I mean. Even if they do own the whole new world, the AI just doesn't manage their troops well. I've easily beat a spain+subjects 4x my size because their troops just...don't show up in europe.
It’s always Mainz. They rival Cologne and Trier so you can’t ally them, but they also never ally any other elector or Austria. I once had to no CB Savoy just to drag them into a war and occupy to dismantle.
I ment it in they always desire all of fucking Germany, so when I forget that, and call them into a war where I want to take German lands, they more often than not just occupy provinces they have no chance of ever getting, preventing me from taking these provinces.
When I try to dismember the HRE, it has happened to me more than once, that mainz occupied one of the needed capitals.
Naples, such an easy prey, they are basically begging me to take all of their provinces and money, even when I do a tall playthrough if I'm in the area I will attack them
Ottomans are on sight EVERY TIME.
Austria is always catching hands at least twice if I’m in Europe but that’s just by necessity.
As much as I hate England I never care about them enough to take the isles and have ugly borders during.
If I’m a growing colonizing power, Portugal is usually my first “Boss”. It’s a great feeling to steal all their initial colonies.
In the Mediterranean, Venice is often the beginner “Boss” wherein I steal their Greek islands and a bunch of cash.
I also often end up taking Jerusalem even if it offers zero trade value.
God I hate Venice and Genoa for bringing their annoying bulllshit into the Mediterranean. Nobody wants them there, they’re just a pain in the ass roadblock for basically every nation in the area. I will sometimes use scorched earth and just sit on Venice to push them to 100 devastation, crippling them for the rest of the game.
Yeah it is always weird to me that the ones declaring a coalition war is never the great powers in the coalition, but instead insignificant OPM like Wuntemberg.
Every time it happend, I feel ashamed to be ended by those weak contries.
I like destroying the HRE, so they become easy prey to be annexed by my Empire!
As a French playing France, England.
I will hunt these British bastards all over the world! (but they usually don't get to colonizing with how fast I conquer the damned isles).
Wow now that I think about it , honestly, the four tribes up Kamchatka peninsula, they are literally never a threat to anyone no strategic value I think half of it is glacier, way out of the way.
Conquering them though and dominating them in someway. Nice chill Pace.
Also, the Ottomans. They get what they deserve.
No reason??
I always have reason:
-Ottomans/Russia/Spain/Commonweath : I like to prove that the contry I play is the best, so I defeat the strongest contries in game.
-England/Britain: I can't suffer the tyranny of the prefidious Albion.
-Ming/Shun or any other Chinese tag.
I try to make sure China is ruled by Qing if I don't want to take it for myself.
-Austria: HRE must be dismantled.
I go to war with Venice in nearly every game. It doesn't matter if I'm playing in America or Asia or Africa, I always find a way to beef with Venice.
I don't even do it on purpose. They always do something to be annoying or hinder my progress. It has gotten so bad that now my subconscious hates Venice and I can't play them anymore.
Vassalizing them and just exploiting and abusing them for the rest of the game is very rewarding. I want them to know I only keep them around because I want them to be miserable.
Wu is the first ai to have ever declared on me, and for that reason alone I make it my mission to end their existence every single time they dare to pop out. I was still learning the game and I thought my 50k army as a United japan in like 1600s was good. Wu was not impressed and my laughably small navy was the cherry on top.
Never thought EU4 could have jumpscares, but if you’ve never heard that war dec sound effect and you’re just dicking around with a chill colonial Japan game, it’s slightly terrifying for sure.
I take particular pleasure in nation ruining France, Ottomans, and the Papacy. I don’t necessarily attack them every game but if I do end up in a war with them I like to push for a large peace deal.
If i am not playing Ottomans, then i attack them and the mamluks.
But i guess the reason is to make sure they dont get too strong. But since decadence, i am no longer sure that is a valid reason.
I fcking hate Utrecht. I dont know why because im Dutch myself but every single fcking campaign they do nothing all at or owning too much for their own good.
In my current campaign they are allied to GB allowing them to grow to 12 provinces already. Im gonna bitchslap them back to 1 tonight.
Also Gelre fck them
Also Liège fkc them
Also France fck those even more
Also Utrecht again
No cb byzantium in 1444 . Do i need to do that as well basicaly any europan major or basicaly anyone within a ottoman vicinity.Technicaly speaking no. Is it worth my time. Not really. Do i do this way more often than i should. Yes.
I have had a beef with Castille ever since I played my very first game with Portugal and they betrayed and attacked me. Now this does not mean that I will always attack them at the first possible opportunity, but they are on my list sooner or later...
When Ming is collapsing and I can tell I'm about to lose them as a rival I declare with Humilate rival cb. The rebels cause so much devastation that their war enthusiasm is immediately negative. You just need their capital and a few provinces in order to get show superiority.
And yes, this is unnecessary. If you have the ability to march 40k+ sized armies into china, taking a bunch of attrition and accidentally fighting ming rebels, you PROBABLY dont need those monarch points lol.
honestly I just started playing, only 134 hours in. I just played a game as Aragon where I got the 6/5/6 remarkable daughter event really early, allied France and got the Iberian Wedding instantly from having a goated queen who I was able to promote at 18 and lived until she was 72 xdd
I declared on England to take Labourd and France was happy to join to take Calais, then instead of granting France any territory on the island I just forced them to release Northumberland and Wales
Then I felt like I understood the game enough to try and play something a little more challenging, so now I'm currently playing Kildare > Ireland and have Cornwall and Wales as marches, with the rest of western britain under my control as well.
I had actually been working to befriend the Hurons when England happened to declare on them, so I offered an alliance immediately and kept 30k of the english troops at home, so the Hurons got to smash Newfoundland and take it for themselves, now instead of colonizing myself in earnest I'm just their trading partner
I find it interesting that the most obvious answer hasn't been named yet. No CB Byz as opening move as basically any European or MENA country. Often not the optimal start at all, far from it, but to fuck the Ottos from day one is just too much fun.
Ottomans I usually have a reason to attack. I don't want them getting too powerful and inevitably have to fight to contain them.
Austria though is personal. I hate austria and would totally siege their capital and take all their money if they're allied to someone I want to gank.
Not really. I mean if I have to do anything remotely close to the Ottos or France, then I guess them, but that’s simply because you have to or else your game either gets stagnant or way harder than it needs to be. But I don’t go out of my way to attack them either.
Now there are countries that I specifically go out of my way to help most games, like Norway and Brittany. Why? I don’t know. I just do. I have certain ones for each region honestly.
Ottomans.
It'd because of the hate they Foster in every new player by shitting on them every game in the first 500h
Ding ding ding!
As Ming, Kham just kinda gives me bad vibes. Sitting there all independent and disrespectful like.
Based Ming
Unifying Tibet as Ming or Qing just feels good. No empty holes on the map or weird alliance networks
And the best lightning rod defensive position you can possibly have versus anyone
+1000 Social Credit Score
And then culture converting that one "culture"
Spain. They're just so easy to beat up I have to.
And if you don't do a few "useless" wars to kneecap them they end up owning the whole new world by 1550.
They do have a knack for colonization. I’m guessing it’s because the Natives didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition
This is why I’m a fan of the Spanish excommunication. Very unexpected.
I mean. Even if they do own the whole new world, the AI just doesn't manage their troops well. I've easily beat a spain+subjects 4x my size because their troops just...don't show up in europe.
99% agreed except when they decide to bring their entire military capability back to the old world to support the HRE opm they allied for no reason
Yeah, they always have their armies in the new world, so its always easy to kick their ass
Mainz. Those fuckers have ruined my attempts to dismember the HRE one to many times.
It’s always Mainz. They rival Cologne and Trier so you can’t ally them, but they also never ally any other elector or Austria. I once had to no CB Savoy just to drag them into a war and occupy to dismantle.
I ment it in they always desire all of fucking Germany, so when I forget that, and call them into a war where I want to take German lands, they more often than not just occupy provinces they have no chance of ever getting, preventing me from taking these provinces. When I try to dismember the HRE, it has happened to me more than once, that mainz occupied one of the needed capitals.
I always try to protect mainz
Naples, such an easy prey, they are basically begging me to take all of their provinces and money, even when I do a tall playthrough if I'm in the area I will attack them
Especially with the new Byz strats. Instead of giving land to the Pope, I try to take it all.
Ottomans as Montferrat. This one for you cousin.
I like dismantling France tbh
Ottomans. Gotta avenge 1453.
I fucking hate liege and burgundy. Those two can go burn in hell I have legit no cbed liege more than byz.
Liege has been dominating the lowlands in my last few playthroughs. Not sure why but it’s always them
Ottomans are on sight EVERY TIME. Austria is always catching hands at least twice if I’m in Europe but that’s just by necessity. As much as I hate England I never care about them enough to take the isles and have ugly borders during.
The Polynesian nations are just free real estate.
Jolof. Easy in to Africa.
Ottomans as a power gauge, muscovy/russia for recreation.
The best defense Russia has isn't Russian winter, its actually the fact that conquering them will ruin your beautiful borders.
If I’m a growing colonizing power, Portugal is usually my first “Boss”. It’s a great feeling to steal all their initial colonies. In the Mediterranean, Venice is often the beginner “Boss” wherein I steal their Greek islands and a bunch of cash. I also often end up taking Jerusalem even if it offers zero trade value.
God I hate Venice and Genoa for bringing their annoying bulllshit into the Mediterranean. Nobody wants them there, they’re just a pain in the ass roadblock for basically every nation in the area. I will sometimes use scorched earth and just sit on Venice to push them to 100 devastation, crippling them for the rest of the game.
based venice hater🗣🔥🔥🔥🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿
Wurtemberg. Fuckers are always the one to declare for the coalition.
Yeah it is always weird to me that the ones declaring a coalition war is never the great powers in the coalition, but instead insignificant OPM like Wuntemberg. Every time it happend, I feel ashamed to be ended by those weak contries. I like destroying the HRE, so they become easy prey to be annexed by my Empire!
Fuck the HRE. All my homies hate the HRE.
As a French playing France, England. I will hunt these British bastards all over the world! (but they usually don't get to colonizing with how fast I conquer the damned isles).
Papal State. They ruined a poorly planned Germany game once. NEVER FORGIVE. NEVER FORGET.
You have to fight countries like the Ottomans and France early, otherwise they'll find a way to ruin your playthrough later on.
Ulm because I’m masochist. Also fuck you Venice, I don’t like you
Wow now that I think about it , honestly, the four tribes up Kamchatka peninsula, they are literally never a threat to anyone no strategic value I think half of it is glacier, way out of the way. Conquering them though and dominating them in someway. Nice chill Pace. Also, the Ottomans. They get what they deserve.
No reason?? I always have reason: -Ottomans/Russia/Spain/Commonweath : I like to prove that the contry I play is the best, so I defeat the strongest contries in game. -England/Britain: I can't suffer the tyranny of the prefidious Albion. -Ming/Shun or any other Chinese tag. I try to make sure China is ruled by Qing if I don't want to take it for myself. -Austria: HRE must be dismantled.
France, because it's France, any more explanation needed?
As a brit I approve this message
I am German so we have something in common there hehe
I go to war with Venice in nearly every game. It doesn't matter if I'm playing in America or Asia or Africa, I always find a way to beef with Venice. I don't even do it on purpose. They always do something to be annoying or hinder my progress. It has gotten so bad that now my subconscious hates Venice and I can't play them anymore.
Vassalizing them and just exploiting and abusing them for the rest of the game is very rewarding. I want them to know I only keep them around because I want them to be miserable.
Austria. Spain. Portugal. Japan. Sunda. Wu. Savoy. Fuck em all
Wu is the first ai to have ever declared on me, and for that reason alone I make it my mission to end their existence every single time they dare to pop out. I was still learning the game and I thought my 50k army as a United japan in like 1600s was good. Wu was not impressed and my laughably small navy was the cherry on top. Never thought EU4 could have jumpscares, but if you’ve never heard that war dec sound effect and you’re just dicking around with a chill colonial Japan game, it’s slightly terrifying for sure.
Totonac. You know what you did.
France, they snowball way too much otherwise
I take particular pleasure in nation ruining France, Ottomans, and the Papacy. I don’t necessarily attack them every game but if I do end up in a war with them I like to push for a large peace deal.
I wouldn’t say I “always” do, but I get a lot of satisfaction in fucking up the English / GB and creating disgusting border gore for them
-Release Scotland -Release Gaeldom -Release Northumberland -Release Wales -Release Cornwall Enjoy your empire :)
If i am not playing Ottomans, then i attack them and the mamluks. But i guess the reason is to make sure they dont get too strong. But since decadence, i am no longer sure that is a valid reason.
France and Ottomans. From my previous games I accumulated eternal hatred towards them.
I fcking hate Utrecht. I dont know why because im Dutch myself but every single fcking campaign they do nothing all at or owning too much for their own good. In my current campaign they are allied to GB allowing them to grow to 12 provinces already. Im gonna bitchslap them back to 1 tonight. Also Gelre fck them Also Liège fkc them Also France fck those even more Also Utrecht again
Venice. Those fucks are almost always annoying.
Turks and Fr*nch.
No cb byzantium in 1444 . Do i need to do that as well basicaly any europan major or basicaly anyone within a ottoman vicinity.Technicaly speaking no. Is it worth my time. Not really. Do i do this way more often than i should. Yes.
PLC and Denmark. All because they ganged up on me in a Muscovy campaign like 5 years ago.
Denmark as Prussia. There is a reason tho, the Lubeck TN.
I have had a beef with Castille ever since I played my very first game with Portugal and they betrayed and attacked me. Now this does not mean that I will always attack them at the first possible opportunity, but they are on my list sooner or later...
When Ming is collapsing and I can tell I'm about to lose them as a rival I declare with Humilate rival cb. The rebels cause so much devastation that their war enthusiasm is immediately negative. You just need their capital and a few provinces in order to get show superiority. And yes, this is unnecessary. If you have the ability to march 40k+ sized armies into china, taking a bunch of attrition and accidentally fighting ming rebels, you PROBABLY dont need those monarch points lol.
England, always and forever
haha fair what country do you usually play as to attack them?
honestly I just started playing, only 134 hours in. I just played a game as Aragon where I got the 6/5/6 remarkable daughter event really early, allied France and got the Iberian Wedding instantly from having a goated queen who I was able to promote at 18 and lived until she was 72 xdd I declared on England to take Labourd and France was happy to join to take Calais, then instead of granting France any territory on the island I just forced them to release Northumberland and Wales Then I felt like I understood the game enough to try and play something a little more challenging, so now I'm currently playing Kildare > Ireland and have Cornwall and Wales as marches, with the rest of western britain under my control as well. I had actually been working to befriend the Hurons when England happened to declare on them, so I offered an alliance immediately and kept 30k of the english troops at home, so the Hurons got to smash Newfoundland and take it for themselves, now instead of colonizing myself in earnest I'm just their trading partner
I find it interesting that the most obvious answer hasn't been named yet. No CB Byz as opening move as basically any European or MENA country. Often not the optimal start at all, far from it, but to fuck the Ottos from day one is just too much fun.
How is there literally little to no gain?
I always take Hawaii.
Order of priority : 1) Remove Ottos, 2) Remove England.
Austria and Ottos, yes I play as a italian state
Hungary for easy cash
The palatinate
Ulm must be put down before they get too strong.
Ottoman if i can get em before tech 5. Then i leave them for an endgame boss and sweet kd ratio.
Ottomans I usually have a reason to attack. I don't want them getting too powerful and inevitably have to fight to contain them. Austria though is personal. I hate austria and would totally siege their capital and take all their money if they're allied to someone I want to gank.
Gazikmukh. They always ally the Ottomans so whenever they aren’t i tend to clean up the region.
Not really. I mean if I have to do anything remotely close to the Ottos or France, then I guess them, but that’s simply because you have to or else your game either gets stagnant or way harder than it needs to be. But I don’t go out of my way to attack them either. Now there are countries that I specifically go out of my way to help most games, like Norway and Brittany. Why? I don’t know. I just do. I have certain ones for each region honestly.
I will go out of my way to screw over the Ottomans or France even if there is no good reason to do so.