Let's do this again!
This time I promise I'll get to the finish, sooner or later.
Previous LP is here with a short introduction to the game in the OP: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=111299.msg3362525#msg3362525 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=111299.msg3362525#msg3362525)
(https://i.img.ie/u8D.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8D)
Let´s play Imperialism
Let´s forge a glorious industrializing nation in a magnificently randomly-generated world! Who´s with me?
Feel free to join in with an RP spirit, a scrutinizing eye, a heckling attitude, or whatever it is you enjoy about contributing to an LP.
I´m happy to write anyone into our cultural lore as whatever they wish to be - be a merchantman captain, prime arch-chancellor of the exchequery, marshal of our armed forces, a people´s engineer, whatever. Let´s make this rich and complicated. Let´s bicker while the enemy pounds at our gates.
This time we'll be running the ambitious young nation-state of Armok, a lonely powder-blue nation surrounded by murderous, craven major powers of such repulsive colors as red, yellow, and orange. Their customs are unfamiliar, their cooking is a horror, and their names are unpronounceable. Let's make sure we conquer them before they conquer us. The year is 1815. Our tyrannical monarch of a predecessor is not yet cold in his grave, beheaded by a mob of upstart nationalists ready to cast off the shackles of conservative tradition to charge into the Industrial revolution. Let us free ourselves from medieval ignorance and harness the power of steam and caffeine, so that we may better vanquish our enemies and ensure our legacy! Our mountainous, bucolic land is an isle with expansive resources of timber, minerals, food and fiber upon which we must rely to project our power across the globe.
Rally around our banner, future countrymen! Parliament ASSEMBLE!
Also, this time we're playing on Hard, so strap in for some punishment from this game's cruel mob AI.
First - the world as it appears on the atlas in 1815. We're the blue one, western hemisphere.
(https://i.img.ie/u8Y.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8Y)
The political situation on our isle. The small greyish countries are minor powers (likely fodder for our early conquests)
(https://i.img.ie/u8m.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8m)
A map of our lovely pastoral land. Armok, land of my taciturn forebears. In short time it will become a powerhouse of industrial infrastructure and soot will rain down from the persistent smog and blanket the green forests in black ash. The bleating of the sheep will be drowned out beneath the cacaphony of engineering dynamite and grinding steel machinery. Ahhh, progress.
Of note: We're lucky to have some abundant fiber supplies near to the home city, cotton fields and those sheep grazing on the hillsides around Armok City. As for the other essential early-game resources, lumber will have to be sourced immediately from the expansive scrub forests in our northwestern province of Kavya. I propose we build a port forthwith to ship that timber in which is by far the fastest solution. Meanwhile, the prospector is being dispatched as I write this to find precious minerals. We'll be rolling the dice to see what we find, hopefully though there'll be some iron and coal in the mountains near the capitol to jump start our steel industry.
(https://i.img.ie/u8E.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8E)
Here are our trade, transport and industry screens, from which the levers of control are manipulated to steer our country's economic and military developments.
For the unfamiliar, the resources are from top to bottom: clothing, furniture, tools, armaments, canned food, textiles, lumber, paper, steel, cotton, wool, timber, coal, iron ore, and horses.
Clothing and furniture sound petty, but they are the consumer goods that allow us to raise laborers from the masses. Tools are a great export for building relations with foreign countries and building up reserves of cash. Canned food is a fallback for our people when fresh foods are not available.
Paper is the resource that allows us to educate our menial laborers and turn them into skilled workers. Skilled workers lend much more power to the workforce than unskilled.
Coal and iron ore together give us steel, but that's not exactly news around here.
(https://i.img.ie/u8L.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8L)
(https://i.img.ie/u8A.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8A)
(https://i.img.ie/u84.png) (https://img.ie/image/u84)
Here's the paper - according to this I have some new ministers to appoint. Anyone interested?
(https://i.img.ie/u8F.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8F)
This is my fine pixelated mahogany desk, where I sip my Scotch and spin my atlas.
(https://i.img.ie/u85.png) (https://img.ie/image/u85)
Here's the to-do list:
- Establish a deepwater port in the northwest to open up our timber resources
- Find mineral deposits as quick as possible and develop them for mining
- Appoint ministers, write a national anthem, choose a national bird, name our mountains and forests, toast to our success, execute political enemies, refill the whale-oil lamps, you know, all that stuff.
1821
Armok the Defenseless and Dysfunctional
(http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater/assets/graphic/full/5046.jpg)
Okay, so let me begin by reminding everyone that the first five years are always pretty dysfunctional. There's a lot to do, you know: construct your infrastructure, set up diplomatic relations, prospect for minerals, try to afford to hire professionals (miners, engineers, etc) while staying solvent. Frequently a resource or labor bottleneck holds up critical processes and make your economy feel like a bumbling joke.
Armok has not exactly been “quick out of the gate” since 1815. However by statistics we are pretty much right in the middle of the international rankings, thoroughly average, nothing to be embarrassed about just yet. In particular our industry ranking isn't bad:
(https://i.img.ie/u8X.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8X)
A recap of the past five years:
I considered hiring a second engineer corps right off the bat to accelerate the development of our resources. That's a tricky move early on, because it's hard to keep them funded when your cash flow is so limited in the early years, and soon you've got an engineer who you can't keep busy. So I decided not to.
I do have a soft spot for maritime trade and sailing ships in general, so I doubled the size of our miniscule merchant marine by constructing new trade ships. They were cheap, and I figured we'd need them soon enough.
The first problem we've encountered as a nation is a shortage of food supplies for the capital. The internal transport network can only move so much right now, and in order to keep everyone from starving I have had to import canned food from abroad while we develop everything.
Also we've established trade consulates with four minor nations around the globe, and set them up with 10% subsidies on our goods to curry favor. (This part I find really hard to do well; I just try to imitate the AI's actions on this and hope for the best.) Our neighboring minor nation just south of us I chose to overlook; I expect we'll probably invade them at the first opportunity anyway and save on the cost of diplomatic overtures.
(https://i.img.ie/u8N.png)
The first priority for us, after not starving, was to develop our scrub forests in the Northwest as fast as possible. I built one, then a second deepwater port which rapidly increased our timber supplies to 8 per season – not bad for this early in the game. This timber is the cornerstone of our economy until we can get more established.
By 1819 our most critical problem became a chronic labor shortage. I've been raising more population and training them into the middle class to keep ahead of the problem. There's just so much that needs to be done it's overwhelming, and if we could only get them to work seven days a week! A day of rest? That's a slippery slope, I say. Soon they'll be demanding whole weekends!
Now it's the winter of 1821. Hunger is a looming threat in our capital city – raising population on one hand to address labor shortages leads to an increasing demand for food supplies, and it's all I can do to build enough railcars to stay one step ahead of the problem while still bringing in industrial resources.
(https://i.img.ie/u8f.png) (https://img.ie/image/u8f)
Some things we've been buying and selling:
(https://i.img.ie/u8o.png)
Our military is a joke, of course. I haven't been able to spare a sou on them, it's just inconceivable right now with resources being so tight.
(https://i.img.ie/u8l.png)
Where's the gold? And the minerals? demanded our pragmatic and cogent minister of the Interior, Khan Boyzitbig, thumping his fist on the conference table. That we might thoroughly explore our mountains in search of precious ores, five years of prospecting have uncovered a handful of coal mines in the country and one single iron deposit. Sheesh. Also one gold deposit near the capital, but that's a ways off before we can tap it. The iron and coal are most concentrated in the extensive mountains of our north country. I was able to situate a deepwater port in the Sumo province, near Korlokhovi town, which is now providing our sole source of iron and shall be the bedrock of our steel industry... some day.
(https://i.img.ie/u8e.png)
A view of the south country, the capitol region:
(https://i.img.ie/u8h.png)
Priorities for the next five years:
- Secure a food supply for the capitol.
- Develop rail infrastructure across the nation to access available resources and integrate our towns.
- Establish embassies abroad.
- Begin to develop an army capable of seizing the nation neighboring our southern border (aiming for an 1825 campaign)
Oh, and the cotton gin's been invented. Marvelous what they're doing with bits of wood and nails these days.
(https://i.img.ie/u8I.png)
Under the Banner of Mediocrity
In 1821 construction of a depot east of Glamovsk was begun to secure food supplies for the capitol. The area is a natural breadbasket.
Just north of that depot by a couple tiles, at the foot of those mountains, I placed another depot to access iron ore, gold and additional timber. In this picture you'll see all the mineral deposits of the north, all tiles having been prospected at this time. We have been fairly well-endowed by Providence.
(https://i.img.ie/u8J.png)
I established an embassy in Makajas for a staggering $5k in cash. Its a huge expense, but getting in on the diplomatic game takes a price. In 1822 I extended a non-aggression pact to butter up to them even more. That country has a huge mountain range which is surely full of gold and jewels, and I want it to be in our pocket.
Akura's tip about setting trade subsidies by CTRL+clicking was a revelation. Gracious trade subsidies worked like a charm. The implications have been that our high subsidies (sometimes up to 75%), while earning us favored trading status with four minor nations, has made it really hard to make any substantial cash on our exports. I've had a lot of trouble with the moneylenders these past few years, often being beyond our credit limit, paying astronomical loan-shark interest (up to 24%!) at times. Frequent cash shortages meant I couldn't finish the last segment of our new rail line from Armok City to the farm country of our new depots for some time.
In 1823 I accepted an alliance offer from Woudmary (the yellow nation). In 1824 our first clipper ship was launched, which I am excited about because I'm a total pushover for big beautiful sailing ships. Our merchant marine is currently about adequate for our volume of trade.
(https://i.img.ie/u8z.png)
That same year we actually defaulted on our loans (oops) and had to take a bank-auction of our trade goods. We've been on the banker's bad side ever since.
in 1825 the first Council of Governors convened.
(https://i.img.ie/u8v.png)
In 1827 a war was started between Iprikoy (purple nation) and Makajas, our friendly neighbor and diplomatic point of interest. With our non-aggression pact, we were invited to take up their cause and defend them, and I almost went for it. However, that would have got us into a war with at least three other major nations that we are utterly unprepared to fight; if this game has anything like a game-killing flaw, it's the way that other nations gang up on you without the slightest provocation and crush you early on.
Karlito has been installed as our First Lord of the Navy. His domain is small yet, but consists of a single ship of the line that I named on impulse. Would the Lord kindly supply a list of names for newly launched ships?
(https://i.img.ie/u8G.png)
A naval build-up is actually a great move for us because a) it doesn't require cash (which we are chronically short of), only war material and b) if this game has taught me anything, naval supremacy can save your ass from invasion and gives you a jugular neck-pinch to apply to foreign powers who mess with you (by blockading their capitol). As much as I long to storm As' Shashoh and seize their bountiful forests, our army is still about as dangerous as a troop of boy scouts with slingshots. (Although I understand they are training diligently...)
(https://i.img.ie/u8y.png)
In the mid 1820's we could at least be proud of being average-plus in most categories. Our industry was ranked 3rd for some time. Unfortunately, we now seem to be slipping into the average-average bracket in all categories, despite the most rapid expansion of our economy that I can manage. Other nations are just catching up to us faster than we can outgrow them right now. Every effort has been made to expand our economy but... it seems we cant quite get it together fast enough.
An overview of our infrastructural development in the center of Armok. Note the new rail line running east, through those provincial towns. Soon I'll have depots established out there, in the hopes of getting those towns to develop into production centers.
(https://i.img.ie/u8a.png)
Since 1825 I've been trying a new angle with industry: expanding the textile mills, I seek to buy as much raw fiber abroad as we can get our hands on. It turns out that the nations we've been courting export fiber predominantly, and we can have as much as we can afford to ship. It also grows our trade relations. Timber is virtually impossible for us to buy on the international market, we're last in line on all the bids, and so all of our timber will have to be produced domestically for the foreseeable future (or until we invade As Sha'ashoh). We should have all the iron and coal we need on our own shores once it's developed.
Here's some vitals - transport ledger, diplomatic maps.
(https://i.img.ie/u8d.png)
(https://i.img.ie/u8O.png)
(https://i.img.ie/u8H.png)
Of course we have ships. What else are we using to import/export goods?
While I don't mean to disparage the fine sailors of our merchant marine, without warships of our own to protect them, they will be at the mercy of any number of pirates or marauders.
This is a good point. A fleet of raider ships would be a nice thing to have to protect our merchant marine. Typically I just go for Ships of the Line to exclusion and it works well enough, but perhaps the Lord of the Navy has an opinion.
A proposed five-year plan:
- Court minor nations, obtain the Developer unit, start making real money on overseas profits. Anybody have tips on how to do this quickly?
- Develop the navy.
- Also, I really want to invade As Sha'ashoh before somebody else comes along and colonizes them. Think the regulars can handle it?
1836
Armok Gets Scrappy
(https://i.img.ie/unm.md.jpg) (https://img.ie/image/unm)
So things started to get interesting just where I left off.
First thing, I decide to set out on a new policy of fiscal responsibility. We were hemorrhaging a significant amount of precious money on interest and always deep in debt. So, my new rule since 1830 has been to do my best to keep our coffers in the black, or not carry a debt over for more than one season. We're making a little more money now, but there's just never enough. One reason was the totally unsustainable trade subsidies we were offering to minor nations; I had to scale it back so that we could earn a damn dollar but it cost us a lot of our preferred trading status.
Meanwhile other major nations are beginning to strike it rich with overseas profits. I'm insecure without a developer unit, and we're always so broke I just cant help but feel jealous that they already have one.
In 1831, Woudmary decides to go to war with As Sha'ashoh, our southern neighbors and our desired conquering grounds. This is tricky, because Woudmary is our only ally since 1822 and I don't want to have to fight with them over that minor nation. Neirlau, the major nation most closely aligned with the scoundrels in As Sha'ashoh, promptly declares war on Woudmary in order to protect their interests. At this time, we're asked to step in to back up Woudmary.
(https://i.img.ie/un6.png)
Soon after, Vinosce also gets into the fray by declaring war on Woudmary. Vinosce and Neirlau are not allied but are mutually at war with both of us. They are nations of average strength, so I'm not too worried about much actual fighting occurring.
About this time we enjoy a burst of intellectual activity and train up lots of skilled workers. I think it's when the working people of Armok discover coffee.
(https://i.img.ie/unP.png)
Over 1832-33 I'm able to grow the military a little bit, and we get a General Saratsk.
(https://i.img.ie/unj.png)
Finally we got the developer unit. A couple of countries are already making big bucks and I feel we're late to this game.
(https://i.img.ie/un0.png)
At last we strike As Sha'ashoh in 1834. Feeling confident in our numerical superiority, I direct our small army of 16,000 men [ooc: force size 16] to take the capital directly. I had anticipated that a quick victory there would make the whole country roll over easy to us. But by declaring war, the minor nation submits to Neirlau for protection on account of their previous non-aggression pact. Oh well.
Our valiant forces fight a hard-won battle, suffering some fairly grievous casualties but carrying the day, overcoming the fortifications of the capital city. EuchreJack's 1st Regulars are first into the breach, or so they claim... Half-medals are awarded all around!
(https://i.img.ie/un2.png)
(https://i.img.ie/unM.png)
In the winter of 1835, I dispatch a division of troops northwest to seize Masn, which they do without much difficulty. High on our own success, more monuments to our own greatness are erected!
(https://i.img.ie/unA.png)
The 2nd Council of Governors is held.
(https://i.img.ie/unL.png)
By this time, the minor nation of Makajas has been completely dissolved and occupied by forces of Oishaba and Iprikoy. For a brief moment, anarchy prevailed in the nation and we had a chance to seize the rich province of Saz without repercussions. I dispatched troops there but Oishaba's army got there first and occupied it. It's probably for the better, our forces on the border with Neirlau's half of As Sha'ashoh are barely adequate to hold the line as it is. The enemy has dug in and built fortifications along the new border and we're not strong enough to take them. Neirlau did attempt an attack on our line earlier this year but it was repulsed by our troops.
Meanwhile, our navy has gotten it's first taste of combat:
(https://i.img.ie/unu.png)
So now, it's fall of 1836. Here's the situation.
These are the current borderlines drawn up in the south. Much has changed:
(https://i.img.ie/unS.png)
In the north country, we've established a new supply line linking rich coal deposits with our port in Sumo province. Once we can get a commensurate supply of iron, we'll be ready to double our steel production.
(https://i.img.ie/unT.png)
In the heartland, take note that many of our interior villages have developed into towns! This has been one of great successes of the 1830's. 5 of our 7 provincial settlements have developed.
(https://i.img.ie/unp.png)
Meanwhile, abroad, our misadventures in foreign policy. So, by now it's clear that our investment in an embassy in Makajas early in the 1820's was a bet on the wrong horse. Trying to make up for lost time, I've been courting Agombo with all the money we can spare. We have an embassy there now, and we're buying up property in that country as fast as we can scrape together the dough, financial austerity measures be damned! We've secured some good resources there (that's our developer next to the cotton field).
(https://i.img.ie/unV.png)
Here's some statistics to consider. At least there's one category in which we are excelling.
(https://i.img.ie/unk.png)
(https://i.img.ie/unc.png)
(https://i.img.ie/unB.png)
More vitals:
(https://i.img.ie/un9.png)
(https://i.img.ie/unx.png)
(https://i.img.ie/unq.png)
For the next five-year plan:
- Catch up on technology. We're about 3 or 4 developments behind the curve right now.
- Throw money at Agombo until they join our empire, before Neirlau gets them.
- Scale up steel industry by developing northern iron reserves. Scale up all industries.
- Develop army and navy – try to push those orange bastards out of our island. Meanwhile, fortify the border.
Obviously there's no way we can pay for all of this! So we'll just manage as best we can, I guess. Perhaps we should hold a bake-sale.
1841
This thread's not dead yet.
Circumstances in Armok have taken a turn for the worse on the international level.
I carried on with developing the navy, it's certainly the most affordable way for us to invest in the military, being so short of funds. All it requires is fabric and wood, and guns, which we can supply ourselves. All of our cash is needed to bribe foreign heads of state, and keep up with technology. But we were awarded an admiral!
(https://i.imgur.com/rCOJXFE.png)
Once Agombo submitted to Neirlau, I gave up on foreign investment in disgust. We got screwed with Makajas, got screwed again by losing Agombo, so much money has been thrown down the drain it makes me sick. We had some investments in Agombo, too, which I suppose about paid for themselves by the time they were confiscated. With the money staying in our country, I was able to finally invest in some needed R&D and the army.
At last we upgraded our engineering prowess:
(https://i.imgur.com/NU9Oebt.png)
Here's an overview of how development has reshaped the area since 1836:
(https://i.imgur.com/TEc5vkJ.png)
A task force of three ships I sent to harass Neirlau on their own coast met with action and managed to destroy the enemy. That raider must have fought like hell though. Well, these are green crews after all.
(https://i.imgur.com/kQ6sRIH.png)
This squadron later went on to distinguish themselves further in disrupting the seagoing trade of our enemy.
(https://i.imgur.com/gDLsXBQ.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/3zaN98T.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/XKoP8kS.png)
Then, in winter of 1841, all goes to hell. EuchreJack was right, I should have buttered up Oishaba while there was time. But, there was no money. Now things are going to get rough indeed.
(https://i.imgur.com/f1s5Pfh.png)
- The enemies we already had, Vinosce and Neirlau, are mostly toothless now and so I'm not worried much about them. Vinosce is not a threat militarily, and Neirlau has been pinched well and hard by our blockade of the port and raids on their coast, which is hamstringing their economy. I don't think much trouble will come from that quarter for now.
- Although Oishaba and Iprikoy, the two most powerful nations, have declared war on us (craven scum) our trusty ally Woudmary has stuck beside us and honored the alliance. So they're in our corner.
I redeploy the navy to blockade colonial ports of Hololonau and Sini to put pressure on the aggressors. But keep them close by, to protect our coasts when the time comes to fend off invasion.
Meanwhile, Iprikoy assaults our northern border with a force of colonial troops from Hololonau. We're able to repulse them in the mountain passes, this time.
(https://i.imgur.com/lOQgWQY.png)
The political situation. I'm trying my damned hardest to woo Posukjat, a minor nation blessed with abundant forests. I'm throwing the lion's share of our money to them to win them over before somebody else does. But judging by the chart, we're not ahead of our competition. Instead of investing in resources for exploitation (look how that went last time, in Agombo.) only to lose them when the country submits to a competitor, I think I'll go all-out and try to buy the damn country outright.
(https://i.imgur.com/OwbOcfM.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/EZZ8p02.png)
1845
The Furious Forties
Well, all hell has broken loose in the last few years, but not the way that one might have expected.
In 1842, Iprikoy sent another force of infantry to seize Sumo, on our northern border. They overcame our defenders, and briefly held the province for about six months before they were driven back out. It was tempting at that time to push on with the force I'd sent north, and march across Hololonau to seize the country from Iprikoy, but another opportunity beckoned. Oishaba's holdings in the south, two provinces laden richly with coal, iron, gold, jewels mines all developed by our adversary, were left under-garrisoned and not fortified. They had been scrapping a good deal with Woudmary since the declaration of war, and I guess they neglected to reinforce their holdings on our isle. So the force that took Sumo was instead dispatched back south to march into Saz and occupy the territory.
An overview of the naval engagements occuring about this time:
(https://i.img.ie/uva.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvy.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvv.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvn.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvK.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvJ.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvH.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvr.png)
In Saz, casualties were heavy. After a long and bloody engagement on the plains, our troops were victorious. The order of battle:
(https://i.img.ie/uys.png)
Seizing this province allowed us to cut off a good deal of Oishaba's supplies from the interior. We took control of some coal mines but they lost most of their dirty jewel and gold access. So, that felt good.
Our transport ledger after taking Saz:
(https://i.img.ie/uvd.png)
No sooner had the soldiers' drunken spree come to an end when I sent the whole force westward over the mountains in the spring of 1843 to capture the real jewel, the province of Al Dalus and damn the torpedoes. Our casualties were grievous, but the day was won. Part of the problem is that we're beginning to face more advanced land armies with technology we haven't yet acquired. All the money for technological upgrades, at this time, was going overseas to buy Posukjat outright.
(https://i.img.ie/uvz.png)
The cost may have been worth it. Our transport ledger after the second province is conquered:
(https://i.img.ie/uvW.png)
Behold the grandeur of this foreign land I'm so hot on colonizing:
(https://i.img.ie/uyg.png)
Then, the poo hits the fan out of nowhere in the fall of '43. It's not all bad poo, but it really shakes up the global balance of power overnight.
(https://i.img.ie/uyM.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvb.png)
In the fall of 1844, Posukjat finally submits to our control. Woohoo! Now, we just have to find a way to protect the colony from invasion. Hmm, that's not going to be easy, considering how stretched thin our military is, especially after the bloody campaign of the last two years.
(https://i.img.ie/uy2.png)
Unfortunately, the troops relocated to Al Dalus left Saz vulnerable to Iprikoy's troops in the south. I though they were too few to matter, but turns out they've upgraded their artillery and our small garrison was no match for them. So, we'll have to pry Saz back from their cold dead fingers to get those jewel trains running again.
(https://i.img.ie/uyZ.png)
Iprikoy's garrison in Makajas City has grown to disturbing size, indicating they are clearly preparing for an attack on our newly acquired southern provinces. The change in the border scenario with Neirlau means that their deeply entrenched army just west of our province As Sha'ashoh is no longer a threat to us - they wont leave, but they won't attack either, now that they are a stateless force without direction. That allowed us to free up a lot of troops from that border and move them to Al Dalus to help stave off the Iprikoy offensive. An engineer is also at work building a fortification there.
Overview of the Southern region as it is now:
(https://i.imgur.com/0DQOd7E.png)
The political situation in 1845.
(https://i.img.ie/uyj.png)
No longer sending a fortune overseas to our new colony, we were at last able to dump money back into our R&D department and get ourselves more modernized.
(https://i.img.ie/uy6.png)
Selected vital stats for review:
(https://i.img.ie/uyP.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uyC.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uvO.png)
Priorities now:
- Grow the army at maximum speed, and upgrade it, to secure control over our southern border and colonial holdings. Urgent.
- Retake Saz from Iprikoy before they have a chance to dig in and fortify. If they do, and we can't displace them, we'll lose access to all that wealth in the Southern hinterlands. Also urgent. I have a force in place now, preparing for the assault.
1851
The Fabulous Fifties
Greetings countrymen! How the last few years have smiled upon us.
With Neirlau and Vinosce knocked out of the war, our attention was turned to defeating more formidable opponents, Oishaba and Iprikoy. Our staunch ally, Woudmary, stuck it out with us through the darkest years of the war, when it wasn't clear which way things would turn out. They took their share of the blows, mostly waging a naval struggle in the eastern ocean with Oishaba, and some engagements on land. Meantime, our navy mostly tangled with Iprikoy, meeting great success defending our coastline from aggressors. This was pivotal, since our army was spread thin, engaged in a mad land-grab in the South, and later in the North, which would have been impossible without security on the high seas.
Our naval engagements since 1845, in no particular chronological order, give a pretty good picture of the affair.
(https://i.img.ie/uyF.png)
These two larger naval battles were glorious victories for us, hard fought, and narrowly won.
(https://i.img.ie/uyN.png)
As a result, we pretty much enjoy control of the seas by 1851 and don't have to worry much about it. We're modernizing our fleet as well, with new ironclads:
(https://i.img.ie/uyY.png)
Meanwhile, on the land front, our advances in the south were going splendidly but the army was stretched thin. A token force left behind in Saz after it's capture was overtaken by a force from Iprikoy back in 1844. They proved difficult to dislodge after a first assault by our troops - particularly because their forces had modernized somewhat, and ours had not. We were no match for their new siege artillery batteries. Casualties were light, and I sent a larger force in immediately to finish the job. When the second wave was turned back, after taking some losses, I took command of the damn battle myself (going into tactical battle mode - ugh). In 1845 a third and final assault with a larger force of troops carried the day and once again opened up the railroad for our jewel trains.
(https://i.img.ie/uyo.png)
The order of battle:
(https://i.img.ie/uy5.png)
Also in 1845, the council of governors is held. The top contenders of the decade:
(https://i.img.ie/uyX.png)
Further prospecting in the southern mountains revealed even more extensive riches than we had ever supposed. More gold, and more jewels! A worthy conquest.
(https://i.img.ie/uyh.png)
In 1847, after the spring thaws, our army marches west over the range and seizes Al Zifabbih from Iprikoy, consolidating our territory in the southern mountains. This territory too is rich in minerals, mostly coal and iron. Delightful. All available troops are hereafter stationed in Al Dalus, in our new level 2 fortress, to hold back the large army Iprikoy has mustered in Makajas City. Both sides are dug in deeply and a stalemate ensues.
With Posukjat at last under our control, the money we were sending overseas works wonders for us back at home. With glee, I invest our funds into technology and we're able to begin modernizing our army for real. It's a long and expensive process (those two techs worth $12,000 each), but by 1851 all of our land troops, even our overseas colonial detachments, are carrying the most modern weaponry. EuchreJack's 1st Regulars were re-formed from a cadre of selected grizzled veterans, currently stationed in Al Dalus, I think.
(https://i.img.ie/uyI.png)
(https://i.img.ie/uyl.png)
By 1848, we were at last starting to make some real money in Posukjat. It is such a relief not to be draining our treasury on their account any more. We've got more disposable income than ever!
(https://i.img.ie/uye.png)
Statistics in 1851:
(https://i.img.ie/uyD.png)
Currently, we're steamrolling Iprikoy's colonial troops in Hololonau, bracing for a heavy assault on their capital city. The cotton fields of the northeast make the campaign worthwhile. We're wasting no time getting infrastructure established there to bring the cotton in.
(https://i.img.ie/uyL.png)
The world situation in 1851:
(https://i.img.ie/uym.png)
I expect we'll have the whole island under our control by 1855, the next council of Governors, and I damn well intend for us to be nominated! Glory to Armok!
1856
Poised for Conquest
Greetings countrymen! Eventful happenings of recent years, since 1851, have brought us to the precipice of greatness.
Not a lot happened for the first years of the Fifties, but our economy expanded and hummed brilliantly, and frankly, we began to feel a little complacent with our filling coffers, the war with Oishaba and Iprikoy winding down into a whimper, and pursuing a shameless land grab noble campaign of political unification on our home isle in the southern and northern peripheries.
In the south, the fortress in Makajas City fell to an assault by our troops, in which EuchreJacks' 1st Regulars were blown to smithereens again. First into the breach, they were just too brave to live.
(https://i.img.ie/uKR.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKR)
(https://i.img.ie/uKx.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKx)
Hololonau City, in the North, proved a much harder nut to crack. This garrison of Iprikoy's colony, well-fortified, consisted of modern troops with plentiful artillery. It took some time to amass a large enough force to attempt an assault.
(https://i.img.ie/uKB.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKB)
(https://i.img.ie/uKU.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKU)
In 1855, the Council of Governors is convened. As I promised to the good citizens of Armok, we are selected for 2nd Greatest Nation! Unfortunately we're so unlikeable that not even Woudmary threw in a few votes on our behalf. The gap between us and Ermesenne is huge, for they enjoy the goodwill of most of the world. I suggest we use more brute force to make the world recognize our greatness.
(https://i.img.ie/uKp.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKp)
A very modern naval engagement occurs this year:
(https://i.img.ie/uK9.png) (https://img.ie/image/uK9)
This province we took from Neirlau turns out to be pretty well-endowed with timber and further iron deposits. It was worth every musket ball.
(https://i.img.ie/uKS.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKS)
Some statistical data from the bean-counters:
(https://i.img.ie/uKk.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKk)
Lastly, the world situation. There's a lot to consider. Since 1851, I've been putting investment money back into Agombo, where we lost a good deal of very dear monies when the bastards submitted to Neirlau back in the late 30's. Since Neirlau's demise, Agombo re-opened for foreign investment, and I snatched up as much property as we could get our hands on, and beat the other nations to it, largely. So we've been making a nice premium on Agombo's gold, coal and cotton with very little up-front anguish required this time around since a) we have money to burn now and b) the development of the resources has already occurred, so we don't have to boil that cabbage twice.
In diplomatic relations, Agombo was rapidly sliding towards our adversaries' fold so I chose not to pursue a meaningful diplomatic relationship, having already been skinned once. We're smarter now. Let them accept the colonization of another country, and just go in there and invade it once and for all, says I.
Sure enough, in 1856, this is just what happens. Oishaba claims Agombo, which makes it fair game for us to conquer.
(https://i.img.ie/uKQ.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKQ)
(https://i.img.ie/uKc.png) (https://img.ie/image/uKc)
Meanwhile, in hopes of diversifying our foreign possessions, I've begun courting the minor nation of Hinh Lic. We'll see where that goes. At this junction in history, we're poised for a great expansion in territory and economic force. Our military is modernized and there's plenty of cash in the war chest. Even with the resources we've already accessed on our isle we're far from tapped out on consumption. Nearby Norarun and Sini are both colonies of our enemies, and are really just ripe for the plucking. Meanwhile, Ermesenne grows stronger. Soon there will only be three nations to divide the world up, so we'd better get our share now.
Newcomers Haspen and Ghazkull will be assigned to regiments, to serve their civic duty!