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[Lumbajak]

I'm doing a Byzantium game, and I have to wonder when the hell you're ever able to finally take on the Ottomans.

SO far I've taken Albania, Trebizon, and both Candar provinces. Can't do much else because the rest of the provinces nearby are either Ottoman owned, bigshot European owned, or guarenteed by bigshot Europeans.

Also had Crete and Adana at one point but Karaman managed to take them both with their superior Navy.

Mind you, I suppose I'm doing well for it only being like 1417 or so.

It helps to declare war on the first day before those alliances exist.  For instance at the very start, achae, athens, corfu and naxos are all only guaranteed by venice, so if you declare war on three of them (diplomatic limit) then venice can only protect one and you can probably beat venice anyways.

If it's past that initial point, then your best bet is probably to use several simultaneous spy attacks against someone.  This works particularly well against OPMs that are guaranteed by a lot of countries but are a foreign culture.  The Knights and Cyprus are prime examples.  Send your navy to scout them to make sure they only have one regiment, then hit them with two patriot uprisings at once (three if they have a level two fort).  If the rebels win, the country will defect to you in about a year.

Something else to keep in mind is that as an empire you can launch religious wars against any muslim country you want.  Religious wars are the next best thing to reconquest wars.  And unlike reconquest wars, they give you a CB against the target of the war AND the alliance leader as well.

Useful to know. Although it is a little too late for day one world war.

Also I have -100 prestige at all times, I assume this is just a day in the life of Byzantium. (All those uncontested claims man)

[Zrk2]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Lumbajak]

Evidently, the patriots thing doesn't really work because it has ridiculous costs over 100 on all those OPMs nearby.

And of course my spy efficiency is really damned low anyhow.

[snelg]

Useful to know. Although it is a little too late for day one world war.

Also I have -100 prestige at all times, I assume this is just a day in the life of Byzantium. (All those uncontested claims man)

Yep, it's another reason to go for a war as soon as you possibly can. It helps to keep your prestige up a bit and get the cores back. You probably won't survive a larger war at -100 prestige forts are REALLY ineffective (armies too) trade takes a pretty bad hit too.

You can probably beat Venice to a white peace (after grabbing their allies provinces), I started out by declaring war on their allies in greece. But that was back in 5.0 if things have changed. But go after any cores you can get your hands on, grab other provinces or vassals somewhere if you get the chance the unification doesn't cost you much infamy so you can spend it somewhere else (not on the cores). If you can get your fleet larger than the Ottomans you've won. I found spies quite useful for grabbing 1 province minors, but if they have too high spy defence it's probably not worth the cost.

I heard (haven't checked) Byzantium is in a much better position a few years later if you don't mind not starting in 1399.

[Zrk2]

IN 1405 they have half of Greece. That's when I started.

[Azkanan]

I'm dying to get my laptop back, to play this again. I will see the GODAMNED downfall of France as England damn you!

[Twiggie]

eh, byz is easy if the ottomans and castille start fighting due to DotF.

[Eagle_eye]

that's a rather large if for the first year or two of the game...

[majikero]

How come most screenshots is see has France as a big blue blob while in my games they keep disappearing?
Also for some reason, I keep being the alliance leader when the Ottomans attack Rhodes.

[Zrk2]

France either becomes a super power, or the western Balkans, it's a bit of a toss up.

[snelg]

May also depend on if lucky nations is on or not.

[Micro102]

Well I am playing as Portugal now, and am wondering how I can make my CoT grow. When i played as the Hansa I could let people join my trade league. I THOUGHT that was for anyone with a CoT. Apparently not.

So how can I get my CoT to make more money? What causes people to trade through your CoT?

[Majestic7]

CoTs are mostly a geographical thing. I'm not sure if turning states into your vassals makes them change their CoTs, most likely not... Best way to get more stuff in your center is to colonize. The stuff from your colonies will go to your home CoT, as long as there aren't colonial centers around. Trade leagues are a merchant state thing.

[Tarran]

When i played as the Hansa I could let people join my trade league. I THOUGHT that was for anyone with a CoT. Apparently not.

You have to be a Merchant Republic in order to have Trade Leagues.

So how can I get my CoT to make more money?

Get more provinces to trade with your CoT. I THINK Trade Value is what you're looking for per province.

What causes people to trade through your CoT?

Besides the obvious Trade League (Note, this is per province):

1: Them having no CoT for themselves and yours being the closest not-theirs CoT.
2: Them having a CoT for themselves BUT your CoT is very close to their provinces.

Not sure about what else. I think they might avoid trading with people they don't like, but I'm not sure.

[majikero]

When the you declare the Kingdom of God, will the name change or is it just a permanent bonus?