's weird... I could've sworn it was higher. @_@

Edit edit: Aha! I rebooted, and didn't declare war with France. Did one more reform, lowered taxes slightly, and played the waiting game. No revolts. Soon after, an event popped up allowing me to pick from two possible reforms, which puts me at an even better position for revolts. Declared war on Austria, grabbed two more provinces, and got some colonies. I'm currently trying to circle the African coast as best I can to halt other nation's colonization. Currently trying for Liberia and Ghana. I'll have a little hole for now, but France is trying to colonize Ghana too, and I need to beat them.

While I was busy in Europe, US grabbed Chihuahua, and Mexico lost GP status to UPCA.

 

[Grey Wolf]

I decided to reboot a 1904 version of my France game...and play as Spain! Woah, the AI doesn't like Spain... It had NO RAILWAYS, no steamers, no cheap iron etc, and though it had taken Crete and the Hejaz it had only large fleets of sailing ships and an army concentrated in Bilbao.

It appears that painters and thinkers were far more important to the Spanish than industrialisation.

I set myself the target of making Spain a great power by 1936 but its hard!

Its 1920 now and I'm fluctuating between 14th and 17th, though I've built up a fleet of ironclads and have level 3 railways. I almost went bankrupt (national bank had a couple hundred left, I was running a daily loss, defaulting on interest payments and nobody would give me a loan). Luckily an emergency council of the government decided to ram up tarrifs so I rescued the finances, paid off the £400k debt, and am slowly ramping the tarrifs back whilst my nice interventionist governnment builds railways

I assume railways work as in the original game? They increase the efficiency of resource extraction and the profitability of factories?

I will say that Lippe-Detmold is one hell of a hard power to get above! They are the most prestigious nation on Earth comparative to size!!!

I think I might attack Abu Dhabi now, but don't tell the AI!

PS Where is Visayas? I need to remove a National Focus but can't find it... I think its a state not a province?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

Oh, and with the AI now playing France its done some strange things compared to how I had played France in the 1904-1920 years. It seemed to start by scrapping the great battlefleet I had built up for France - I don't know if this is a glitch when the AI takes over a nation that was a player before, it gets rid automatically of what you've done? Or maybe there is some imperative built into the AI commands for France that tell it to have a small navy but a large army?

France then went and browbeat Persia, before aiding Colombia in a couple of wars against Brazil that has left South America looking as below. Whereas, when I played France I used my sphere of influence in South America to make a Pax Francia, the AI has used it to smash the country not in that sphere...

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

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[Grey Wolf]

I got up to 1927 and Spain 12th in the world (we passed Lippe-Detmold!) with predreadnought battleships and cruisers, and quadrupled the size of the army, conquered Abu Dhabi etc, but now the economy has crashed.

I'm in a bit of a Gordon Brown situation - do I cut taxes etc and hope that deficit financing boosts the economy enough to pay off the deficit, or do I do a Cameron-Clegg and cut, cut, cut which doesn't look likely to boost the economy either...?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Solomaxwell6]

I got up to 1927 and Spain 12th in the world (we passed Lippe-Detmold!) with predreadnought battleships and cruisers, and quadrupled the size of the army, conquered Abu Dhabi etc, but now the economy has crashed.

I'm in a bit of a Gordon Brown situation - do I cut taxes etc and hope that deficit financing boosts the economy enough to pay off the deficit, or do I do a Cameron-Clegg and cut, cut, cut which doesn't look likely to boost the economy either...?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

Depends on whether you're lending from other nations or not. The banks invest in capitalists, which drives your economy--if you have money in the banks. If your bank is out, feel free to tax capitalists, they won't be spending much of that money, anyway. Once you're out of debt (or at least have some money in your national bank), cut upper class taxes heavily. Should be okay to have relatively high taxes on your lower class, just make sure not to keep it too high.

Military spending can stay at 20% without too much damage. Keep that in mind if you're investing heavily in paying soldiers. You don't need education at full spending to keep making literacy gains (although higher is better unless you're at 100% literacy). Administration doesn't cause too much damage if you have it at low levels, as long as it's only in the short term.

 

[Grey Wolf]

Depends on whether you're lending from other nations or not. The banks invest in capitalists, which drives your economy--if you have money in the banks. If your bank is out, feel free to tax capitalists, they won't be spending much of that money, anyway. Once you're out of debt (or at least have some money in your national bank), cut upper class taxes heavily. Should be okay to have relatively high taxes on your lower class, just make sure not to keep it too high.

Military spending can stay at 20% without too much damage. Keep that in mind if you're investing heavily in paying soldiers. You don't need education at full spending to keep making literacy gains (although higher is better unless you're at 100% literacy). Administration doesn't cause too much damage if you have it at low levels, as long as it's only in the short term.

Thanks!

The militarists in Madrid screwed it up anyway I'd got Spain up to a stable 12th, and was looking for some way to try to get a boost in the couple of years remaining before the game ran out.

Prussia had just staggered back to great power status, knocking Colombia off the 8th spot, and I noticed that for some reason Prussia ruled the Northern part of Portugal. They had 12000 troops there, whilst I had 80000 in Spain, plus an alliance with Portugal.

Positioning my fleets to intercept any attempt by Prussia to reinforce Oporto, I declared war, had Portugal follow suit, and piled in confident of victory. But it went wrong...

Prussia mobilised and somehow they suddenly got 412 THOUSAND troops in Northern Portugal. It seems an insane amount to have been mobilisable there, but there's no way they came from anywhere else unless the AI telepoirted them in. I checked Spain's mobilisation reserve and as it stood at only 240 thousand, knew I was beat so Quit the game...

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Gladi]

So I finally got Victoria 2 to crash!

There was 5th War of Americas and I still after decades had not received cruisers- which USA had in abundance. So I could not reinforce CSA fast enough.

Eight years laters I force USA to release CSA (well Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri - I just want acess to my Iowa, still 6 infamy...) and I get message.

CSA is no longer Great Power, Switzerland now is!

Except there have already been 8 GPs after CSA was annexed. So I try to move to Diplomacy screen and crash! Here I am.

PS: The "new" CSA is now called America and is a monarchy.

 

[Grey Wolf]

I tried playing Britain around Midnight last night, got to 1849 and then for no reason whatsoever France declared war on me with a war goal of CONQUERING SOUTH WEST ENGLAND!

Well, Mr Naval, me, I just stuck my fleets in the Channel, sank their transports, chased their battlefleet around the North of Scotland and destroyed it in the Irrish Sea, then invaded and occupied Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Pierre and Miquelon and Pondicherry, reconquered the Channel Islands which had fallen when I wasn't looking (France had 41000 troops there!) and waited for Paris to get fed up and sue for peace

But what the Hell did they want SW England for anyway? Really weird war, that

Best Regards
Grey Wolf