[U][SIZE=6]Chimu - the gutsy natives![/SIZE][SIZE=3]- Mopping up[/SIZE][/U] War often seems to go hand-in-hand with faster tech advance, if anything, because of war taxes pumping more into the tech investment coffers. However, that doesn't seem to have been happening too well for us. We're well behind a bunch of European nations despite being Westernized, and really looking to improve that tech - the sooner, the better. Most of our national ideas are crucial and very useful to us, but one mustn't waste any national idea slots because one doesn't get very many of them and national ideas can be very useful. Now that we've done pretty much all the colonization we're going to need, and we have 5 colonists, we decide to switch away from Colonial Ventures to Scientific Revolution (as we have a coastal centre of trade that isn't going anywhere, we get a colonist every 10 years anyway, just in case we need the odd one). It loses us 3 stability, but we can make that back easily enough. We're now using our 8 national idea slots efficiently with 8 good national ideas: [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/242.png[/IMG] In December 1728, Castille cede their one remaining South American territory to Modena, reducing the number of countries we'll need to declare on by 1. Pretty good. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/243.png[/IMG] In October 1729, the Chimu government reports to the majestic republican dictator that the country is back up to stability +3 again. Now that we've got inflation reduction going steadily, it's decided that it would be prudent to lose the National Bank national idea too, and replace it with Smithian Economics. A big production efficiency bonus and reduced tech cost now mean we should be well on the way to catching up with the tech leaders! [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/244.png[/IMG] Febuary 1734 - We want to get Portugal's territory next, but they're allied with France, whose fleet is huge. We get to building a bunch of drydocks to increase our naval support limit as well as an Admirality to get us some naval tradition, then build small ships to make sure we can deal with France's navy; our Superior Seamanship should help here too. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/245.png[/IMG] Our next slider change in January 1735 finally gets us to 0 on the quality/quantity slider. We are now up to 100% discipline, whilst maintaing a reasonable manpower. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/246.png[/IMG] In order to have a land border with all of Portugal's South American territory, we first need to take out a couple of provinces now held by Modena, so we declare on them. A few allies of theirs jump in such as Naples, who become the leaders of their coalition. I think we can deal with them. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/247.png[/IMG] Sure enough, we grab Modena's land quickly, by July 1738. Just need to peace out with Naples... [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/248.png[/IMG] And by October 1738, it looks like our blockading and the imminent threat of our invasion of Naples was enough to get them to white peace out. Modena's South American territory is ours! We really wanna get building some manufactories now to help us bring in more money and tech, but they're sooo expensive and we just aren't making enough money to build many. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/249.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/250.png[/IMG] How irritating - the bastards. I wonder whether we can use this war to actually capture the French territory in South America, and maybe even up into Central America? They have a big fleet and a huge army, but our fleet is pretty darn good now too, and we have Superior Seamanship. Whatever happens, we'd better settle in for a total war situation. I have a feeling it's going to go on a while. July 1741 - Hmm... second thoughts about attacking Chorotega - FLEE! This is why we have to try and stop the French landing their troops on our mainland. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/251.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/252.png[/IMG] This is a nice start. We're really gonna want to smash that navy of theirs to pieces. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/253.png[/IMG] In August 1741, they attack us in Panama but they may well have made a mistake here. They have way more cavalry but a major terrain disadvantage and fewer numbers: [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/254.png[/IMG] Yep, their mistake. We chase them and finish them off. Portugal join in against us in September 1741, as they're allied to France. Maybe we can use this war to get [i]their[/i] South American territory, too. In December 1741, we spot a big Mecklenburg fleet which we intercept and defeat. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/255.png[/IMG] Mecklenburg are defeated again in March 1742, but there's a big French fleet heading probably for the Falklands. We throw everything we have at it. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/256.png[/IMG] During June 1742, we were forced to start fighting Mecklenburg's troops when their defeated fleet landed back in the Portugese province of Maranhao. We are struggling against them probably because of their superior land tech. It takes several to-and-fros before we can eliminate their unit. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/257.png[/IMG] As predicted, France attack the Falklands in July 1742. We move to intercept but they'll be able to land troops. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/258.png[/IMG] This is the kind of fight we've been building up for. We should crush France here. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/259.png[/IMG] We win the fight, but only capture 1 measly transport. In December 1742, having flushed them out of port by occupying Maranhao, we now attack Mecklenburg's ships again. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/260.png[/IMG] We win, and guess what? 1 transport captured. By May 1743, we get round to eliminating the French Falklands invasion. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/261.png[/IMG] November 1743 comes around, and things are relatively quiet, so we decide to go on the offensive against Portugal. If we can take Lisbon, they should be willing to talk tribute. On the way, we bump into the pesky Mecklenburg fleet again. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/262.png[/IMG] We'll need 2 of our units to launch an invasion of Portugal, so starting in January 1744 we build up troops conveniently in Navarra, whom we're allied with because they were released as part of a peace deal we negotiated a long time ago (it's being seiged because we had just taken out some revolutionary rebels when we landed). [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/263.png[/IMG] In November 1744 we successfully occupy Lisbon, and Portugal are willing to cede their South American territory to us, drop some cores, pay some money, and release Galicia as a sovereign state that will be allied to and friendly with us! Trouble is, we won't be able to do this with France on their home soil - they just have too many soldiers there. Perhaps we can occupy French North America and they will be willing to talk tribute. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/264.png[/IMG] We also white peace out with a couple of France's allies, leaving just France and Cornwall. Hmm... we move our troops to Cornwall, only to discover that they're already being seiged by England. Oh well, they won't be a factor then anyway. In June 1745, Cornwall, whose peace demands have been getting smaller and smaller, eventually offer us a white peace which we accept. Now it's just us vs. France. We move our ships to pick up our second unit from Galicia, and prepare to launch an assault on French North America. August 1745 sees another slider change become available. Whew! After a LOT of tinkering since the start of the game, the sliders for Chimu are finally starting to look rather respectable. We decide to go more towards Free Subjects now. A couple of notches towards Aristocracy would start giving us a few more diplomats, which would be nice, but Free Subjects (and the lower tech cost that goes with it) is a higher priority. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/265.png[/IMG] April 1746 - Into French North America now, but we were wiped out by the French before the second army could make it in for support?? Argh, that's unlucky. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/266.png[/IMG] The support army does win because the French's morale is low, but we can't really chase them; they'll have recovered enough morale by next month that we'd lose the fight. We have to get another of our armies into French North America quickly. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/267.png[/IMG] Another bid for victory is launched in August 1746. This is the only French unit in French North America. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/268.png[/IMG] For some reason, we're taking very high casualties compared to the French. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/269.png[/IMG] Well we won, but only because we had greater numbers. They gave us nasty casualties. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/270.png[/IMG] By January 1747, we've finally eliminated the French unit after some bitter fighting with high casualties on both sides. We set about systematically occupying French territory, and putting down the (many) revolts that take place there. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/271.png[/IMG] October 1748... another month, another Falklands invasion, another naval interception, and we sink a bunch of their ships this time. We're up to 25% warscore but the French won't even talk white peace. [IMG]http://game-point.net/misc/eu3/chimu/take2/272.png[/IMG] Continued...