France at the end

[Arditi]

What are some of the "close to end game" considerations/worries that a French player must take to task to win or stay alive? I am wondering if France(like in EIA) has some initial benefits that the other nations will need to work together to offset? Have you found in your multiplayer playtesting that the nations tend to work against each other or work together to keep France from getting too powerful? Awaiting anxiously this title, Arditi

[SLTxDarkknight]

I having the last name Beauchamp tend to play the French the majority of the time [:)] notice that coalitions form quickly versus the French and you can have quite the hard time fighting a 2 front war. Makes for a great time though:-)

[2gaulle]

first of all, you could choose 1792 or 1798 instead of 1805 as a starting date, so how France is powerfull debend of the scenario.
The lenght of the game, achieving an automatic victory or weating for a final result in 10 or 15 years will change also all the strategy.
On a long period all the nation have nearly an equal chance. No VP bidding are necessary to select the nation like in EIA.

[Naomi]

I thought, in COG, France excels mainly in her leadership pool, as well as economic strength (from France proper) and the rich minors at her disposal that can help her sustain more troopers. But France in EIA has more advantages in the form of better organised corps, the number of troopers (be it infantry, cavalry, or artillery) she can put to fields, the leeway with which to move her troops at the time she decides, all of which COG may not incorporate in its game design. That said, it is more necessary for non-France players to unite in EIA than would be the case in CoG. [:'(]

[Ralegh]

Advantages:
- more corps per army and more divisions per corps
- starts with lots of military upgrades and qualifies for some you can choose fromt he begining - that's because they have lots of porvinces, which are quite built up
- starts with lots of armies and lots of corps [most countries only start with armies, and need to build corps]
- lots and lots of generals
- lots of countries nearby to conquer

Disadvantages:
- a big empire leads to waste, which is hard to manage
- the number of provinces/countries under your control can lead to everyone else 'being alarmed at your rise' and hence ganging up on you - even if you aren't leading in glory

In general, every country has to worry about the 'gang up on the leader' syndrome. (The game implements this more aggressively at higher levels of difficulty). If you are winning, you need to establish some good alliances/treaties to prevent everyone ganging up on you.

[Naomi]

I noticed you and Joseph Lieberman's mention of "Empire". When a power rises to the Empire status (with specified additional territories to claim such a status, I reckon), what advantages will she gain? As Joseph described of his Prussian campaign, he didn't claim such a status at the first moment possible, is it because it is not easy (e.g. will take extra resources) to keep it? [:'(]

[Ralegh]

Lots of things go into becoming an Empire, but unlike EIA there aren't particular territories you have to have. You accumulate "points" with colonies, protectorates, cities with lots of courts, and a few other things.

When you become an empire, you get some bonues glory and morale every month, and your units get an extra 0.5 morale at the start of every battle.

However - if you lose empire status, you lose 800 morale - that is an aweful lot: at a bad moment, it is enough to force you to surrender to any enemies you have!

So players often want to have 22 or 23 points (you need 20 to become an empire) before taking the status. - Joe was being prudent.

BTW - often two or three nations will be empires simultaneously.

[Naomi]

What may make your controlled power no longer an Empire? Simply by losing the protectorates and court-blessed cities w/ which you claimed the Empire status in the first place?

In addition, the word Empire prompted me to ask if we can create buffer states like Batavian, Cisapine, Westphalia, Duchy of Warsaw and even Conferedation of Rhine, the consolidation of which can go a long way to a tightly-knit, easier-managed Empire w/ better-organised minor troops.

[:'(]

[Ralegh]

Yes - your "points" for empire status keep going up and down all game. (And you can see how many on these points each nation has.)

There are 7 "special regions" in the game: if a nation has protectorates in all the countries of a special region, they get bonus spring levies from the protectorates. (Only certain countries can get the bonuses for the special regions - ie. Turkey can't create the Kingdom of Bavaria but anyone else can.) The regions are: Duchy of Warsaw, Kingdom of Bavaria, Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Italy, Confederation of the Rhine, North Africa, and Kingdom of Serbia.

[Naomi]

So unifying a region (or creating kingdoms or confedercies) contributes ONLY to bonus spring levies? What do spring levies refer to? [:'(]

[sol_invictus]

Also, are these levies just an increase in your national force pool or are they actually Polish soldiers for the Grand Duchy that are yours to utilize?

[Ralegh]

These are actual divisions - usually infantry but sometimes cavalry. Levies do not affect the reinforcement pool (well, other than being candidates for reinforcement!)

Such levies are raised by all countries based on their feudal rate, a setting with widespread impact across the economic/production system. (So think of Turkey as lots, and France as very little...)

[ericbabe]

ORIGINAL: Ralegh
These are actual divisions - usually infantry but sometimes cavalry. Levies do not affect the reinforcement pool (well, other than being candidates for reinforcement!)

Duchy of Warsaw levies Polish lancers, inter aliqui. They come into play under the control of the nation that owns the protectorate (but if the protectorate is dissolved they revert to the control of Warsaw.)


Eric

[Ralegh]

Wow! Lancers are the best cav unit in the game: that would be worth having!

[sol_invictus]

YES, I must liberate the poor oppressed peoples of the former Polish realm so that I can utilze those wicked Polish Lancers in my quest for European domination; er, I mean, so that they can enjoy the fruits of Liberte, Egalite, and Fraternite.[;)] This game is going to be sweet!