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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the AGCEEP?
A: The Alternative Grand Campaign Event Exchange Project is a way for Europa Universalis 2 and For the Glory players to communicate and post their ideas for new historical and "what if" events, monarchs, leaders and countries as well as scenario and other modifications, to make the game more historically accurate, diverse, and all around enjoyable.
Q: What is the goal of AGCEEP?
A: Read the mission statement.
Q: What scenarios will the Alternative Grand Campaign Event Exchange Project handle?
A: Originally the scope was limited to modifying the Grand Campaign (1419), however we have expanded our work to include a 1520-Age of Reformation Scenario. Originally inspired by a similar IGC scenario for EU1. The GC is still our primary concern with changes in the 1520 and 1648 scenario as secondary and so the 1419 start is most 'complete' as of this writing.
Currently the 1520 Scenario and the 1648 scenariso both work, but need more work than the 1419 scenario.
Q: Is AGCEEP version 1.X.X compatible with Paradox patch 1.0X?
A: The AGCEEP 1.57 is compatible with EU2 version 1.09. AGCEEP 1.60 is compatible with For the Glory 1.3 beta April 2023. AGCEEP 1.60 is NOT compatible with EU2.
Q: Can I use EU2 On-Demand Version and AGCEEP?
A: Yes. Install the EU2 1.09 patch if needed and then install the mod.
Q: Will installing the AGCEEP make it so that I can't play the regular(vanilla) GC?
A: No, as of EU2 version 1.06, the AGCEEP is in the moddir, so none of your original files will be modified. You can still run the vanilla GC through the black icon at any time, though we can't really see why you would want to.
Q: Does the AGCEEP work for MP?
A: Since version 1.08 AGCEEP MP should work fine.
Q: What settings do you suggest I use?
A: Difficulty can be set as you like it, it only affects the player. The Aggressiveness setting is more tricky. The AI files will probably give the most correct historical outcome when you play with a low level. With a setting above normal the AI might waste nations by declaring way too many wars. On the other hand, if you play a large powerful state at a low setting you might be left in peace too much for some peoples' taste.
Recommended level is 'weakling', since the AI gets stronger by staying in peace and many small states are not being gobbled up early.
Q: How come the AGCEEP isn't only about adding and modifying events?
A: As the creators of this project came to realize, modifying only events, limited the amount of historical accuracy they could induce. Additionally, we realized that not all of Paradox's setups were historically accurate, and so it would have been nonsensical to ignore those inaccuracies while trying to make the game more accurate through events.
Thus, the scope of the AGCEEP has come to encompass almost everything including scenario setup, cultures, new countries, modified religion and trade goods values. This is all done in order to create a more historically accurate and enjoyable game.
Q: Are there any new events/leaders/monarchs/etc. for country X?
A: Look in your AGCEEP folder and then click into the db and events folders. Inside these folders are exactly what their label states. Opening anyone of them shows the files that Paradox made and we edited, or files that we created ourselves.
If you don't see any files for the country you are interested about, its possible that they haven't received any modifications. If you do find a file, if you look inside you can see just what that nation has to offer.
Q: What can be modified in the game?
A: There are numerous ways the game cannot be modified. All 'rules' of how the game works are set. Examples of what can be modified: the events, monarchs, leaders, states, cultures, province tax, province manpower, where and when things happen, prices of goods, reformating provinces, some AI behaviour, all texts (everything in text.csv).
Q: Just why do those Mamluks have Georgian culture?
A: Mamluks were slaves of Turkish and Circassian origin. The closest culture to Circassian is Georgian. Turkish is undesirable since it sets the Mamluk to attempt to conquer Anatolia, which they never tried to do. In short, its about balance, baby.
Q: Why can't I start as France in 1419?
A: The country that is France in 1419 represents a puppet government under the sway of the Duchy of Burgundy. To play the country that historically became France you should play the Dauphine. The Dauphine represents the French heir to the throne that had to fight England for his kingdom.
For more information about the Hundred Years War and why it is represented this way in the AGCEEP... see here.
Q: Why can't I start as Khiva in 1419?
A: At the game start, there was no Khanate of Khiva, really, but rather a bunch of independent cities. To this end, Khiva starts off as a backwater nation that should be lunch for the Uzbeks or Timurids. If you recall, these lands, pre-1.38 were held by the Timurids, but it is ahistorical to have the Uzbeks attack the Timurids to gain them, as the two were on good terms at this point.
Q: Is AGCEEP compatible with the scenario converter from Crusader Kings?
A: No. We don't plan to make it compatible either. We rather use the extra tags to make a better game for EU2 players.
About importing Crusader King saves into AGCEEP, it's been considered, and disregarded, for many many reasons. Among them are no control over the map, use of CK tags for other purposes, the fact that the ROTW events are dependent on the new AGCEEP setup, and the fact that most European events will make absolutely no sense with a CK import. That has to be a separate project.
Q: What are the Alternative option and how do I play with it?
A: For playing with the Alternative options included, choose them in the options menu after you have chosen scenario. After the regular choices, several alternative options are available, scroll down the menu. If you select them ON, the alternative events will be loaded, and if you select them OFF, the regular scenario will be loaded. The default setting is OFF, so if you do nothing, the regular scenario will be loaded.
If you play any other state than those with alternative events you will likely not notice a difference, since these states won't succeed well enough to get the alternative events.
Q: Why have you changed the names of Hellas, Nippon and Helvetia? Why isn't the Byzantine Empire called the Roman Empire?
A: The English present-day name of the historic state are used for consistency.
Q: I have some ideas/events/leaders etc that I think should be added. What should I do?
A: Post your ideas in a thread that covers that topic, or create a new one. Then read the submissions thread.
Q: Is it possible to form Germany/Italy in AGCEEP?
A: Yes, it's possible, with certain requisites. Read the following article for a thorough discussion of what is required to form the Kingdom of Italy and this article about unification of Germany through Imperial reform...
Q: Is the map any different?
A: Many straits have been removed and links have been added between Kazan and Igrim across the Urals and between Kyzylkum and Uzbek. More will follow with the new map.
Q: Why isn't Ragusa represented? Why is that province Albanian?
A: Ragusa don't fit well with the game engine, and would behave in ways it didn't do in history. A good point is made here, regarding free cities. The province represents North Albanian, with cities like Cattaro etc. The name is very unlucky though.
Q: Why do the Ottomans start with so few cores in the AGCEEP?
A: In AGCEEP the Ottomans start with a lot fewer cores (national provinces) than in the normal game. The cores are now handled out with every new Sultan, according to their historical plans of conquests. You don't have to fulfill any certain criteria to get them.
Q: Why do Hungary start with two military alliances in 1419?
A: With this setting, Hungary can be involved in a war against Hussites as allied of Austria and Bohemia - Romanists but not Serbia. On the other hand, Austria and Bohemia aren't involved in Balkans if Serbia starts a war.
Important: if Hungary declares war, only first alliance in the list (Austria and Bohemia) is called.
Q: What does ° or * mean after the name of some monarchs?
A: ° means existing alternate people during lifespan of country. * means fantasy people during lifespan of country and alternate or fantasy people outside lifespan of country.
Q: Why is base tax in Calais 27 in 1419?
A: Because Calais represents an important center of trade and source of revenues for England but we don't model it with a standard CoT. Base tax will decrease as soon as CoT forms in Anglia if England still owns Calais or as soon as England loses the province.
Q: I have a question that you didn't answer. What should I do?
A: Feel free to post in our EU2 mod forum or the For the Glory mod forum, both of which are on the forums hosted by Paradox.
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Hundred Years War (1419)
by Lord Tarleton
Overview:
The Hundred Years War was a dynastic struggle between the Plantagenet and Valois royal houses that began in 1328 when the last Capet king, Charles IV died without heir. Phillip, Count of Valois, Anjou and Maine was confirmed by a well-chosen assembly as the next King of France, Phillip VI. The problem with this selection was that Phillip was not the closest living relative, that was Edward Plantagenet, King of England (Edward III) and Duke of Aquitaine through the maternal line.
When the Plantagenet's put their claim forward, the Valois invoked Salic Law that forbid succession through the maternal line. The Plantagenet's countered that the law had never been invoked before and should be void. The Valois refused to relent, which led to the struggle we now call the Hundred Years War.
The following is a breakdown of political events leading to the 1419 situation:
The Madness of the King
In 1392 Charles VI goes mad while riding through a forest, slaying four of his entourage and even tries to kill his nephew. Later he would run howling like a wolf down the corridors of the royal palaces; one of his phobias was to think himself made of glass and suspect anyone who came near of trying to shatter him. He would recover from these spells, but his lucid periods got shorter and shorter as time wore on.
French Division of Authority
When Charles VI was crazed, France was ruled by Duke Philip of Burgundy, who annually diverted one-eighth to one-sixth of the royal rvenues to his own treasury. When Charles VI was sane his brother Louis, Duke of Orleans ruled. Louis was no less a bloodsucker than his uncle Philip. Louis diverted resources to forward his ambitions in Italy, where he had a claim to Milan through his wife Valentina, the daughter and heiress of Gian Galeazzo Visconti.
He imposed savage new taxes and was suspected of practicing magic, becoming even more disliked than Philip. Frenchmen began to divide into two completing armed factions (the Armagnacs and Burgundians). This was the birth of a dreadful civil war which would last for thirty years and put France at the mercy of the English. However, fighting did not break out for almost another two decades.
Events in England
The tyrannical Richard II, against the wishes of many of his nobles, wished to conclude a lasting peace with France and bring closure to his famlies claims. Richard established a truce with the government of Charles VI, but eventually so overstepped his bounds as monarch that the nobility deposed Richard and placed Henry of Bolingbroke on the throne (Henry IV). Henry IV oweed his position to a noble faction that strongly supported war for the French Throne and English interests in general.
He backed away from the conditions of the truce, but was unable to campaign in France due to unrest and falling revenues from flemish trade.
Duke Louis' Reaction to Henry IV
Louis was not unaware of Henry's problems and used the situation as an opportunity to bestow the title of Duke of Guyenne on Charles VI's baby son in 1402. This was a gross provocation, as the title already had been bestowed on Henry's son, the Prince of Wales (future Henry V). French attacks on English holdings in (campaigns against) England and Guyenne lasted from 1405 to 1407. The French ultimately gave up the attempt (many of the cities prefered English rule, as they had more independence under it and taxes were less).
Armagnac and Burgundian Tensions
Philip the Bold of Burgundy died in April 1404 and was succeeded by his son John the Fearless - so called from his gallant behavior during the Crusade of Nicopolis in 1396. Louis and John opposed each other on most major issues. While John supported the Pope in Rome to please his Flemish subjects, Louis upheld the Pope at Avignon; John oppossed war with England because of the impact on his coffers, but Louis hated the English. While the two dukes argued at court, their followers brawled in the streets.
Tensions continued to grow, then in November 1407, John had Louis ambused and murdered (his hand was chopped off to keep it from raising the devil) after leaving from a visit with the Queen. Bernard, Count of Armagnac took the lead after Louis' death. The French division was complete. The Burgundians drew their strength from the Parisian bourgeoisie and academics, while the Armagnacs were supported by most royal official and most nobles outside of John's influence.
French Civil War
John followed up the murder of Louis by having the King pardon him and gaining control of Paris through bribes. The Armagnacs responded by assembling an army and blockaded Paris. John then gained aid from Henry IV and broke the blockade in 1411. The Armagnacs responded by offering Henry Aquitaine as it had been in 1369, with the immediate surrender of 20 fortresses. However, in May 1412 Burgundian troops gained the upper hand and forced the Armagnacs to surrender.
After this, both sides declined any such agreements. In response to this, the English troops under Clarence launched a chevauchee until bought off. John, then seeing the French weakened position began to fear a real English invasion. He summoned the Estates to grant new taxes for defence, but when they began to criticize him, John launch a reign of terror against the Armagnac supporters and the wealthy.
After failing in an attempt to kidnap the King and seeing his grip on the city failing, John abandoned Paris in August 1413. Meanwhile in England, Henry V came to the English throne.
French Civil War and Henry V
By 1414 the war with the Armagnacs had turned against the Burgundians, John again sought help from the English. John offered the Gascon lands of the leaders together with the Angoumois. Henry responded by asking for all the lands won by Edward III, with Berry in addition, and for the recognition of Henry as King of France; John was horrified. While Henry was negotiating with John, he was also negotiating with the Armagnacs. Negotiations continued, but at each meeting Henry would ask for more, until talks broke down in midsummer.
Henry, whom had been arming for war since the past year, invaded France in August 1415 as Edward III before him, too claim the throne and the families former Plantagenet holdings.
Politics and the French Campaign of Henry V (spoiler included below)
While Henry was cementing his hold on Normandy and Caux, Duke John sought to negotiate with the Armagnacs following his retaking of Paris 1418. Also, in 1417 John setup a rival government around Charles VI at Troyes. Finally, the Armagnacs (now officially led by the Dauphin, though more likely a puppet) agreed to meet. At the meeting on the bridge of Montereau, the Armagnacs at the Dauphins direction avenged the murder of Louis, and hacked John to pieces (September, 1419).
The new Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good placed himself firmly on the side of Henry. In May 1420, Philip and Henry completed the Treaty of Troyes in the presence of Charles VI and Queen Isabella. Amoung the points in the treaty, Henry was acknowledged of Duke of Normandy, the Queen declared the Dauphin was the son of one of her lovers. Henry was declared heir to the French Throne and Regent of France. Aside from a number of towns loyal to the Armagnacs, there was no resistance to the Treaty of Troyes north of the Loire.
Only the death of Henry V and the failure of Bedford to eliminate the rival Dauphin (Armagnac) government across the Loire prevented a union of the thrones.
Player Information and Tips
Burgundy
Burgundy plays the role of king maker, it is your support that makes an English victory possible. However, if you are able to play the Dauphin and England off against each other so that neither is able to achieve victory, you will have the option of claiming the throne for yourself (becoming France) upon the death of the Dauphin in 1461. This option will be available even if Burgundy previously moved the capital to Brussels and gained Dutch culture.
Thus, it is highly unlikely, but possible, for Burgundy to claim the ancient throne of Lothar (very unlikely), move the capital to Brussels and gain Dutch culture, then become a super France by preventing Dauphin and English victories; a very tall order indeed.
Dauphin (Valois)
This state represents the Armagnac Party and supporters of the Valois Dauphin (the historical future Charles VII). A player who wishes to create the historical France will play this state. Events are written so the historical choice is the first choice for those who want to model history as closely as possible. Your starting goals are surviving the initial English attack, as you are quite weak militarily at the beginning, and winning Burgundy to your side.
If England is still in a dominate position around 1430, the arrival of Joan of Arc should help you turn the tide against England. Included in the Joan of Arc sequence of events is the ahistorical (according to some) option to activate her as a leader.
England (Plantagenet)
As England, your best course of action is to go for broke militarily and make good use of Henry V, as he will die on you before the end of 1422. Your major starting goal should be to knock out the Burgundian puppet government (France) early (make separate peace before the end of 1421).
If you are successful in this, you will activate the historical Treaty of Troyes which will recognize you as heir to the French throne and grant you an alliance with Burgundy (you should work to maintain Burgundy's support for as long as you can).
Also, in accordance with the terms of the treaty, you will inherit what remains of France when Charles VI dies in December 1421. In regards to the Dauphin, you should try to avoid making peace with them. Once you have activated the Treaty of Troyes, your goal should be to gain control of all the Dauphin's provinces, which will lead to the Dauphin recognizing you as king. There are other paths to English victory, but this one should be your goal. The longer you wait, the less likely your are to succeed.
France (Burgundian Puppet government) Not playable
At the start of the scenario, France represents the puppet government installed around the largely insane Charles VI by Burgundy. In most games, they will be annexed as part of the Treaty of Troyes in the early 1420's. When this state is played, the situation becomes ahistorical fairly rapidly.
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How can I form the Kingdom of Germany?
Unification of Germany through Imperial reform
by Twoflower and Norrefeldt
Formation of Kingdom of Germany is possible only if corresponding option is chosen.
Background
What if, at the Imperial Diet at Worms in 1495, the Emperor had been in an excellent diplomatic position that would have enabled him to make the diet implement the reform ideas of the so-called "Imperial party" within the Imperial Reform movement, i.e. an increase of the Emperor's authority and the permanent introduction of several central institutions, with the goal to make the HRE an effective modern state?
Historically, Emperor Maximilian due to his financial and political problems had to agree to several compromises with the "Princes' party", i.e. the electors and other powerful princes of the HRE, which resulted in the new institutions like the Imperial Chamber Court and the Imperial Circles being dominated mostly by the princes (and thus could not serve as a means to limit their autonomy) and the new imperial taxation being far from sufficient and soon abolished.
The new institutions were short-lived and the reform generally worked more in favor of territorial autonomy and a loose federal structure of the Empire instead of a relatively strong central rule.
An emperor able to make the big princes act as he desires could however have pushed the idea of a powerful Empire/Kingdom of Germany that relies on the imperial knights, other small nobility and the cities.
The first event: Imperial Diet at Worms
The first event in this sequence is for the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) at Worms in 1495, the Imperial Diet where historically Maximilian gave in and opened the way to smaller reforms that were according to what the princes desired. It should be possible to trigger for any German secular principality (i.e. not the bishops Cologne, Mainz, Strassburg and Bremen, and not Helvetia).
Of the HRE states that do not have German as their primary state culture - Bohemia, Savoy, Lorraine, Gelderland, Brabant, Burgundy - some are exempted. This is decided on the base of how they were treated by the Imperial Reform, which would mean that Lorraine who were made part of the Upper Rhenish Imperial circle in 1500, should have the possibility (at the cost of losing French) - Savoy can already become Italy and would even be a thinkable candidate for the creation of a Kingdom of Lotharingia if we introduce that, it might not be necessary to allow it to become Germany as well, though -,
while Bohemia, which was not part of a circle and thus not affected by the Imperial Reform, and Burgundy, Brabant and Gelderland, who were part of the Burgundian circle that was created only in 1512 and not really considered integral parts of the Empire anymore, as is demonstrated by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1548 which basically removed the Burgundian lands from the supremacy of the HRE, should not be able to get this event.
- The year is between 1495 and 1505.
- The receiving country is emperor.
- A country size of 6, i.e. the Emperor has a certain powerbase on his own.
- A badboy below 3, i.e. the Emperor has been rather peaceful and is not viewed as an aggressor; the reason for this condition is also that this unification possibility should be for a "diplomatic" player.
- Four of the five "real" electors represented in EU2, i.e. of Cologne, Mainz, Palatinate, Brandenburg and Saxony are a vassal and have +100 or better relations to the Emperor. This means that a majority of the votes in the Council of Electors (Bohemia's electoral vote was, although it of course in theory and legally was an electorate, not used at all after the death of Vaclav IV until 1708, therefore Bohemia should not be relevant to this event) will do as the Emperor pleases.
The immediate effects of choosing to implement the centralistic reform are a stab hit and a few events that give the big neighboring states who would obviously feel threatened by a powerful HRE a CB on the Emperor.
The second event: Imperial Diet at Augsburg
The event to become Germany is again done as a slight alteration to a historical event, the Diet at Augsburg in 1500, when historically most of the reforms that Maximilian and the princes could agree on were enacted. This means that it can be prevented by an intervention of a foreign power, using the CB given in the events triggered by the Imperial Diet at Worms event.
- Had the event “Imperial Diet at Worms”.
- The year is between 1500 and 1515.
- The receiving country is emperor.
- A country size of 6, i.e. the Emperor has a certain powerbase on his own.
- A badboy below 3, i.e. the Emperor has been rather peaceful and is not viewed as an aggressor; the reason for this condition is also that this unification possibility should be for a "diplomatic" player.
- At peace.
- Stability is 3.
The event turns the country that is emperor into Germany while keeping the original dynasty, removes possible additional country cultures, increases aristocracy a bit, pushes centralization to 0 (even a "centralized" HRE would still be very decentralized compared to other states) and gives cores on the parts of the Empire that were affected by the reforms, i.e. those that were included in Imperial Circles in 1500.
Subsequently, all countries that have their capital in lands that Germany gets a core on in the above event will get events where they can choose whether to accept the reform and be inherited by Germany or rebel against the Empire. That means Bavaria, Mecklenburg, Holstein, Hanover, Bremen, Hesse, Strasbourg, Lorraine, Savoy (is annexed only if it is a one-provincer, otherwise it cedes Savoie and moves its capital to Piemonte), Wirtemberg, Baden, Cleves, Oldenburg and Berg.
The inheritance event for Germany also awakes a set of leaders from the inherited country.
This does not apply to foreign countries, the electors and archdukes even when they own provinces Germany gets a core on and specifically not the Palatinate or Austria although the Upper Palatinate, i.e. the Würzburg province, is situated within the Bavarian circle and the Swabian Habsburg possessions, i.e. the Baden province, is within the Swabian circle.
There are two versions for all countries with switched A and B choices; countries that are vassals or allies of Germany or that have good relations to Germany have being inherited as A, all others as B choice. This means that even though having the majority of the German countries is not a condition for the initial event, somebody turning into Germany by this sequence still will either need to at least invest in his relations to all German countries or have to fight in order to achieve complete unification.
Always save and reload after switching country tag!
Important: For those who forgot to select Kingdom of Germany option before starting a game...
(and don't understand why the kingdom doesn't form when all conditions are fulfilled...)
Open your savefile with a text editor and add:
event = "AGCEEP\Events\AGCEEP_Alt_Germany.eue"
on the same line where all other 'event =' directives are located.
Don't forget to make a backup of your savefile first, just in case.
Additional events (can happen in any order):
As is also explained in the event descriptions, the electors and the Habsburg archdukes were granted regal powers by the Golden Bull and the Privilegium Maius and hence could not be included in Imperial Circles and thereby subjected to the new Imperial institutions as long as these institutions represented a real check on their power.
Only when the Common Penny and the Imperial Executive Council had been abolished and the domination of the Imperial Chamber Court by the electors had been secured was it possible to add the Electoral Rhenish (with the electorates of Mainz, Cologne, the Palatinate and Trier), the Upper Saxon (with the electorates of Saxony and Brandenburg and lands under their suzerainty) and the Austrian (with the Austrian lands, held by the Archduke of Austria). Here Germany can abolish the regalia, create the additional circles and thereby gain cores on these lands.
- The Electoral Rhenish circle
Requirements: own Köln, Pfalz and Mainz, no Cologne, Palatinate and Mainz exist, badboy under 5, stability 1 and at peace.
The most important effects are added cores on the provinces above, and granted leaders.
- The Upper Saxon circle
Requirements: own Brandenburg and Anhalt, badboy under 3, stab 1 and at peace.
The most important effects are added cores on the provinces above and Hinterpommern, Vorpommern, Magdeburg, Küstrin and Sachsen, and granted leaders. Events happen for Pomerania, Stettin and Meissen where they can choose whether to be inherited or not after the creation of the Upper Saxon circle.
- The Austrian circle
Requirements: own Salzburg, Austria, Steiermark, Tirol, no Austria exists, at peace with badboy under 5 and at peace.
The most important effects are added cores on the provinces above and Krain, and granted leaders.
- The Imperial capital
An event where Germany can change its capital to Nürnberg, Frankfurt or Aachen.
It requires that all the possible sites are owned (Würzburg, Mainz and Köln). It can happen between 1515 and 1600.
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How can I form the Kingdom of Italy?
by Norrefeldt
Formation of Kingdom of Italy is possible only if corresponding option is chosen.
There are three roads to forming the Kingdom of Italy. Only available for Savoy, Tuscany, Milan, Modena, Parma and Mantua.
The Guelf option
This path imagines a situation where a considerable force forms in the KoI that is politically tied to the papacy (or a member, so to speak, of the guelf faction). The pope, seeing a way to reduce the emperor's influence in Italy and therefore upon himself, decides that he will simply proclaim that this candidate is the rightful king of Italy.
Prerequisites:
- principality, i.e. savoy, tuscany, milan, modena, mantua or parma as duchy
- owns 5 provinces in the KoI (KoI is defined as piemonte, lombardia, firenze, siena, mantua, romagna and emilia), must include Lombardia. Piemonte is a mandatory for Savoy.
- pope's relationship w/ candidate state + 190
- max badboy 3
- stability 3
- alliance b/tw candidate state and Papal States
- not a vassal of Austria or the Papal States
- Papal States not a vassal of the candidate
- religion catholic or counterreform
- not at war
- before Edict of Tolerance (1658-1660)
The Ghibelline option
This path imagines a situation where an large force in KoI emerges that is part of the ghibelline, or pro-imperial, faction. The emperor (Austria is always considered emperor here), seeing a way to vicariously increase his influence in Italy and strengthen his position vis-a-vis the Pope, decides to hand the crown to the candidate state (as had happened in medieval times).
Prerequisites:
- principality, i.e. savoy, tuscany, milan, modena, mantua or parma as duchy
- owns 5 provinces in the KoI (KoI is defined as piemonte, lombardia, firenze, siena, mantua, romagna and emilia), must include Lombardia. Piemonte is a mandatory for Savoy.
- candidate relationship w/ Austria + 150
- max badboy 5
- stability 3
- candidate in royal marriage w/ Austria
- not a vassal of Austria, France or the Papal States
- Austria not a vassal of the candidate
- candidate in alliance w/ Austria
- religion catholic or counterreform
- not at war
- before Edict of Tolerance (1658-1660)
The force majeur option
This path imagines a situation where a principality wrests by force the title of king from Austria and the Pope.
Prerequisites:
- principality, i.e. savoy, tuscany, milan, modena, mantua or parma as duchy
- owns 5 provinces in the KoI (KoI is defined as piemonte, lombardia, firenze, siena, mantua, romagna and emilia), must include Lombardia. Piemonte is a mandatory for Savoy.
- Papal States is a vassal
- Austria is a vassal
- stability 3
- religion catholic or counterreform
- not at war
- before French Revolutionary Wars (previously, Sabre Rattling, 1792)
Always save and reload after switching country tag!
Important: For those who forgot to select Kingdom of Italy option before starting a game...
(and don't understand why the kingdom doesn't form when all conditions are fulfilled...)
Open your savefile with a text editor and add:
event = "AGCEEP\Events\AGCEEP_Alt_Italy.eue"
on the same line where all other 'event =' directives are located.
Don't forget to make a backup of your savefile first, just in case.
What you get
You get cores on Piemonte, Lombardia, Firenze, Siena, Mantua, Emilia and Romagna. You get the leaders from the original state and Milan, but retain the original monarchs.
Finally, you get plausible events of the country that formed Italy and some province specific events.
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The Ottoman Empire
by Norrefeldt
Cores
In AGCEEP, the Ottomans start with a lot fewer cores (national provinces) than in the normal game. The cores are now handled out with every new Sultan, according to their historical plans of conquests. You don't have to fulfill any certain criteria to get them.
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Free Cities
by Mad King James
There is room for Ragusa, but Ragusa is not a "state", it is a free city. Free cities (IE cities under the protection of a larger state, but engaging in independent commerce) are everywhere. If we impliment Ragusa, then why not Danzig, Hamburg, Lubeck, Nuremburg and Bremen, all of which were more important?
I'll tell you why we don't, because they do crazy things like invade other states, build gigantic armies, secure royal marraiges, and basically don't act like free cities.
Basically all free cities had no army. None. They had a garrison of perhaps a thousand to man the fortress. Also they were all technically under a larger kingdom, and were a lot more of a vassal than a "vassal" is in the game. Ragusa for instance was part of the Kingdom of Bosnia. When the kingdom of Bosnia fell to the Ottoman Empire they became part of the Ottoman Empire, simply by virtue of the fact that Bosnia had fallen to them, and they quite graciously allowed them to maintain their free city status.
Lubeck and Hamburg were free Imperial cities under the Emperor, even during the Thirty Years War this status never changed, they just became "Protestant Free Cities of the Holy Roman Empire".
Danzig, same deal, different king, this time Poland.
At no time did Ragusa for instance "offer" to be an Ottoman vassal, the "offer" was basically just admitting that their kingdom had fallen to the Ottoman Empire and that they were their new overlords, and the Ottomans nodding and not revoking their free city status (which they easily could have done had they not done this).
If Ragusa had not been a free city, and rather a city-state (like Venice) it would have been invaded by Venice the first time they turned their back. The only reason this did not occur is Venice didn't want to take on the entire Kingdom of Bosnia (who would take a dim view of Venice invading one of his cities, even a semi-autonamous one).
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Nations able to form another nation
by Norrefeldt and YodaMaster
List of nations available 1419 (or available through a previous change of nation) that can become other nations, perhaps inclomplete:
| Europe |
| Bohemia | > | Austria |
| Styria | > | Austria |
| Tyrol | > | Austria |
| Cleves | > | Berg |
| Berg | > | Cleves |
| Burgundy | > | Cleves |
| Livonian Order | > | Courland |
| Golden Horde | > | Crimea |
| Norway | > | Denmark |
| Brittany | > | France |
| Burgundy | > | France |
| Dauphine | > | France |
| Navarre | > | France |
| Provence | > | France |
| Transylvania | > | Hungary |
| Mantua | > | Italy |
| Milan | > | Italy |
| Modena | > | Italy |
| Parma | > | Italy |
| Savoy | > | Italy |
| Tuscany | > | Italy |
| Foix | > | Navarre |
| Brabant | > | Netherlands |
| Friesland | > | Netherlands |
| Geldre | > | Netherlands |
| Holland | > | Netherlands |
| Burgundy | > | Palatinate |
| Lithuania | > | Poland |
| Masovia | > | Poland |
| Pomerania | > | Poland |
| Stettin | > | Pomerania |
| Lorraine | > | Provence |
| Brandenburg | > | Prussia |
| Teutonic Order | > | Prussia |
| Lithuania | > | Russia |
| Muscovy | > | Russia |
| Novgorod | > | Russia |
| Tver | > | Russia |
| Pskov | > | Russia |
| Meissen | > | Saxony |
| Aragon | > | Spain |
| Burgundy | > | Spain |
| Castile | > | Spain |
| Portugal | > | Spain |
| Hungary | > | Transylvania |
| |
| Rest of the world |
| Tlemcen | > | Algiers |
| Da Shun | > | China |
| Da Xi | > | China |
| Korea | > | China |
| Manchus | > | China |
| Southern Ming | > | China |
| Zhou | > | China |
| Chimu | > | Inca Empire |
| Ferghana | > | Kabul |
| Timurid Empire | > | Kabul |
| Timurid Empire | > | Khorasan |
| Bijapur | > | Maratha Empire |
| Sus | > | Morocco |
| Kabul | > | Mughal Empire |
| Timurid Empire | > | Mughal Empire |
| Ormuz | > | Oman |
| Kara Koyunlu | > | Safavid Empire |
| Malacca | > | Siak |
| China | > | Southern Ming |
| Khorasan | > | Timurid Empire |
Always save and reload after switching country tag!
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Playing tips
Songhai 1.36
Like its neighbours, Songhai was a relatively undeveloped country by European standards. The thriving trade of the region was disrupted when Songhai rebelled from Mali and the generous amount of gold Songhai starts with doesn't last long without any infrastructure.
Try to avoid wars until you are on sound footing, but take advantage of your Pagan neighbours if you get the chance. The first of Songhai's great rulers appears in 1464, when you will get the chance to conquer Timbuktu and its CoT, then build an empire by laying siege to Mali's capital.
Time is on your side; use it to improve your country as much as possible - Songhai is isolated from most of the world and its technology lags behind most civilized countries; you can change this by exchanging maps with Morocco. If Morocco invades, hold onto the trade cities of Gao and Timbuktu at all costs or the whole region may suffer the penalty of failure!
With some choice alliances and a strong military you may be able to survive the civil wars of the late 16th century and grow to control all of West Africa! But your best emperors and good events all pass with the 16th century; the rest of the game will be a hard-fought struggle if you try to expand.
Timurids 1.38
The majority of Shah Rukh's reign should be pretty smooth sailing. With the Empire's very bad reputation, expanding during this period is a rather bad option unless the Timurids want to risk being attacked from all sides. The best bet for the Timurids is to build up their north eastern provinces around Samarkand in preparation for the hell that will break loose upon the death of Shah Rukh.
After breaking into three separate Timurid states, the Timurids will get a brief reprieve in the form of capable monarch, Abu Said. Much in the same way as Shah Rukh, though, the death of Abu Said will herald another period of decline. Upon Abu Said's death, the Timurid Empire was divided between his five sons and usurping distant relations in Khorasan.
From here the Timurid Empire historically met its dead end. Another Timurid prince, Babur, managed to hold Samarkand for a brief period of time; however, he eventually had to flee to form an empire centered around Kabul. If the Timurids had not been forced out of Samarkand, the Mughal Empire that went on to take India may as well never have been founded. (In order to form the Mughals, as the Timurid Empire, you need to re-capture Kabul and let the Uzbeks take Samarkand... or "simply" reload as Kabul).
Ak Koyunlu 1.36
The White Sheep Turks start as a small tribe in eastern Anatolia unable to maintain a large army. Only strike at your neighbours if it is an exceptional opportunity because you can't afford to fight a war on two fronts. Try to maintain good relations with your neighbours and build alliances, since you will be at odds with your Kara Koyunlu cousins after 1450.
Stay alive until 1467 and you should inherit them and their lands; after that, you should be able to expand at the cost of the Timurids to the east. Do whatever it takes to get Tabriz, but don't fortify it. In 1490 revolts will grip your empire, which you can survive if you prepare.
Ethiopia 1.36
You have to end your isolation by exchanging discoveries, first with Nubia, and then with Byzantium, before they disappear. Expand militarily through Adal and his African allies, and diplomatically through Nubia. Use your money and good emperors to have Nubia annexed by 1500 or they might convert to Sunni after that date.
Then you will start having your first dangerous neighbours. You should strive to gain the two Centers of Trade in your neighborhood, Alexandria and Aden. After 1510 Alexandria will fall in the hands of the Ottoman Empire together with the rest of Egypt if they take control of its Capital. From then on, you are likely to face three threats, the Ottomans in the North, the Arabs in the East, and the Portuguese in the South.
The Ottomans are the most dangerous by far. Chose your allies wisely. You belong to the muslim tech-group and your provinces are poor. Develop your economy and try to keep your technology from falling too much behind. After 1706 you will not get any good emperor.
Byzantine Empire 1.36 Fantasy Events
Very difficult country to play. At the start you have to make a choice. You can ally the Ottoman Empire and expand at their expense or you can attack them when the opportunity presents, preferably with the help of Hungary or Venice. You must kick Morea out of your alliance if you want to join another alliance. Make good use of your diplomats, use your leaders to gain control of sieges, and your fleets to block the straits.
If you want to play the Fantasy Events you have to activate them in the options screen. Then after 1453 and preferably before 1495 you have to be Orthodox and have ownership of Macedonia, Hellas, Morea and Smyrna. The Italian culture granted in the conversion event is only good if you stay Catholic, it has a steep price in rebellions, and it is incompatible with the Fantasy Events. The Fantasy Events will help you develop, but they will also give you big stability and rebellion problems from time to time.
You might want to have low Aristocracy and high Innovativeness to make the best of those events, and wise choices in the succession troubles of 1604 and thereafter, can grant you Latin technology after 1642. After the Ottoman threat is dealt with, you will still be at danger, mainly from the Italians and Hungary, and later Austria. The restoration of the Roman Empire's glory is your prize.
Venice 1.36
The longest lasting republic, Venice is the world trade leader at the start of the game. You start in 1419 at war with Hungary, but check your warscore. You have already won that war. Your Italian and Greek cultures define your primary areas of expansion. If you are particularly daring you might want to prevent Thrace from falling into the hands of the Ottomans. While your technology and economy should be good, your list of enemies is very long.
The ones that should worry you most are the Ottoman Empire early on, and Austria and France later. Your diplomatic skills are very important to keep your many neighbours from declaring war to you. Your fleets will dominate the Mediterranean if you maintain a naval orientation and invest in naval research. That will also give you random explorers to find the exotic Centers of Trade and plant your Trading Posts and Colonies all over the world.
Trade domination should make you rich, while control of your islands guarantees your survival. If you leave Cyprus alone, you might be rewarded for it.
Granada 1.36
Very difficult country to play. You are a vassal of Castile, and every year your suzerain gets stronger while you don't. You have to strike Castile early and decisively, preferably when she is distracted in another war, and hopefully when you are not facing all the iberians at the same time. Ownership of Andalusia will give you cores on Al-Andalus as it was in the XIth Century Caliphate. To win the first war you might want to try sending armies to siege the northern provinces of Castile.
Obtaining the Canary islands before they are fully settled is difficult but possible. After you have established yourself, you have to consider if you let Portugal and Spain explore the world for you or if you want to finish them off before they colonize too far away to reach them. If Spain owns Andalusia between 1501 and 1526, it will put a Center of Trade and a shipyard in it, but if they own Andalusia or Murcia between 1493 and 1500, Torquemada will convert them.
Soon you are likely to be hated by all Christians, and obtaining a land border with powerful nations, like France or Austria, is likely to result in their declaration of war after every five years at peace. Luckily you have Latin technology and might be able to face them. After Boabdil in 1492, your fantasy emirs will be slightly above average.
Muscovy 1.36
Muscovy was a kind of vassal of the Golden Horde, the last of the Mongol Empire. They are weakening but still strong when the game begins; it may be wise not to anger them yet - they make a safe neighbor. Instead, aim to conquer Novgorod! Cancel access and wait until spring to declare war; use your general and your cavalry to take its northern colonies (they are undefended) and steal sieges from your allies, while letting them do the bitter work of sieging in winter.
If you do things right you can take all but one of Novgorod's provinces in a single war!
Follow up when you can to take the capital and add it to your empire. In the meantime, you will suffer a succession crisis - you must fight sooner or later, but it may be wiser to wait until you have a bigger army. Your allies are valuable but may drag you into wars with Lithuania or Sweden. Use the Russian winter to your advantage - let your enemies besiege your cities in November and attack them in March when they have lost half their forces! Beware of the same thing happening to you!
Once you have conquered Novgorod, colonize the northern provinces to make them Russian and be sure to hold on to Novgorod - in 1480 you will become the empire of Russia, and your future will inexorably lead you to the Pacific, where you may find a new rival: China! Events favor the bold, but remember that Russia's strength and its weakness is its massive size!
Beware of thinking Sweden will be as easy as the Mongols - it is too easy to fall behind in the tech race without developing your conquests! Conversions will go a long way to keeping your country stable in the inevitable civil wars...
Rajputana 1.36
As Rajputana you will have to strike early and strike hard. You will start with more initial armies than any of your neighbors and your DP sliders will help you do just that. Don't wait around too long because your centralization is the lowest possible and other countries will out-tech you, and don't try to hard for controlling trade either as your land DP is maxed. You are purely a military nation. It its best because of your low centralization though to make multiple vassals at first because India is too big to take in a few wars and the bonuses you will get from them at your low centralization score.
Japan 1.36
Playing Japan is one of the hardest nations to do well with. You will have an isolation penalty and be in the second lowest tech group and will shortly be set into over 100 years of internal warfare. However you should be able to early on annex, or atleast vassalize, Korea. Maybe even take some pieces of Manchuria as well. Also make it your priority to get China's maps. If you don't you are doomed.
Poland strategy 1419
Jagiellon Poland is strong, and might become a superpower under wise leadership. Humiliating the Teutonic Knights in the north, preferably by vassalizing them, might be a worthy strategy, as they else can always attack you unexpectedly. Reclaiming Silesia, Kustrin and Pommerania, your old, lost posessions in the west, may be tempting, but might bring you into conflict with Hungary, Bohemia and many smaller states, which is not dangerous, but a nuissance if you keep your other fronts in mind.
Try to slow down the turks on the Balkans by helping the Moldavians, and don't neglect the Russians, which will invade Lithuania sooner or later. It's in your best interest to defend your eastern ally, as you will be able to annex it later. But beware, wrong policy towards it can invite Lithuanians to convert to orthodox and ally Muscovy, which would be desasterous! When your fellow Jagiellons sit on the thrones of Bohemia and Hungary, you can form a strong alliance and expel the turks from Europe.
Russia strategy 1520
By 1520, Russia was the strongest nation in northeastern Europe due to very able monarchs which ruled it for the last 40 years. You are at war with Poland-Lithuania, which you certainly can win. Annexing Lithuania and vassalizing Poland may be fun, but an agressive policy might lead you into endless conflicts with Sweden and Turkey, which will drain the resources you will need to colonize Sibiria. Be modest, take a few provinces and make peace.
Then, try to subjugate these weak Khanates east of you, and open a way into sibirian woods. Colonize the area steadily, and prepare your realm for the Time of Troubles. When it passes, you'll be ready for serious expansion into Europe.
Poland strategy 1520
Poland's situation in the beginning is quite shaky, as you are at a tricky war with Russia. Try to defend Lithuania and accept a peace without too many losses. After having a short break Lithuanians will drag you into a war against Russia again, and then you'll be able to turn the tide. Watch out for these turks which may want to pay you a visit, and try to form an alliance with Habsburg or anybody who can help you against them.
Hold on until Bathory comes around, as then you will annex Lithuania and get very good leaders to throw the Russians back. Once the situation is stabilized, you should start expanding into the baltic provinces. Beware the swedes, and try to keep a balance of power between the turks and the austrians on your south-western border. Improve your relations with other nations like France, Venice or Spain, as your large empire will always be threatened.
Thanks to: Norrefeldt, dharper, Fodoron, Almoravid and Jinnai.
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Introduction