Europa Universalis IV - After Action Report: Novgorod

[Flickerdart]

As meritocratic, seafaring merchants of the Hanseatic League, I would argue we are closer in spirit to the vikings than to the soil-tilling feudalists that we're currently beating up left and right.

[Terraoblivion]

On the other hand, we're still Russian and should go for our national identity, not some distant ancestors.

[Rockphed]

Or we could see about siccing the hoards on Lithuania, and take Kiev from whichever hoard takes the province.

I just want to see us expand across siberia. We might have to conquer Crimea and expand a bit in the baltic to afford it.

[Flickerdart]

Noooo Siberian colonization is so boring, even though the new Siberian Natives add some spice, and it's always fun to match your upstart nation against the mighty Ming/Qing dynasty, whichever rules by the time you finally get there.

I say we take what belongs to us by conquest! Leave the northern wastelands to their shamanist dwellers and bring the sword and the torch down upon the hordes that once dared to impose a yoke upon the Russian people!

[Sange]

What provinces do you still need for Russia?

[Terraoblivion]

At least Ryazan or Smolensk. Maybe Nishny Novgorod or Vladimir. I'm not entirely sure, but definitely one of those first two.

[Rockphed]

Noooo Siberian colonization is so boring, even though the new Siberian Natives add some spice, and it's always fun to match your upstart nation against the mighty Ming/Qing dynasty, whichever rules by the time you finally get there.

I say we take what belongs to us by conquest! Leave the northern wastelands to their shamanist dwellers and bring the sword and the torch down upon the hordes that once dared to impose a yoke upon the Russian people!

Colonizing the barren wilderness is only part of the path to the Pacific. The other part is ruthlessly putting the yoke on our former task masters.

[Mabn]

Colonizing the barren wilderness is only part of the path to the Pacific. The other part is ruthlessly putting the yoke on our former task masters.

or you could get there through North America. No? I'll let myself out.

[Artanis]

What provinces do you still need for Russia?

According to the wiki, forming Russia requires owning and coring:

-Moskva
-Novgorod
-Tver OR Yaroslavl
-Nizhny Novgorod OR Vladimir
-Ryazan OR Smolensk

It looks like we own the first four. I think Ryazan is independent and Smolensk is held by Lithuania, but it's hard to tell from the screenshots. I have no idea which ones are cored (other than Novgorod, of course).

[ObadiahtheSlim]

So did Poland just not form a personal union with Lithuania? Does the AI ever not take that decision?

[SilverLeaf167]

What provinces do you still need for Russia?

We need only Ryazan/Smolensk; probably the former, since I don't wanna mess with Lithuania for no reason. Everything is cored; I always do that immediately.

So did Poland just not form a personal union with Lithuania? Does the AI ever not take that decision?

No, they did not. Apparently there's at least some chance of the union not happening at all.

[Terraoblivion]

But there is a reason, they have Kiev!

Also, well, it's them, the hordes or Sweden for further expansion once you finish eating Muscovy, Ryazan and Perm.

[IthilanorStPete]

To the south, I say, driving the hordes before us! Let us reforge the trade routes from the Baltic to the Black Sea, then use that wealth to fight the infidels who claim the title of Rum, in the name of the true Christ, not the heretic Latins of the Western Church! Long live the (Russian) Roman Republic!

[Rockphed]

To the south, I say, driving the hordes before us! Let us reforge the trade routes from the Baltic to the Black Sea, then use that wealth to fight the infidels who claim the title of Rum, in the name of the true Christ, not the heretic Latins of the Western Church! Long live the (Russian) Roman Republic!

There is some space in my dark, blighted heart for the thought of claiming the title of "Roman Emperor" for the Kynaz.

[SilverLeaf167]

Part 6: Peace, Progress, Punishment
6th of November, 1484

Spoiler

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Though Obolensky gets some votes from his fellow nobles, perhaps as a form of slight protest, the incumbent Knyaz Yaropolk Zventsov is still the clear winner. He begins his second term as the ruler of the ever-expanding republic.



The next whole year passes peacefully with the manpower reserve and treasury both recovering at a steady pace. The issue of Ryazan's future is discussed, and the general consensus seems to bet ha that they need to join the republic one way or another. They seem reluctant to accept a peaceful way out, though, so the only option left is force. There are still some documents to be faked preparations to be made, though, so Zventsov sees no reason to rush into it.

The decade-old issue of conspiracies in the government emerges once again. The Aristocrats, in particular, are spreading rumors of sinister agendas behind the Guilds' rise to dominance. Most people don't appear to take them too seriously, though, and once again it seems better for the government not to involve itself in these disputes at all.



The nation's long series of egalitarian reforms culminates in the full removal of the upper classes' privileges in land-owning. All citizens now have the equal right to buy and hold their own land or simply claim a plot of wilderness if they wish. Rudimentary as this may sound, it eliminates one of the most fundamental differences between social classes. The right to decide about their own lives should also actually encourage more peasants to seek out a relatively well-paid career in the army.



Novgorod's enthusiasm to break out from its former feudalist shackles has greatly encouraged – and simply allowed – innovation and cooperation to thrive in all parts of the social ladder.



The full annexation of Perm into the country is also finally finished in May 1486; nominally, at least. Diplomatic integration is much harder and more delicate than its forceful alternative, requiring plenty of local privileges and gradual development of government influence. The area is practically autonomous at the moment.



The vast wilderness of Perm stretches all the way to the Ural mountains. Though politically and historically considered one of the principalities of Rus, the people in the area are Uralic, and seem to have many things in common with the Finnic people further west. The area has a rather small population and is mostly valuable for its plentiful fur trade and salt mines. It also opens up a path further into the eastern wilds... Some of Perm's former territories are currently held by Kazan, though, and it would be only reasonable to liberate them some time soon.



Norway suddenly offers Novgorod an alliance. It seems the Danish have finally stopped hating the republic quite as much, too. Zventsov is happy to gain another ally against their common rival Sweden.

With Novgorod's increasing presence in the Baltic region, her navy therein has also begun attracting more attention. They vital in securing her most important trade routes through the Gulf of Finland, after all. The sailors themselves are aware of this new respect, too, and leaders do their best to encourage it. This results in a noticeable increase in the navy's combat effectiveness.



In September 1486, after long preparations and intentional degradation of the two formerly-allied principalities' relations, war is finally declared against Ryazan – if you can even call it that, with such a power discrepancy.



The army, stationed in Moskva, launches an assault right across the border and crushes the enemy's pathetic army in two short battles.





Approaching winter be damned, dispatchments are left to take care of the sieges while the main force returns to the warmth of the city.



After almost exactly a year, in September 1487, Ryazan is forced into signing a peace and surrendering themselves to full annexation into Novgorod.



The area has a relatively large farming population. It mostly has symbolic value regarding Russia's unification, though. It also opens a way south towards the Crimean horde and the Black Sea, creating both a new opportunity and a new potential threat.



Right now, though Novgorod shall return to peace for a while. The option of conquering Gotland is discussed once again. However, even though the conquest itself would be pathetically easy, it would soon make Novgorod a target for all those other Baltic powers and force her to participate in western politics she has no real interest in. The island isn't that valuable; it should probably be ignored for now, no?

These peaceful times, when the nation is free to spend its time and resources as it wishes, are definitely good for the arts, though. Novgorod's sudden rise from the ashes (as it is somewhat exaggeratedly called) is a great source of interpretation for sculptors, painters and poets alike. These tales of splendor are strengthening the populace's faith in their country and spreading abroad as well.



The working class's increased influence is clearly paying off. Their ability to finally make their opinions heard has resulted in widespread improvements to agricultural practices in ways the pampered decision-makers would never have thought of.



Novgorod's economy is thriving, too. On one hand, the planned international embassy system is put to use, while on the other hand the government is able to invest more and more into technological development.



In February 1491, just as Zventsov is about to give a speech to the veche about his new plans, he slips on the icy steps to the podium and cracks his skull wide open. There is nothing to be done to save him. As soon as he's been given a proper burial and the floor has been cleaned, an election is held – the veche has already gathered, after all.



Boris Tokmakov of the Guilds wants to focus on improving Novgorod's infrastructure and government to facilitate the proper unification of the region. He also believes that the nation needs to choose a new central issue to focus its attention on; the egalitarian movement is definitely beneficial and appreciated, but has already accomplished most of its goals.

Ivan Volkonsky of the Traders is glad that the commercial system has had very little of its resources diverted to other matters, which most of the infrastructure keeps suffering from, but believes that there aren't actually enough of said resources to begin with. Trade is Novgorod's most important source of revenue by far, so focusing on it is obviously a good idea.

Semen Gorensky of the Aristocrats wants Novgorod to conquer everything possible before other growing empires snatch them up. The Livonian Order is a sitting duck; Gotland should be seized, international disputes be damned; Sweden's Finnish region is an easy target with plenty of allies willing to help; the Kazan horde only has one meager ally! On the side, he could focus on finally catching up in military advancement.

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Spoiler: Author's notes

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Kind of an uneventful update, but meh. What's up with all my leaders dying, though?

We're doing very well in internal matters, though, as you can see. The problem with attacking the hordes (which I want to do at some point) is that Kazan is allied with the Timurids and Crimea with the Ottomans. Kazan is probably the easier target of the two, since the Timurids have more difficult access up here and are infamously plagued with internal problems.

On the other hand, we should totally celebrate Finland's Independence Day by conquering them from Sweden, making them a vassal, then voluntarily releasing them a hundred years from now... just kidding, they'll stay part of us forever.


Map highlights:
Byzantium joined a random war against the Ottomans and Crimea, losing most of its provinces in the process.
Hungary is at the receiving end of separate wars against Bohemia and Poland, among others.

[Frog Dragon]

Better idea. Conquer Finland, move capital to Nyland, form vassals out of the rest of your territory until you culture shift to Finnish, and then reannex.

Novgorod? I think you mean Uusikaupunki.

[IthilanorStPete]

Attacking southwards into Crimea might be a good idea to do now, rather than later. I doubt their alliance with the Ottomans will fall apart, and the Ottomans aren't going to get any weaker.

[Terraoblivion]

If Lithuania joins in, it should be very hard for the Ottomans to beat you. But perhaps waiting until they're beating their head against the Mamluks or Qara Quyunlu or something would make attacking Crimea even better.

[Artanis]

Regardless of what the maps say, we are no longer merely Novgorod, but Russia. As Russia, it is our duty to unify the Russian people under the banner of Russia, no matter how many Muscovites, Crimeans, Muscovites, Kazani, and Muscovites have to die in the process.

[Rockphed]

Regardless of what the maps say, we are no longer merely Novgorod, but Russia. As Russia, it is our duty to unify the Russian people under the banner of Russia, no matter how many Muscovites, Crimeans, Muscovites, Kazani, and Muscovites have to die in the process.

I think you forgot about all the blasted Muscovites that need to die.

And I think we need some military up in here. Once we have recovered lost ground relative to our neighbors, and set the boot of freedom to our neighbor's necks, we can start our march each into the unknown.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Let the Scandinavian nations squabble at themselves for now, they'l only become weaker because of it.

Solidify our alliance with Luthiana so the western border is safer and no military attention needs be spend towards there except for keeping the Baltics under control.

The glory of Novgorod would be even greater if we also had access to the Black sea and Muscovy needs another beating and at atleast give some of it's provinces to the might that is becoming the grand Russian empire.

Though these are fine goals we should focus on solidifying our empire so when we go to war, we will devastate our enemies with minimal losses of our own. After all, efficiency is oen of the biggest reasons why Novgorod is better then everybody else. And because I really, really hate rebels.

[SilverLeaf167]

Part 7: Frantic Feuding
27th of February, 1491

Spoiler

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The duel between Tokmakov and Gorensky is a relatively close one, but Gorensky's "plan" of "indiscriminate land-grabbing" (as his opponents call it) ends up evoking the voters' patriotic fervor and confidence to pull ahead and win him the election.



The crowd's target of choice seems to be the Crimean Horde to the south-east. However, they have a strong alliance with the Ottoman Empire, those Muslim scavengers who so cruelly wreak havoc on the great Patriarch's domain. It is important to choose an opportune moment for the attack.

Instead, Gorensky seizes the opportunity to take a closer look at those newfangled inventions he's been eyeing. Some eastern engineers have managed to reduce the classic cannon to a handheld size and form, suitable for individual soldiers to wield. While it's not practical as a primary armament quite yet, he is convinced these "firearms" will become more and more prominent. All armies must begin adapting their tactics for and against these revolutionary weapons.



Eager to begin his reign of conquest and test out these new tactics, he decides to just go for an easier target first. The Livonian Order is chosen once again. Though the Teutonic Order joins them, Novgorod has Lithuania on her side to cement her advantage.



Small nations with small armies are pathetically easy to defeat. The Livonian army is utterly annihilated in a single surprise attack.



It seems the Livonians are having a slight problem with revolutionaries in the Curonian region, their capital as of late. The Teutons march in to take care of them, making the job even easier for Novgorod, who soon wipes them out in turn.



With both enemies' armies crushed in less than a month, it seems the war will be another rather simple one.

As the troops fan out to occupy the area, Gorensky returns to the City to take care of politics. However, it soon becomes apparent he's not nearly as good at administration as the former Knyaz; his insistence on meddling in everything ends up causing the nation considerable economic losses. The rest of the government pleads him to stand aside and let them try to fix the mess he caused.



After about a year of war, both sides are tired of sitting in the cold and the enemy agrees to a rather modest peace. They will cede their former capital province of Liefland (Pernov in Russian) to Novgorod. Gorensky has no real interest in their poor and partisan Curonian holdings.



Pernov and its largest city Fellin are honestly not all that remarkable in any way. They have a population and agricultural prodution quite similar to Uriev, Latvian in tongue and Catholic in faith.



Months roll by. Sweden is currently trying (and failing) to conquer Gotland, their invasion fleet too weak to break through the fortified shoreline. Gorensky decides to stake his own claim while there's still a chance to do so without direct conflict with Sweden.



He leads the landing himself and succeeds in breaking through the island's defenses.



Swedish soldiers show up, still hoping to win the race, but only help Gorensky instead. Gotland is soon forced to give up its independence.



The island is historically and culturally Swedish and Catholic, famous for its namesake goats and mostly valuable as a fort in the middle of the sea.



Feeling confident after these two victorious wars and having taken practically no losses, Gorensky decides to finally invade Crimea. Both Poland and Lithuania join the cause. However, the enemy has recently gained a new ally in the form of some strange horde from even further eastward. Nonetheless, Novgorod's alliance should be able to do just fine.



Three of Crimea's loosely defined provinces border Novgorod, and Gorensky is interested in all of them.



Though Lithuania and Moldavia's small navies in the Black Sea are easily routed, they seem surprisingly competent at organizing their armies.



The war goes well, with Gorensky securing the main objectives in the north and then marching to his allies' aid. However, the distinct lack of military presence on the homefront prompts angry rabble to seize the day and revolt in both Arkhangelsk and Gotland at the same time. Gorensky can't be bothered to march an army all the way back there right now, though, so they'll just have to sit tight.





However, while half of his army is busy sieging the enemy capital (if you can call such a pathetic settlement that), the Ottomans attack the other half remaining up north.



Gorensky's troops arrive a mere day late, but are able to rout the enemy in a counterattack... with large losses.



It's a good time for new equipment to arrive. Though artillery has been used in sieges for ages, most cannons have been far too large to effectively deploy and use on the battlefield. However, the recent development of a new carriage of sorts allows horses to pull cannons around much faster and enables wider use.



The fighting in the south is a constant struggle, all participants' armies having been routed once or twice. Nonetheless, Novgorod's side manages some large but costly victories.



Since half of Novgorod's army has returned home anyway, a new commander is promoted to lead them against the rebels. General Kurlyatev turns out to be rather proficient, managing to defend Gotland.



The Crimean War is long and bloody. The fighting drags on and on. While Novgorod makes progress in the south, the Crimeans do their best to undo it in the north. Nevertheless, Novgorod's side is undeniably pulling ahead; the main issue at the moment is getting the exact sort of peace they want, so this all won't have been a waste.

February 1499 arrives all too soon.



Knyaz Semen Gorensky is too busy to return from the front, instead allowing his brother Jaitsy to represent him. Though the Baltic wars went swimmingly, this Crimean War has been very taxing. Though he regrets none of it, he promises to make sure the nation has time to recover... and keep improving the army to avoid needless losses in the future!

Saveliy Torussky of the Guilds agrees that recovery is undeniably the republic's greatest priority right now. However, he believes he'd do a better job handling it; whereas Gorensky has proven utterly incompetent in administrative matters, Torussky has much more experience and will help the nation move forward ideologically as well as technically.

Anatoliy Obolensky of the Traders wishes for Novgorod to finish up this war as soon as possible, even if the end result isn't perfectly optimal. Russian lives matter more than barbarian land. Novgorod's fortification should be economic and internal rather than military and aggressive!

Saveliy Kashin of the Aristocrats is rather happy with Gorensky's current rule.

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Spoiler: Author's notes

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You should assume there are plenty of speeches, debates, rallies and scandals in addition to the very brief summaries I give of the candidates. I've had to write literally over a hundred of these.

I keep snickering at us invading Crimea, both in a historical and contemporary context. Guess you need a very "special" sense of humor to actually find that funny.

Side note: I just realized the fish in Novgorod's flag (see first post) have OOTS-style scared eyebrows.


Map highlights:
Georgia got maimed into an OPM by losing a war against Crimea and the Ottomans.
Hungary's wars ended in the tragic loss of *gasp* two provinces.

[Terraoblivion]

Huh, Imereti has been founded and Barrois has managed to grow. How unusual.

[IthilanorStPete]

Novgorod is stable and prosperous even in times of war! We need no internal reformation, let Knyaz Gorensky carry us to further victories!

Huh, Imereti has been founded and Barrois has managed to grow. How unusual.

That reminds me; SilverLeaf, what setting do you have Lucky Nations on?

[SirSigfried]

Knyaz Gorensky has led us to victory in the last war and has given us a chance to grow. Let's give him another term in office and work towards unifying the Russian peoples. Lithuania has too many within their borders, we will have to liberate them... eventually. But not presently they are too useful at the moment.

[SilverLeaf167]

Huh, Imereti has been founded and Barrois has managed to grow. How unusual.

Crimea forced Georgia to release Imereti.

That reminds me; SilverLeaf, what setting do you have Lucky Nations on?

Off as always, now that I think about it. It was hardly relevant in the Tibet game, but here I guess it meant Muscovy didn't have their usual buffs... on the whole I find it pretty boring for the same countries to curbstomp everything, though.

[SilverLeaf167]

Part 8: Winds of Reform
27th of February, 1499

Spoiler

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Though Torussky makes a good point about his competence and receives noticeable support, Semen Gorensky ends up being elected for a second term.



While the troops are fighting on the frontier and trying to handle another small revolt in Moskva, the economy tries its best to keep functioning. One of the biggest problems with an area like Novgorod's is that no matter how much riches the wilderness hides, they're no use if you can't transport them forward for sale. If more state-controlled trading posts were established in the wilderness, people would be encouraged to engage in proper trade instead of just bartering with each other; more money for them and a slice for the republic.



In December 1499, the Crimean War is finally settled. Crimea will hand over the disputed border area and break their alliances, making them far weaker in the future.



The moderately populous area is full of Muslim heathens, and though some experts say they have separate cultures and languages, it's all just "bar bar" to Russian ears. In addition to agriculture the area has some large iron deposits, and access to the southern trade routes used by the hordes.



After taking care of the small revolt, Gorensky needs to consider what to do next. He decides to keep his promise to the people and avoid rushing into other wars right away, as tempting as Muscovy looks. However, his domestic policies heavily favor the warlike Aristocrats, and Gorensky decides to finally investigate the alleged conspiracies against them, allowing them to rise to dominance - though he doesn't even find anything.



He also takes the first step in properly incorporating firearms into the military. Men armed with weapons called 'arquebuses' are mixed into lines of conventional soldiers, allowing them to offer fire support while the other troops make up for their vulnerability in close combat. He also devotes more resources to the military infrastructure, allowing for larger training camps and fortifications.



Gorensky also manages to get his hands on a variety of maps depicting the farthest reaches of the continent. Many of them are likely inaccurate and outdated, but it's important to know as much as possible, especially if Novgorod is to eventually expand to the east.. The Timurids are particularly likely to butt heads with the republic one day.



Denmark offers an alliance. Gorensky is happy to accept it. In December 1501, however, Norway calls him to war against Sweden, hoping to take their famous and valuable Copper Mountain.



Even though Norway has Denmark on their side, Sweden has plenty of allies and the war is likely to be rather rough for them. It is Novgorod's best interest to weaken the Swedish and perhaps even grab some spoils for herself, so Gorensky accepts the call.



Perhaps at the worst moment possible, just as the Aristocrats would've been actually useful, the Guilds seem to be regaining their power in the government.



The army is taken off standby and begins a cautious advance into Southern Finland.



Novgorod's fleet arrives to aid the Danish and they succeed in destroying the enemy's ships, unfortunately losing over half of Novgorod's own vessels in the process. The remaining ships quickly retreat for repairs and construction of replacements begins immediately.



After taking control of the coast, Novgorod's troops cross through the Åland Islands into mainland Sweden. Kurlyatev's army lays siege to Stockholm while Gorensky's heads north to successfully drive the Swedish off Norwegian soil.



He then moves on to try and take control of the disputed territory itself.



In the midst of all this fighting, the nobility still have a taste for old-fashioned feudal politics. One influential family proposes a marriage between Gorensky's daughter and one of their sons. It's a blatant attempt to get Gorensky on their side, but he already is, so he really doesn't mind finally finding a spouse for that lazy brat.





After a while, Sweden seems to be steadily losing the war and their allies aren't really doing much.



Peculiar news arrive from Lithuania in December 1504. A disgruntled scholar in their capital has nailed his theses on the door of the Vilna Cathedral. He's managed to stir up a large and growing religious movement demanding changes to the church's corrupt practices and misinterpretations of the Bible. While heretics are hardly anything new, people have the feeling this is the beginning of real turmoil in the Christendom. Even the Orthodox faith might face some issues. The new movement is called, disparagingly at first... Protestantism.



Novgorod's own peasants seem to be more focused on societal reforms, fortunately.


[-1 Stability]

Frustrated with the Aristocrats' renewed grip on power, the Guilds have decided to engage in some ill-advised form of protest by intentionally obstructing the republic's vital fur trade. It's unclear what they even hope to achieve with this ridiculous behavior.



The basically forgotten Muscovites – allied with Sweden - have marched over the border to try and participate in the war. As frustrating as it is, Gorensky decides to ignore them for now rather than detach forces from the front. They aren't doing that much harm.



Norway soon makes a peace anyway. They take what they wanted in the first place and Novgorod is given Vyborg.



Though Vyborg has been the site of many historical battles due to its location near the border, the Finnish population of the area is rather small and poor. Merely obtaining it is something of a moral victory against Sweden.



Whether it was really worth it is disputable, though. After four wars in rapid succession, the general populace is utterly tired of it. A period of peace is required for the sake of national stability, if nothing else.

As if by some strange conspiracy, all three Scandinavian kingdoms officially declare their adoption of the new Protestant faith at almost the same time, clearly setting them apart from the rest of Europe. It shouldn't really affect Novgorod's relations with them, though, since they already had plenty of religious differences before. Still, it's a clear sign that this little heresy really is something else.



Military development marches on nonetheless. A groundbreaking fort design has been invented, adding protrusions to the walls to make it easier to fire on enemies approaching from any angle. Meanwhile, new plans for the arrangement and equipment of the soldiers themselves have been made.



The usually rather stable government is suddenly shaken by a series of shocking scandals. First an official has to be dismissed for their abuse of the locals, and soon after a fight broke out in the middle of the veche's meeting! Though the actual damage done by any of these events is minimal, they're a great source of division in the council and harm to the republic's reputation.



The situation manages to calm down by the time the election arrives in February 1507. It is decided that Novgorod should also finally choose its new priorities for the near future...





Knyaz Semen Gorensky, tired of petty politics and people whining about everything he does, has decided to retire.

Rotislav Yeretsky of the Guilds wants to aid the Orthodox Church in their attempts to convert the conquered unbelievers and hold back the influence of Protestantism. Even if that path isn't pursued, he's going to focus on improving the country's economy and paving the way for a true unified Russia.

Andrei Nagiye of the Traders is desperate to reclaim some of their greatly diminished influence in the government; it's bad for the entire nation, after all. Besides, if they decide to expand into Siberia, the Traders' resources and contacts for moving people and supplies are sure to be critical.

Andrei Torussky of the Aristocrats wants to pounce on Crimea as soon as their truce ends one year from now, rather than wait and let them reforge their alliances. The war should be an easy one; it doesn't matter if the populace is tired and reserves lacking. Other than that, he promises to offer his full support to whatever agenda the voters choose.


Due to the council's very divided opinions on the subject, they shall vote about Novgorod's new national agenda.


Some want to focus more resources on supporting the Orthodox Church, further emphasize the importance of religion in the nation and convert all these heathens to the true faith. These plans would lead to greatly increased stability and religious unity.


Others want to finally expand the republic's borders and influence into the daunting wastes of Siberia, inhabited by nobody but small tribes. They expect to find considerable riches in those frozen woods, and a path to the east.

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Spoiler: Author's notes

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The game seems to have a weird bug at the moment: even though I have plenty of Unrest in my conquered provinces, there's no Uprising progress whatsoever. I just hope that's really the case and they're not gonna revolt all out of nowhere... In addition, if it also affects the AI, it's going to make their Protestant conversions really easy and peaceful. The bug might be related to the (rather vague) Disaster system added in the last patch. Nevertheless, it's likely to go away soon.

Since we'll have to take Exploration ideas if we want to colonize (since we don't have Muscovy's free discovery of adjacent provinces), I guess we'll eventually grab some land in North America if we end up picking that (now or later). It's gonna take a while, though, since our colonial range is nowhere near long enough yet.


Map highlights:
England soon converted to Protestant as well, making that a total of 4 countries.
Muscovy and Kazan both attacked Crimea after we beat them.
Bohemia is under attack by Austria and Brandenburg (separately). Poland, Lithuania and Augsburg are helping, but as you can see, it's not doing much good.
Aragon integrated Naples. They are not in a personal union under Castile, who didn't pick that option in the event.
In Asia, India is looking unusually blobby (it's usually pretty fragmented in AoW) and Ming is pretty much overrun by rebels, as usual... Pretenders in this case.


Whining:
I find the monarch power cost on buildings pretty annoying. I just really don't feel like building anything if a single Temple delays the next tech by three months...
I also suddenly came to the depressing realization that from Russia's point of view, Finland's Continuation War was basically nothing but the enemy's tiny ally trying to siege an out-of-the-way area while you're busy against the actual opponent (see Muscovy in this chapter).

[Rockphed]

Could we vassalize muscovy and let them colonize siberia for us? Or maybe conquer them, but split them off as a vassal after we form russia?

[SilverLeaf167]

Could we vassalize muscovy and let them colonize siberia for us? Or maybe conquer them, but split them off as a vassal after we form russia?

Interesting idea... might work, but vassalizing sworn enemies can be problematic (getting enough opinion for annexation is a pain). Conquering and releasing would fix that, but we'd have to hand over all their cores so it's not that attractive. Besides, we'd have no control over the process. Still, interesting idea.

[Frog Dragon]

You could force them to revoke cores on you in a peace treaty though.