EUIII Muscowy Chapter 2 - The Barbed Web of Diplomacy

The Grand Campaign
Chapter One - In media Res

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Chapter 2: The Barbed Web of Diplomacy

Muscowy, 1511 AD. A nation in the crux of its history. A rising power wedged between Western European technological progression and the advancing might of Asia’s Golden Horde – whose single-minded objective to conquer the European peninsula is impeded in large by the lands of Muscowy.

It has been a frantic ten years, wherein Muscowy has been built through warfare and the powers of diplomatic persuasion. Through the course of events we have become enmeshed in the fabric of local diplomacy. Alliances have been forged. Our enemies continue their tactful opposition. And it is here, through Diplomatic Actions, that Europa Universalis III sets itself apart as a strategy game.

Here are brief descriptions to some of the diplomatic actions relevant to this scenario:

Casus Beli – A legitimate (a term that is used loosely) and just cause for declaring war on another country. Declaring war without a Casus Beli destroys your reputation amongst other countries and quickly earns you a lot of enemies.
Proclaim Guarantee – Gives a Casus Beli against those who declare war on the selected country.
Send Warning – Gives a Casus Beli if the selected country declares war
Royal Marriage – Greatly improves relations between countries. This action may prove to be a messy affair (sometimes intentionally) when either one of the rulers passes away. The consequences are fortuitous but wars of succession are commonplace, as we shall shortly see.

Currently, this is where some of Muscowy’s diplomatic engagements lie.

Our primary concern is nurturing a relationship with Poland. They have come to our aid in the past, and it is critical that we maintain a good standing so that we may not have to face our enemies alone. And as such, it is important to understand that there are two critical aspects to diplomacy: (1) diplomacy can work both ways! And (2) the effects of diplomacy can bring about two unique consequences:

- It can provide unforeseen opportunities of growth that can only be answered by swift and decisive action.
- On the other hand, reactions from diplomatic exchanges can be far-reaching, and the results of which can catch you completely off guard and unprepared.

And currently, interestingly enough, Muscowy finds itself in both situations. As it has happened, through the barbed web of diplomacy we were entangled into being a key player in the:


And this is how diplomacy has caught Muscowy off guard…

Here’s how the lines have been drawn for this conflict: There are two tiers of enemy involvement. The first tier involves a central European powerhouse: France. Throughout this current campaign as Muscowy, Denmark has been frequently sending us requests to enter into a royal marriage, and we’ve always declined. The fact that we are currently in the THIRD war of Danish Succession only proves that this diplomatic action is being abused by Denmark. Regardless, at some point, Poland and Denmark entered into a Royal Marriage. When Denmark’s king passed from this world there was a dispute between whom from which nation shall claim the throne. Poland felt it their right to settle this matter through war. So POLAND declared war on DENMARK. And since Muscowy is allied with them it was our obligation to stand by our friends. At some point in the past FRANCE guaranteed DENMARK’s freedom. And so by involving themselves, France also brings her vassal states PROVINCE, LORRAINE, TRIER. Likewise, AQUILLA, a strong ally of France, was also called to arms.

And this is the pronged threat from the west. Countries in which we have no normal dealings with are now pitted against us because of the Barbed Web of Diplomacy. Luckily, there is enough of a geopolitical buffer between us and them that this poses no real IMMEDIATE threat, but their reputation, might and sudden involvement has caught us off guard.


The second tier of opposition is cause for much greater alarm. It involves the blunt force of our cursed enemies directly to the east: The Golden Horde.


Here is how they wiggled their way into this conflict: The Golden Horde strategically WARNED Poland. Plain and simple. Knowing that Muscowy was allied with Poland and would very likely enter war beside them it is ever apparent that the Golden Horde had their sights on Muscowy this entire time. They too seek conquest. Muscowy is a major obstacle to their progression westward. Even though we have tried to avoid a direct confrontation, alas, through diplomacy we now find ourselves mostly unprepared to fight a war with the Golden Horde's massive armies who are practically kicking down our eastern gates.

Is there a happy ending to this? Indeed. It has been mentioned that diplomacy provides unforeseen opportunities of growth, and that Muscowy currently finds itself in such a position. Hard to believe given how the odds are stacked so heavily against us. But we can - nay – we MUST pull ahead, we must triumph! Our victory involves tactful military maneuvers deep within the Golden Horde’s territory. After which, it will be time for Muscowy to shed its iron cocoon and initiate its formation into the mighty State of Russia!

- Coming soon -
Chapter 3: All on the Line

EUIII Muscowy Chapter 1 - In medias res

Overall, I think Europa Universalis III proves my theory that there are two types of people in the world:

- Those who play for fun
- Those who play to win

How does one “win” EUIII? Don’t think of the game’s objective as a single victory, but more so an ongoing evolution of gameplay. It’s kind of like the classic situation with the board game Monopoly: You can play forever and ever and ever but the game never really seems to end, you just keep going trying to place as many hotels as possible, conspire with other players, or, try your darndest to keep your head above water. Instead of representing oneself as a Top Hat or a Scotty Dog the player selects a nation to control.

Introducing:

The year is 1511 AD, one hundred and thirteen years since the beginning of this - my first attempt at a – grand campaign. Muscowy’s state religion is Orthodox, type of government is Despotic Monarchy.

Under this system, kings and their attributes are chosen at random when the current ruler dies. Several kings have come and gone since the game’s start, causing the blue difficulty bar to tilt in relation to how many stars the leader can lend to our cause. King Fyodor III is legit, meh, so-so. In this present situation I’d like to see more stars under Military, but, as with the rest of this game, you’ve got to roll with what you’ve got…

And what exactly does the rising power known as Muscowy currently have in terms of land?
(Clicking the pictures will enlarge them)

Muscowy is beige. The clump here in the middle as well as the three provinces to the west makes a total of nineteen provinces. Not too shabby. I could’ve played more aggressively in the beginning, but I’m content with where I’m at now - There are drawbacks to expanding so quickly. Having four sea-side provinces, whereas having none in the beginning, is a definite perk. Plus, it’s cool that I have to zoom out in order to see all of Muscowy.

We’ll discuss neighbors and other players in this eastern Europe/western-central Russia Theater later on.

Be it known, that the following topics will make sense when the time comes. What I’m doing right now is taking the pieces out of the box and placing them on the board.


Financially, Muscowy ain’t doin too hot. My main source of income, luckily, comes from taxes. However, trade and production efficiency is terribly low. These numbers will go up as higher technology levels are achieved (The colored bars on the right.)

It’s a long story but technology research – labeled “investments” on the scroll - is slow due to all the money being sucked into the treasury, thus giving me a hellacious inflation rate – everything costs an extra 45% of the base price, and growing annually. Also, due to the country’s physical location the game puts it in the “Eastern Tech Group” which means my research is slightly slower than the rest of Western Europe. But, steps can be taken to adjust both of these factors and turn things to our favor, which we will get into shortly(IMPORTANT).


Muscowy’s military roster looks much more attractive than its 16th century financial Excel Spreadsheets. I’ve got five separate armies, each with 6,000 men. Three of these are comprised of infantry because they are faster to train and cheaper to maintain. Two armies consists solely of 6,000 Calvary units. These may be more expensive to maintain but are invaluable in traversing the vast terrain of western/central asia (IMPORTANT). I’ve had this setup for most of the game and they’ve served me relatively well both in offence and defensive maneuvers. As always, there could always be more military presence, but the budget is stretched thin as it is. This is where diplomacy becomes a crucial factor (IMPORTANT).


THE GOOD GUYS
Here’s what the map is showing you:
(1) Muscowy in all her might and majesty
(2) Hungary recently sought us in forming an alliance. They have a strong land force and a growing navy. Distance may be an issue, though.
(3) Poland and Muscowy have been an alliance for the past fifty years or so. They have a good military, and have come to our aid many times. They too feel at odds about…

THE BAD GUYS
(4) Lithuania. I’ve sought time and time again to ease relations with them but they just don’t want to cooperate. So I take comfort in knowing that Poland (whatever their beef may be) and Muscowy flank this stubborn nation on two of its three sides. And when the time is necessary we WILL strike this country (IMPORTANT)

And just who is this nation on Lithuania’s southeast border? Who is this grey mass? Ladies and Gentlemen, the main antagonist to this series, and threat to the security and survival of Muscowy:



Coming soon
Chapter Two: The Barbed Web of Diplomacy

The Grand Campaign

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Introduction blog entry of my current game of Europa Universalis III: In Nomine. Through proceeding blog posts it is my intention to follow the drama and excitement(!!) of playing as the great nation of Muscowy!

Normally this type of thing is for the game’s message board - called “After Action Reports” - but I thought it would be a cool challenge to try to explain to a lay audience, in narrative form, the complexities of the game’s mechanics and put into words the epic drama (no, seriously) that is inherent with devoting many, many, many, many hours to playing as a single nation. So, I will attempt to keep it simple, relevant and totally not boring.

Briefly, Europa Universalis III: In Nomine (EUIII) is a historical grand strategy game. You can pick from a list of hundreds of countries to play. The Grand Campaign runs from 1399AD to 1821AD, though you can always pick a starting date any time in between. The cool thing about how this game is that it too flows with history. So while you’re struggling to seize control of the Balkans, there’s a good chance that, at the same time, Spain is colonizing the new world, and France and England are constantly in conflict with each other. How do you use all of this to your advantage? The game gives a lot of data and it’s up to the player to make wise and timely decisions.

EUIII is a fun game. I enjoy it. A little intimidating sometimes, but still satisfying to play. My current game as Muscowy (Modern-day western Russia-ish) has been a great learning experience. This is one of the reasons why I’m going to try to follow through with upcoming blog posts. The other is that right now I’m in a very interesting tactical position, and the outcome is hinged on making a single critical decision: Go or no go.

Stay tuned!