/gsg/ - Grand Strategy General

>>4702

I haven't played EUIV a lot, but some general advice:

First of all, set up a rough goal for your game. Do you want to be a blob or remain a relatively small nation stacked high? Do you want to explore and colonize, or remain where you are? Do you want to accrue power through militancy, or economy (trade etc)?

When you know what you want, it's easier to achieve it. You have finite resources, so it's unwise to spend a lot of money on military if you don't mean to use it (granted, you do need a force no matter what).

Second, don't rush into wars for which you don't have the numbers to win. If you have to spend money on mercs, and full maintenance for army/navy, you will quickly lose money. Early game it's wise to invest your money and points on buildings and technology.

Third, be cautious about demanding territory that will give you overextension (or whatever the mechanic of EUIV is). Take the wealthy provinces and make it a core as soon as is feasible. Also, don't grab territory on which a superior nation has a core. It *will* declare a reconquest war on you.

It's fine to declare war when opportunities arise, but in some cases it's better to demand concessions that do not involve territory, in order to cut down enemies.

Fourth, until you have developed a satisfactory army and economy, you should remain somewhat defensive. Forge alliances and keep up relations with your powerful neighbours.

Fifth, keep playing. It's good that you completed your game with France, just make sure you keep your attention to the mechanics as you'll learn more.

Even if you lose a few wars and some territory, it's perfectly possible to restore your strength and take back what is lost.

>>4706

This is good generally speaking, but playing tall in EU4 isn't as good as blobbing. Let me be more specific:

>Portugal

As a beginner you want to be besties with Castille. They have a positive modifier to their attitude towards you, so they become your big brother protector in Europe. Then, you can colonize fucking everything. Focus on the Carribean & Ivory Coast. Beat up natives. Don't bother going inland into Africa. Morocco sucks dick to conquer because their provinces are 50% more expensive to core. Maybe try vassalizing them then integrating, it's at least slightly cheaper.

Focus on a trade empire with light ship/navy spam, eventually breaking into India/Indonesia.

>France

Ally Castille, Aragon, Burgundy, or Austria (depends on start). Declare war to reclaim your cores from England. Eat Provence, Brittany, and beat up the pope for Avignon. Kill Burgundy when they're weak. As a beginner, you probably don't want to fuck around with the HRE too much. Take Italy when they leave the Empire. From there, you should be strong enough not to give a fuck about most countries.

In all cases, don't hit over 50 Aggressive Expansion with too many strong nations or you'll trigger a coalition that will shred you. Also don't go over 100% overextension ever.

I highly recommend playing Kebab for your beginner games, they're blatantly overpowered and have so many options/handholding in their mission choices that you can do whatever you feel like, or just be guided along by the game.

>>4703

>typical dominions 4 game.webm

Same here, how do you game and/or mod the coalition and AE mechanics? It's seriously fucking annoying to to be punished for expanding as a minor while large countries (especially the Ottomans if you unfuck the mission weighting) can blob hard in the first 2 or 3 decades and never see a coalition or even go above 50 AE with relevant countries (i.e. Hungary, maybe Austria and Venice). Not to mention the HRE with the awful design choices of having every elector + free city coalition you and getting double AE from taking Imperial provinces regardless of if they're held by Imperial Princes.

>>4851

no you can still make it.

But as serbia you HAVE to have strong alliances otherwise the ottomans will push your shit in every time. Ally Austria and try for Hungary

>>4874

Austria always plays hard to get, and Hungary is usually too busy fighting fellow Catholics to deal with kebab. It seems like the Ottomans always attack when Hungary is weak.

Also Bosnia is fucking useless as an ally, to the point where it's better to just conquer them for the manpower and forcelimits.

>>4703

Did they finally make Diplomacy important in any way? I haven't touched EU4 since release.

>>4928

Diplomacy as a mechanic, or as mana?