Green Khmers #2 - For the Glory AAR
Game: For the Glory
Published: 2017-08-25, edited: 2017-08-25
Comments thread
Hey there :)
What's good with y'all. I'm Anjin and 2day I'm gonna bring real fire to this AAR website of yours (which is a decent idea btw). Game of Games. The Legend. Recently, after concluding my EU4 adventures for good (with over 1100hrs clocked since Autumn of 2014) I've decided to go back to not-arguably the best video game of all time, Europa Universalis 2.
But it's not just EU2. It's For the Glory - fan-made remake, under Paradox supervision (much like Darkest Hour), although nowhere near successful :( Time has taken its toll, but I still think EU2 map - both graphics and, however incorrect provinces - is the most beautiful thing ever. I just can't stop looking at it, like, ever. And game itself maybe has like 1/5th of EU4 features, but, why would I mind? I've spent so much time playing, modding and writing AARs about EU2 and FtG.
There's something magnetic about this beast. Maybe just nostalgia. Maybe good fun. But it's something EU4 never had, and never will have. Now that I'm looking into some heavy modding again - with some tweaks this would be a really fun game again - I just want to play the game again and see what's what.
I've settled for vanilla FtG with 1.3 betapatch (praise MichaelM for making it!), especially since Grand Campaign has seen some actual changes. Among them, somewhat refreshed Cambodia - now Khmer Empire, with few claims around the place, and nasty event to cripple them if their capital is conquered. Nothing else. 'Tis gonna be a wild one! :D
So, if you want to see how map painting was back in the day, or just enjoy some good nostalgia trip, I welcome thee and please enjoy your stayings. I'll try to explain how everything works more or less, so you may learn a thing or two as well. Isn't it great.
All abroad the Khmer Train. Green Khmers best Khmers. None of that Red Ayutthayan crap!
What's good with y'all. I'm Anjin and 2day I'm gonna bring real fire to this AAR website of yours (which is a decent idea btw). Game of Games. The Legend. Recently, after concluding my EU4 adventures for good (with over 1100hrs clocked since Autumn of 2014) I've decided to go back to not-arguably the best video game of all time, Europa Universalis 2.
But it's not just EU2. It's For the Glory - fan-made remake, under Paradox supervision (much like Darkest Hour), although nowhere near successful :( Time has taken its toll, but I still think EU2 map - both graphics and, however incorrect provinces - is the most beautiful thing ever. I just can't stop looking at it, like, ever. And game itself maybe has like 1/5th of EU4 features, but, why would I mind? I've spent so much time playing, modding and writing AARs about EU2 and FtG.
There's something magnetic about this beast. Maybe just nostalgia. Maybe good fun. But it's something EU4 never had, and never will have. Now that I'm looking into some heavy modding again - with some tweaks this would be a really fun game again - I just want to play the game again and see what's what.
I've settled for vanilla FtG with 1.3 betapatch (praise MichaelM for making it!), especially since Grand Campaign has seen some actual changes. Among them, somewhat refreshed Cambodia - now Khmer Empire, with few claims around the place, and nasty event to cripple them if their capital is conquered. Nothing else. 'Tis gonna be a wild one! :D
So, if you want to see how map painting was back in the day, or just enjoy some good nostalgia trip, I welcome thee and please enjoy your stayings. I'll try to explain how everything works more or less, so you may learn a thing or two as well. Isn't it great.
All abroad the Khmer Train. Green Khmers best Khmers. None of that Red Ayutthayan crap!
Part of the campaign:
Green Khmers
Previous part:
So, we're back!
With conquest of Bangkok and promotion of dat bailiff our financial situation improves dramatically. Montly income doubles, not to mention Census Tax. We actually have something to work with, not only that, our most dangerous rival is erased forever.
Let's talk about money! Taxes is based on your basetax and multiplied by stability - at +3 you get 120% tax money. Goods is money from goods produced, and (17%) is our current Infra Efficiency, which is affected by DP, Infra tech and, wait for it, manufactory (goods manu in this case). Same with Trade below, there's Trade Efficiency, which is affected(...) Trade(...)(refinery manu in this case). Same with(...).
Stop it. Early game trade is useless, and I have a good idea how to rectify it via moddings. But for now, let us stick to old strategy. Infra 3 unlocks Refinery manufactory.
Each Manufactory adds 0.6 monthly income to the province it's built in. It adds another 0.6 if province is producing special bonus goodies. For Refineries, it's Wine and Sugar. For Military Complex it's iron and copper. Goods - cloth, cotton, tobacco. Naval Complex - fish and naval supplies. There's also Fine Arts Academy, you unlock it at Infra 2. It gives you full bonus (1.2) only in capital. All manus add monthly +5 to their respective technology. Refinery/Goods Manu boost Trade/Infra Efficiency by 1%. Academy lowers stability cost by 1%. There's some other minor boons I've forgotten atm.
Manufactories have two great benefits - they have terrific impact on your research and economy, and also, they look so pretty! They have their own little icons and I can never get enough of them. It's almost like collecting postal stamps or something.
Manus really meant something back in EU2/FtG. I was really disappointed by their EU4 version :(
With conquest of Bangkok and promotion of dat bailiff our financial situation improves dramatically. Montly income doubles, not to mention Census Tax. We actually have something to work with, not only that, our most dangerous rival is erased forever.
Let's talk about money! Taxes is based on your basetax and multiplied by stability - at +3 you get 120% tax money. Goods is money from goods produced, and (17%) is our current Infra Efficiency, which is affected by DP, Infra tech and, wait for it, manufactory (goods manu in this case). Same with Trade below, there's Trade Efficiency, which is affected(...) Trade(...)(refinery manu in this case). Same with(...).
Stop it. Early game trade is useless, and I have a good idea how to rectify it via moddings. But for now, let us stick to old strategy. Infra 3 unlocks Refinery manufactory.
Each Manufactory adds 0.6 monthly income to the province it's built in. It adds another 0.6 if province is producing special bonus goodies. For Refineries, it's Wine and Sugar. For Military Complex it's iron and copper. Goods - cloth, cotton, tobacco. Naval Complex - fish and naval supplies. There's also Fine Arts Academy, you unlock it at Infra 2. It gives you full bonus (1.2) only in capital. All manus add monthly +5 to their respective technology. Refinery/Goods Manu boost Trade/Infra Efficiency by 1%. Academy lowers stability cost by 1%. There's some other minor boons I've forgotten atm.
Manufactories have two great benefits - they have terrific impact on your research and economy, and also, they look so pretty! They have their own little icons and I can never get enough of them. It's almost like collecting postal stamps or something.
Manus really meant something back in EU2/FtG. I was really disappointed by their EU4 version :(
Random Events are the bane of any player. They are always here to kick you in your very privates. Shitty, unbalanced, with barely any triggers...one of my modding goals is to rework the system entirely, but that's work for weeks. Nevertheless, legendary Unhappiness among Peasants...sod off cunts, we have noice stab, Serfdom DP isn't all that bad, the hell you complain about?
While rebels consume Hanoi once again, we reach Infra 2. Some more Infra Efficiency, which ups your Goods income (see first screenshot).
You know only now I've realized I always play at political mapmode. In EU2, it was literally impossible - you couldn't see or command military units on political mapmode :D Had to use default terrain mapmode.
Have I told you terrain mapmode is UNGODLY HOT? Because it is.
And I've said nothing about province view. Why was it purged from newer Paradox games? EU2 and CK1 province views are...breath-taking, especially Crusader Kings 1. It just makes you realize how much your country has grown, with bigger buildings and improvements. Paradox why do you remove good stuff!
Shame I actually don't have any screenshots of those two thingies on me. Currently I'm in 1560s, so you'll have to wait for some of that sweet sweet imagery until then :)
You know only now I've realized I always play at political mapmode. In EU2, it was literally impossible - you couldn't see or command military units on political mapmode :D Had to use default terrain mapmode.
Have I told you terrain mapmode is UNGODLY HOT? Because it is.
And I've said nothing about province view. Why was it purged from newer Paradox games? EU2 and CK1 province views are...breath-taking, especially Crusader Kings 1. It just makes you realize how much your country has grown, with bigger buildings and improvements. Paradox why do you remove good stuff!
Shame I actually don't have any screenshots of those two thingies on me. Currently I'm in 1560s, so you'll have to wait for some of that sweet sweet imagery until then :)
1439 comes and we get to move our DP once again. We push towards Centralization. It's absolutely mandatory.
Still, there's plenty of other DP changes awaiting in the future. Definitely gotta move towards Quality and Free Trade. Naval/Land undecided because we might end up with some colonial possesions. Others are fine for now.
Still, there's plenty of other DP changes awaiting in the future. Definitely gotta move towards Quality and Free Trade. Naval/Land undecided because we might end up with some colonial possesions. Others are fine for now.
Mere decade after Ayutthaya's demise, cracks have already started appearing in relations between members of Mon League of Anti-Thainess. Mon and Khmers keep bickering about ownership of Bangkok. It causes tension and hands out free Casus Bellis to spark more nasty wars...
I don't mind it at all. :D
I don't mind it at all. :D
Okay so let's talk about Infamy...AE...no, here it's called Badboy (BB). Whatchagonnadowhentheycomeforyou? Anyway, it's the number (2.0) under our Stability (+1) on the top bar. How does it work? Basically there's max BB limit, it starts at 36 or 38, whatever. If you start being too noisy (over 50% BB Limit) you might suffer from that thing called Badboy Wars. Basically all your AI neighbours just suddenly want to have a go at you and DoW you without remorse :D Unless you're massively stronger they'll have a go at you. All of them. And when you breach BB Limit completely, it's basically neverending war against everyone who borders you.
It's all a bit crazy but I don't mind :D Early on I try to not cross 50% of BB Limit simply because it also has an effect of doubling your stability cost, which is terrible. And anyway, why am I talking about BB?
Because we just no CB DoW'd Champa. Look at the history log (bottom of the screen) - you lose two stability points for noCB wars. You can lose additional 1 if you have the same religion as defender, another -1 if you have royal marriage, -5 for truce...
Also we get 2BB for no-CB DoW. Since stab is cheap and we have no other options but to expand fast, that's the only option. For Christian and Muslim religions, annexing countries of your religion group is really costly - 5BB. But in Asia, for some reason, you can annex your religion countries for mere 2BB. We can annex everyone around us for very little BB and it's a great thing.
It's all a bit crazy but I don't mind :D Early on I try to not cross 50% of BB Limit simply because it also has an effect of doubling your stability cost, which is terrible. And anyway, why am I talking about BB?
Because we just no CB DoW'd Champa. Look at the history log (bottom of the screen) - you lose two stability points for noCB wars. You can lose additional 1 if you have the same religion as defender, another -1 if you have royal marriage, -5 for truce...
Also we get 2BB for no-CB DoW. Since stab is cheap and we have no other options but to expand fast, that's the only option. For Christian and Muslim religions, annexing countries of your religion group is really costly - 5BB. But in Asia, for some reason, you can annex your religion countries for mere 2BB. We can annex everyone around us for very little BB and it's a great thing.
Champa has no defences and submits quickly. And would you look at that - Anti-Thainess League is about to dissolve. How sad...
What we have to do is be fast about it - ally one of former allies (for now) and destroy others. Lan Xang has all our claimprovinces, so it needs to go. Malacca has one of our claims (free CB) and also Center of Trade. Center of Trade, even if we don't do actual trade, means some top-level cash flow.
Arakan can just go. Away. No one needs them.
What we have to do is be fast about it - ally one of former allies (for now) and destroy others. Lan Xang has all our claimprovinces, so it needs to go. Malacca has one of our claims (free CB) and also Center of Trade. Center of Trade, even if we don't do actual trade, means some top-level cash flow.
Arakan can just go. Away. No one needs them.
Alliance automatically expires after ten years since its creation OR last peace signed. We quickly grab Mon, just so they won't trouble us. Then, we turn our eyes north. Lan Xang is our next target.
I looked at my morale again, and screamed in despair, knowing this would be the shitshow of all times...
I looked at my morale again, and screamed in despair, knowing this would be the shitshow of all times...
So, we declare war - Mon is not needed. Lan Xang attacks us in Bangkok, which is swamp, which THEORETICALLY means we should bury them alive. But, with those conditions, it's The Dice which will decide it all.
While we fight Laotians, pay attention to Vietnam, China, together with their Korean lapdogs are invading Dai Viet once again. It's gonna be good I promise!
While we fight Laotians, pay attention to Vietnam, China, together with their Korean lapdogs are invading Dai Viet once again. It's gonna be good I promise!
Lan Xang arrives, of course they roll 9. Every. Single. Time. According to EU2Wiki, there seem to be suspicions that morale might somehow affect dice rolls. Whether it's true, no idea. But sometimes I have the shittiest luck, while other times, thanks to the dice, I steamroll everyone without any trouble.
Well, let's continue.
Well, let's continue.
Having suffered the loss I decide to go over support limit. We need to stop Lan Xang from recruiting more people, at any cost.
While their siege of Bangkok sees no progress, we use 1k stacks to block their provinces. It means they can't recruit anyone - which is nice. Also, we get some benefit from looting their provinces - which is, guess what, nice.
We try to expel Laotians from Bangkok, and oh my goodness is the dice kind again. 8 to 3 and we score a really good W here.
That's not good! If Cambodia falls, Fall of Khmer Empire triggers and while we can survive it, avoiding it would be highly desirable.
I decide to siege Laos for now and see what happens.
I decide to siege Laos for now and see what happens.
Soon enough - and I was probably panicking too much - I decide to reassemble my army again and face Laotians at the gates of our capital. While military movement happened we get one of the best random events in the game. Conversion of Heretics can trigger when your Innovative DP is 4 or below (which is where I like to keep it), and it converts our only Hindu province, Da Lat. This is great! Let me explain.
In EU2/FtG, you have tolerance sliders for each religion (gonna show it to you one day). Thing is, you'll never be able to tolerate all religions equally. You can usually fully tolerate one (100%), somewhat tolerate another (50%) and despise the last one (0%). In our case it's 100% for Buddhist, 50% for Hindu (because we have one province) and 0% for Muslim (Sunni and Shia).
We don't have to bother with Hindu, so I can afford to tolerate Muslims, which means we can expand to the South and actually not fight endless rebels. Nice!
Tolerance affects revoltrisk, depeding on how much will you tolerate it. Above 50% revoltrisk is gradually reduced, below 50% - gradually increased. That's why having three religions in your country is dangerous - it means some areas will require constant military presence to squash neverending rebels until you convert that province.
It's really hard to explain it without a screenshot. I'll get you one someday I swear!
In EU2/FtG, you have tolerance sliders for each religion (gonna show it to you one day). Thing is, you'll never be able to tolerate all religions equally. You can usually fully tolerate one (100%), somewhat tolerate another (50%) and despise the last one (0%). In our case it's 100% for Buddhist, 50% for Hindu (because we have one province) and 0% for Muslim (Sunni and Shia).
We don't have to bother with Hindu, so I can afford to tolerate Muslims, which means we can expand to the South and actually not fight endless rebels. Nice!
Tolerance affects revoltrisk, depeding on how much will you tolerate it. Above 50% revoltrisk is gradually reduced, below 50% - gradually increased. That's why having three religions in your country is dangerous - it means some areas will require constant military presence to squash neverending rebels until you convert that province.
It's really hard to explain it without a screenshot. I'll get you one someday I swear!
Back on the frontlines, Khmers arrive to Cambodia - battle starts out really good, we've got this!
Attrition in Laos reduces our blocking stack there below 1000, which is 1/5th of fortress size, which means blockade is broken and now Lan Xang started recruiting units there. Dammit!
Attrition in Laos reduces our blocking stack there below 1000, which is 1/5th of fortress size, which means blockade is broken and now Lan Xang started recruiting units there. Dammit!
Actually no, fuck you, I mean, fuck me...not literally, well...it's complicated. Whatever!
Dice, I hate you so much.
Dice, I hate you so much.
We devise a new plan to siege Mekong asap and block Laos again, but guess what?! DICE.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Thankfully Laotians are content with watching their countryside being burninated by Khmer invaders. Mekong stack goes to Sarakham.
Somehow dice favours us in Laos again. We siege Sarakham and Laos, and LXers are routed to Mekong.
Our strategy goes like this: hopefully we'll siege remaining provinces before they take their capital back.
Sun Tzu ain't got shit on my strategies!
Our strategy goes like this: hopefully we'll siege remaining provinces before they take their capital back.
Sun Tzu ain't got shit on my strategies!
Reinforcements arrive, and so we can advance both sieges while attempting daring attack through river in mountains - it's all up to dice anyway and that square bitch favours us again, somehow.
Meanwhile Korea seizes Da Nang, while southern China is set ablaze by rebellions. Glorious!
Meanwhile Korea seizes Da Nang, while southern China is set ablaze by rebellions. Glorious!
Routed Lan Xang armies arrive to Laos and....destroy us...
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
This takes way too much time! Oh goddamit I swear to the Godder himself what is this madness!
More recrutations in the capital while Sarakham slowly succumbs to us.
More recrutations in the capital while Sarakham slowly succumbs to us.
Back to the old plan - we've seized Sarakham, although Laotians are making dangerous progress with their siege.
Guess what decides sieges? Artillery, leader's siege stat (which can be 1 if your Offensive DP is 2 or lower?), and...RANDOM NUMBER GENERATED DICE.
I can't even...
Guess what decides sieges? Artillery, leader's siege stat (which can be 1 if your Offensive DP is 2 or lower?), and...RANDOM NUMBER GENERATED DICE.
I can't even...
New plan! We charge them blindly in Mekong to hold off their siege before our siege completes so we get 100% WS and thus are able to take 2 of their 3 provinces.
Call me Jomini von Clausewitz, God of Warfare.
Random Number Generation OP pls nerf.
Also, war in Vietnam ends. Korea(!!!) gets Tahn Noah and China gets nothing but REBELS, REBELS, REBELS.
Good job, Joseon m80boy!
Call me Jomini von Clausewitz, God of Warfare.
Random Number Generation OP pls nerf.
Also, war in Vietnam ends. Korea(!!!) gets Tahn Noah and China gets nothing but REBELS, REBELS, REBELS.
Good job, Joseon m80boy!
So, we've lost again...but somehow, AI abandons their siege and tries to save Laos now.
What the hell...
What the hell...
NOW YOU FUCKED UP.
YOU FUCKED UP NOW.
NNNNOOWWWW YOOUU FUCKED UP!
Yeah AI does stuff like this. Maybe they just felt sorry for me, who knows. But we seize Laos six days later, before LX even gets there. And we have 100% WS. We strongly demand whatever financial monies and valuables they have, along with two of their provinces.
Victory by AI Mercy Achieved!
YOU FUCKED UP NOW.
NNNNOOWWWW YOOUU FUCKED UP!
Yeah AI does stuff like this. Maybe they just felt sorry for me, who knows. But we seize Laos six days later, before LX even gets there. And we have 100% WS. We strongly demand whatever financial monies and valuables they have, along with two of their provinces.
Victory by AI Mercy Achieved!
And Hainan rebels defect to Korea, thus creating South Korea in Indochina. China itself has massive troubles defeating rebels across the country. Crazy stuff. They get a lot of revoltrisk because of historical troubles with Emperors (one of them getting captured by Oirats or something), that's what happened I believe.
Having won the shitshow war, we relocate our forces to Bangkok, we need to rest and consider our next moves...
Having won the shitshow war, we relocate our forces to Bangkok, we need to rest and consider our next moves...
Perhaps insolent ruler of Lan Na could become our next target? Find out in the next episde of Green Khmers, First For The Glory AAR Around Here! :D
Huge thanks for adding For the Glory category, I shall fill it with joyful AARs, consisting of screenshots, screaming and pure angery.
To hell with the dice! It's terrible :(
Also I wish I could show you more stuff (religious tolerance, terrain mapmode etc) but I have played up until 1560s, so when we get there I'll show you all the other beautiful pictures of the best looking Paradox game ever.
That's it for today! Please let me know, via Reddit means, what do you think about stuff like text and amount of screeneshotters. I really want to know!
See you!
~SirAnjin
Huge thanks for adding For the Glory category, I shall fill it with joyful AARs, consisting of screenshots, screaming and pure angery.
To hell with the dice! It's terrible :(
Also I wish I could show you more stuff (religious tolerance, terrain mapmode etc) but I have played up until 1560s, so when we get there I'll show you all the other beautiful pictures of the best looking Paradox game ever.
That's it for today! Please let me know, via Reddit means, what do you think about stuff like text and amount of screeneshotters. I really want to know!
See you!
~SirAnjin
