The One You Least Suspect. Let's Play: Europa Universalis 3

[Thanqol]

[LP is complete, thanks again to everyone who participated!]

This is a Let's Play of Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind.

And we're going to be playing as these guys

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Flag_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg/320px-Flag_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg.png

http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/515/2011050400001.jpg

What is Europa Univeralis?

A grand strategy game spanning 1399 to 1815. It covers political, religious, economic and military decisions. It is far less combat oriented than, for example, the Total War series.

Be warned for anyone who's recently purchased the game: the learning curve in EU3 is more like a learning wall. It's absolutely worth spending the time on to figure out. Just make use of this guide (http://www.paradoxian.org/eu3wiki/Strategy_Guides); it's the tutorial the game lacks.

How It Works:

Switzerland is an Administrative Republic which means every four years there is an election. In an election, the player has the choice of their next ruler: The Military, Diplomatic or Administrative candidates (or to keep their current ruler).

The twist is you guys get to determine who's in charge. Vote for who you favour with each election and I will roleplay the winner's personality in the game. I'll include ongoing reports of the country's political situation and what a win by each type of candidate will mean. If a certain political party spends a long time out of office, or presides over some spectacular failures, it might collapse and be replaced.

Political arguments or In Character statements are heavily encouraged :smallsmile: (Preferential votes are allowed) Also if you advocate a particular course of action in your post I'll endevour to follow it where possible.

Some basic explanation of game concepts will happen, but for the most part this is an exploration of a possible history and how much we can mess it up.

Table of Contents:
1399-1403: Syndic Otto Herberlin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10919901&postcount=2)
1403-1410: Syndic Alfred von Baltharsar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10926425&postcount=12)

Switzerland becomes a Merchant Republic

1410-1421: Doge Alfred von Baltharsar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10940349&postcount=29)
1421-1427: Doge Stefan Oberholzer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10946564&postcount=39)
1427-1444: Doge Nikolaus Bischofberger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10952324&postcount=53)
1444-1475: Doge Nikolaus Bischofberger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10961117&postcount=73)
1445-1490: The Reign of Four Doges (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10966675&postcount=84)
1490-1509: Doge Stefan Aebi and Doge Edmondo Munzinger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10974350&postcount=96)
1509-1537: Doge Edmondo Munzinger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10983262&postcount=106)
1537-1564: Doge Friedrich Luz, Doge Timoteo Herberingen, Doge Florian Schwendimann and Doge Johan Bischofberger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10988875&postcount=119)
1564-1585: Doge Johan Bischofberger and Nicolas Sporri (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10994217&postcount=135)

Switzerland becomes a Republican Dictatorship

INTERLUDE 1: ASCENSION 1585 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11000180&postcount=157)
INTERLUDE 2: THE FALL OF SWITZERLAND 1585-1586 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11000511&postcount=159)
INTERLUDE 3: THE GREAT POWERS 1586 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11007424#post11007424)

1586-1599: Lord Protector Nicolas Sporri (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11008217&postcount=187)
1599-1630: Lord Protector Nicolas Sporri (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11016412&postcount=220)
1630-1652: Lord Protector Jules Schwindimann and Claudio von Baltharsar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11023994&postcount=253)
1652-1662: Lord Protector Claudio von Baltharsar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11030092&postcount=286)

Switzerland becomes a Constitutional Republic

INTERLUDE 4: ALL MEN WERE BORN EQUAL 1662-1667 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11056327&postcount=321)
INTERLUDE 5: THE GREAT PONIES 1667 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11063323&postcount=339)
INTERLUDE 6: CRUSH GOD (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11071401&postcount=354)

1667-1697: President Adnan Munzinger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11072948&postcount=359)
1697-1727: President Jacob Hesselheim (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11084021&postcount=379)
1727-1757: President Albrecht von Haller (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11091223&postcount=412)
1757-1787: President Emil Bern (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11104829&postcount=429)
1787-1807: President Sozelle Immesque (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11127594&postcount=453)
1807-1837: President Josef Munzinger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11157498&postcount=485)
1837-1867: President Grantz Prower (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11173137&postcount=531)
1867-1897: President Joeseph Kant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11204163&postcount=598)

INTERLUDE 7: THE GREAT LEADERS (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11225303&postcount=629)
INTERLUDE 8: THE MAN (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11261896&postcount=649)
INTERLUDE 9: MOBILISATION (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197820&page=22)

1902-1904: President Adolph Hitler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11288319&postcount=686)
1904-1905: President Adolph Hitler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11288694&postcount=689)
1905-1907: President Adolph Hitler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11289338&postcount=691)
1907-1910: President Adolph Hitler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11289517&postcount=696)
1910-1917: President Adolph Hitler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11300468&postcount=742)

EPILOGUE (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11309821&postcount=776)

EPILOGUE P2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11310036&postcount=777)

Political Parties:
The Red Cross: 1399-1410
The Reich of Heaven: 1399-1444
The New School: 1421-1490
The Florentine School: 1444-1537
The One Market: 1490-1564
Eyes of the Mountain: 1537-1585

Ascended Parties:
The Tower of Gold: 1399-?
The Department of Finance and Deregulation: 1421-?
The Silver Standard: 1564-?
Modernisers: 1667-?

[Thanqol]

"Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno"

"One for all, all for one"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Flag_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg/320px-Flag_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg.png

In 1400, the Pope Boniface IX declared an unprovoked war upon Urbinio. The Holy Father's authority had fallen far since the zenith of his power during the middle ages and it was said throughout Europe that this was his attempt to return the Church to it's rightful place and build the Kingdom of God on Earth. His crusade was swift and brutal - eight thousand Papal troops crashed across the border like a tidal wave and atrocities without number were committed in the name of God.

And it was the Swiss who rose to stop him.

Switzerland's economy 1399:
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/2136/2011050400005.jpg

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/689/portraiti.jpg

The name Otto Herberlin resounds throughout history. At the head of two thousand brave Swiss halberds he rode South into Italy and crossed the Rubicon to arrive at Rome. Two thousand Swiss Guard besieged the city for five months, holding off the bulk of the Pope's mighty army with courage and sword, until a daring assault led them to the Vatican. Syndic Otto cut the Pope's throat himself and set the Holy See ablaze.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/5967/2011050400011.jpg

The victory resonated all throughout Europe. Many Christian kings condemned the Syndic for his blasphemy, but others quietly sent gifts and strengthened ties with the Swiss for their legendary bravery and for being the first to strike a blow against the tyranny of the Church. The Swiss found themselves allied with three superpowers: Bohemia and the Holy Roman Emperor, France, and Milan. England and Portugal declared war instead, but could do little against the landlocked Switzerland.

But upon Herberlin's return to Bern, the capital, the Council of Nobles quavered in fear. Here was a man, said they, who knew no limits. He would kill a Pope in the streets, he would have a king assassinated, he would set the world ablaze if allowed. And so it was that three great philosophies arose throughout Switzerland to oppose the Syndic's meteoric rise to power.

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/83/2011050400017.jpg

You, readers, are members of the Swiss Republic. Your votes will decide which path this great nation embarks upon.


The Reich of Heaven: (Military)

http://www.karldallas.com/shop/FIST_CROSS.gif

The Reich of Heaven believes that the era of the King is over. Commoners, demagogues, revolutionaries and rabble-rousers, the Reich seeks to spread democracy by the sword.

The Reich's philosophy was first penned by Gregori Smallet, an aristocrat who was famously insane. Wildly popular for his policies and poetry, Smallet was eventually killed in a duel against a visiting Polish Prince who had insulted a peasant woman. While the Church refused him beautification, great swathes of Swiss commoners view Smallet as a saint.

If you vote for the Reich of Heaven, expect to see:
Rapid, aggressive expansion.
The deconstruction of the aristocracy and ending of serfdom
Populist, short-term decisions.
Pro-Church Policies


The Tower of Gold: (Diplomatic)

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_455/1258946534oSxkz5.jpg

God blesses Switzerland with wealth. The Tower of Gold believes that all the world's wealth will come to Switzerland and Switzerland will use that money to change the world.

Englebert Freich is as legendary in the history of Switzerland as any other and is regarded as the founding father of economics. It was Freich who opened the Venician market, who cornered the world's wine market with his policies, and built the now famous Tower of Gold bank, which has never been successfully robbed in it's 600 year history.

If you vote for The Tower of Gold, expect to see:
Diplomatic 'soft power'.
Expansion of merchants and trade.
Long term economic planning.
Keeps the Church at arm's length.
Will attempt to claim a port, and potentially colonise in the future.


The Red Cross: (Administrative)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Flag_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg/320px-Flag_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg.png

Switzerland is Great.

It is the Nobility which has always brought power to the Swiss. It was the Red Cross Syndic, Otto Herberlin, who broke the Pope's power once and for all. It was the Nobility who provided the generals who held off the Army of Rome, it was the Nobility who provided the funding for Freich's economic expansion. The Red Cross promises peace, security, and stability.

If you vote for The Red Cross, expect to see:
Anti-Church policies
Cunning and opportunistic foreign policy.
Minimal border expansion
A focus on Prestige, Honour and Glory


There is one, final option however...

The Swiss People can choose to keep Otto Herberlin, but he is a man of such enormous power, popularity and ambition that he might declare himself Syndic for Life. It is possible that this could be the precursor to a monarchy and the destruction of everything the Swiss people hold dear. On the other hand, this opens the possibility that a Swiss King could be named Holy Roman Emperor and unite all of Germany under his rule.

Cast your votes.

[SiuiS]

An interesting set of choices.

Men of my time are soft! We watch when we should act, we look to the collective when we should take the head. I say of this: no more. Syndic for life? A king? What bad could befall a nation led by a man who had the brazen gall to strike down the supposed "Arm of God" for the good of the world? What could possibly stand to a country whose full heart and might, with love and valor, supported such a man?

I say we leave the current Syndic. Failing that, the red cross. We have initiative, and with it opportunity. We need to capitalize on our strengths while the world is still on edge and in awe! England, Portugal, how can they measure to the might of Rome? The response to threats of war is not to meekly recall the one who gave us our victory.

[Raz_Fox]

Overheard in a Bern teahouse-

No, we cannot retain Otto. His naked lust for power and the wielding of said power has proven that full well. But we must back someone strong, someone who will keep us from falling into barbarism. We Swiss are strong folk, noble and true, and these Reich followers will trample all that we hold dear in their mad zeal to bring us low.

No, we cannot follow them, and we cannot follow the Tower of Gold, either. They are merchants, and bankers, and good at what they do, but asking them to lead our fair country would be like asking a master carpenter to cook you dinner. They do not have the necessary skills, and that is the truth of the matter.

Gentlemen, I propose that we support the Red Cross with every fiber of our being, with every ounce of our strength, that we might make Switzerland a place of prestige and glory, a new Rome among the barbarians. It is our only option in such dark times.

[Mewtarthio]

Herberlin gets results; we cannot deny that. Still, he's far too ambitious for the nation's good. We cannot expect any sort of stability with him on the throne. Herberlin has taught the world not to cross the Swiss; now it is time to consolidate our new acquisitions and plan the next phase of our expansion. The Tower of Gold will accomplish that.

[VonFenris]

No my friends and fellow swiss! If we do not go for rapid military expansion, we will be known as nation of watchmakers and bankers in the future! The only way to stop this is to put all our efforts into crushing our enemies - with military might. May God help the Reich of Heaven into power.

[NyuBomber]

How many sons, daughters, brothers, fathers, mothers, and wives have lost a loved one to war now?

How many movements have claimed the be able to save our souls only to fall and be replaced by the next big thing saying the same thing?

The only constant in this world is money. Money builds, creates, destroys, and kills. Control the money and you control your world, and no more unnatural death is needed.

Following such logic, the only reasonable choice is The Tower of Gold

[Hawkflight]

I vote Otto, just for kicks.

[Fluff & Napalm]

We must think to the future to secure our greatness. Tower of Gold for the win.

[Pathicus]

I am astonished and disapointed by many of the previous speakers. They believe that Switzerland is a power concerned only with petty conquests and strutting before unworthy kings. Indeed, I think they may even be funded by our enemies, who would see Switzerland weakened by political games and distractions. All who believe in a great Switzerland - the true Swiss - understand some fundamental truths.

They understand that in order to support armies worthy of our greatness we must first secure our wealth. There is no reason to squabble with the contemptible powers that surround us now. With sound economic policies today, we can crush these powers tomorrow with a trivial military gesture that would reduce any foreigner to tears. Only the Tower of Gold can prepare us for this glorious future.

The true Swiss understand that even a Swiss serf has the strength of character to stare down any alien King. To not exploit our inherent superiority in matters of persuasion and debate is madness, and only the Tower of Gold are willing to bring the full powers of the Swiss diplomat to bear.

The Tower of Gold can bring wealth to all Swiss, and power to our nation. Without them, Switzerland will forget her supremacy.

Protip; I'm voting for the Tower of Gold

[Thanqol]

Vote totals:

Tower of Gold: 1111
Reich of Heaven: 1
Red Cross: 1
Otto Herberlin: 11

The Tower of Gold has achieved a sufficient lead, as many votes as all of it's competitors combined. Syndic Alfred von Balthasar has taken the reins of Switzerland. Voting is closed, update is coming.

[Thanqol]

1403-1410: Alfred von Baltharsar

In the end, sanity won out. The brief flirtation with the idea of Monarchy was crushed by cooler heads. Otto Herberlin was presented with a hefty sum thanking him for his service to the nation and dismissed. He moved to Bohemia to live with the Holy Roman Emperor, and found a position of power within the Emperor's court. The world may not have seen the last of the Herberlins, but Switzerland hopefully had.

Instead, the Swiss people chose wisely. They elected a genius.

http://discussmoney.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Adam-Smith.jpg

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/5831/2011050500001.jpg

Game Concept: Rank

Every nation in EU3 has a ruler and up to three advisors who can provide special benefits. The skill of these individuals is rated from 1 star (terrible) to 6 stars (Legendary). Six star advisors are exceedingly rare, five stars are already worth their weight in gold. Rulers have a base value of 3 in addition to their star rating.

We just got a man with a star rating of 6/5/1. This is amazing luck. A series of weak rulers can cripple a country. We also had the good fortune to get Friech, a skilled treasurer, and two more mediocre military advisors.

Syndic Baltharsar was one of Englebert Freich's oldest friends and allies and a trader without peer. He had cut his teeth trading in Spain and Aragon and had amassed a personal fortune. It was not easy to talk him into giving up his private ambitions to rule the country, but Freich was nothing if not persistent. Eventually, Baltharsar capitulated and took over management of Switzerland. He had a dream of building Bern into a nexus of trade that would be able to compete with the powerful trade leagues of Venice, Genoa and the Hasaa.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OGh1dE-j7EM/SNszH054yjI/AAAAAAAABcY/fGwtpNUPqzk/s400/medieval_jews.jpg

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/1046/2011050500002.jpg

Game Concept: Inflation.

In EU3 you can invest your income into a variety of research options, or convert it directly into cash with the treasury slider. Creating cash causes inflation because you're literally printing money. Inflation makes everything pricier and, left unchecked, can bankrupt powerful nations.

Using this newly printed money, Baltharsar financed the greatest expansion of trade the country had ever seen. Already possessing monopolistic control over the world's wine supply, the Syndic managed to corner the markets for Cloth, Salt and Iron - all critical military materials. This gave Switzerland a great deal of economic clout it could use to cripple the armies of larger nations.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3148/2011050500008.jpg

Game Concept: Trading

Our merchants are currently have monopolistic control over these resources, giving us as a nation a special bonus in addition to our trading income. Wars and territorial expansion are bad for trade.

There were two other powerful figures in Swiss politics at this point; the brothers Wichter, two of the Red Cross generals installed by Otto Herberlin who helped him to victory in his daring campaign against the Pope. They exerted significant pressure on the Syndic and convinced him to raise an army for self defence. This was unpalatable to the pacifist Baltharsar but he needed the support of these men. He ordered the Army of Bern, the men who had stormed the Vatican, disbanded and integrated into his newly formed Republican Guard.

In exchange for the Syndic's concession towards the military, the Wichters convinced the Red Cross not to contest the next election.

http://images.art.com/images/products/large/10101000/10101566.jpg

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8020/2011050500010.jpg

Note: It is possible to have drawn out periods of peace where not many decisions need to be made, especially if there's a peaceful party in power. I made the decision to 'skip' this election so we could see some of the policies you voted for come to fruition and you could make an informed decision as to if we should continue this course of action.

The former Syndic, Otto Herberlin, had by this point become a critical part of the Holy Roman Emperor's court, and he had by this point convinced the Emperor to ensure that the Pope knew who ran Germany. Egelbert Freich was said to have flown into a rage upon receiving a message from Bohemia informing Switzerland that it was obligated to honour it's military alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor and march against Rome once more.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2408/2011050500011.jpg

Switzerland honoured the alliance, but the great anti-war backlash within the country ensured that the Republican Guard stayed firmly at home. It was a war in name only, and the only effect it had on Switzerland was a loss of investor confidence and a reduction in trade.

That meant that it was almost two additional weeks before Switzerland's traders cornered four new markets.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6328/2011050500012.jpg

(Not pictured: Us cornering the market for grain)

Once again, it was Otto Herberlin who sacked Rome and, to the horror of the world, murdered a second Pope. The former Syndic returned to his new home at the Emperor's court laden with looted riches, more feared and respected than ever.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Sack_of_Rome_1527.jpeg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1009/2011050500015.jpg

While this was happening, von Baltharsar had been investing huge quantities into Switzerland's trade network and had loosened historical mercantilist policies. With this rising power of the plutocratic merchants and the anti-war sentiment within the country, Baltharsar finally managed to organise the retirement of one of the brothers Wichter and install another economic genius into the cabinet.

Otto Aebi was not an economist in the tradition of Freich, but he was a man with connections all across Europe. Swiss traders calling on this man's enormous resources were able to wage an absolutely devastating economic expansion, flooding the Swiss coffers with even more wealth. And as the final result of this economic expansion, Bern became a global trade hub to compete with the greatest of the trade leagues.

http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/7259/2011050500016.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1849/2011050500017.jpg

And as the culmination of these policies of peaceful economic growth, the Tower of Gold was established as the official Parliament building. No longer would rulers be able to be blinded by fast money or illogical financial policies; now they would forever have to live back to back with the nation's financial core. Switzerland and Money could never be divided.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/7162/2011050500018.jpg

Game Concept: National Ideas

In EU3 certain levels of government research unlock "National Ideas", powerful tools for shaping the nation's mindset and your overall strategy. These cover a vast range of options, such as mandatory church service, establishment of battlefield commissions, instituting the draft, or colonisation of the new world. The national ideas provide an idea of your nation's personality.


The past seven years have gone spectacularly for Switzerland. The largest economic expansion the world has ever seen has just happened. Bern has become a centre of trade. Inflation, which peaked at 6.5% has already dropped back to 4.5% due to the canny institution of the National Bank. Switzerland gets more than two thirds of it's income from trade ventures. Huge investments in marketplaces have made Switzerland, per capita, the richest country in the world. The people are free, the markets are open, and the mountains are crowned with a Tower of Gold reaching up to the Heavens.

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/9020/2011050500020.jpg

And now they want more.

The Syndic, Alfred von Baltharsar, has made a proposal to the assembled nobles of Switzerland. The end to the tradition of Aristocratic voting and the establishment of a true republic where a man's worth is measured by the colour of his coin rather than the colour of his blood. He has proposed the institution of a Merchant Republic, which will end the line of Syndics and establish a Doge in his place.

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7771/catenaportraitdoge.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/110/2011050500019.jpg


What this means:

Aye:

The Red Cross as a political party will cease to exist. The Reich of Heaven will undergo political reforms but remain relevant. All political parties henceforth will have significant economic focuses as a result.

Elections will continue every four years.

We will become a Trade League, which means we will be competing directly with the other trade leagues for a share of the world's wealth. Venice, Genoa and the Hasaa will become our arch enemies and we may be drawn into wars with them.

The dream of Monarchy will be dead in Switzerland, perhaps forever.

Nay:

A collapse in the Tower of Gold's political fortunes, as they have sunk a great deal of effort into organising this event.

A coalition of Reich of Heaven and Red Cross members taking power at the next election. (How, exactly, these two organisations resolve their religious differences remains to be seen).

Using our powerful economic base to finance possible military campaigns.


Do we allow the merchants to rewrite our constitution to their own benefit? Does their track record allow them to be placed forever into a position of power?

Aye or Nay.

[Fluff & Napalm]

Aye. Money makes the world go round.

[NyuBomber]

To be ruled over by one's ability to manipulate a man-made, agreed upon item that can attain most anything...

Or to be ruled over by a bunch of incestuous "chosen ones."

Aye

[Kurgan]

We have a strong economic base, we should use it now to bring our neighbors into the fold. These merchants have no stomach for war, all they care about is their personal wealth. If we let them have their way, we will stagnate while everyone around us grows. They have served their purpose, but their time has passed.

I vote NAY

[Frozen_Predator]

I also vote nay

we should have our affairs in order before we think of forming a trade league of our own, and remember that we have our allies to consider

Meta thinking:
seriously dropping from +1 magistrate yearly to +0.40 magistrates yearly is reason enough not to do it, trade remains a risky thing especially when allied with the emperor (who will pull you into wars to defend the empire), and with France a highly agressive expansionist power. furthermore Burgundy is at our doorstep and they are also highly expansionist, and Switzerland is a favorite prey of theirs once their done with the Low Countries. get your provinces in order (at least level 4 buildings everywhere) once your tax income is stable you can consider becoming a merchant republic again

[Pathicus]

The policies of the Tower of Gold have led us from strength to strength, we have no reason to doubt them. I say 'Aye', we should trust in them to craft for us a glorious new republic.

[VonFenris]

Nay. We're in the centre of Europe, with expanding nations all around us, and we, already dependent on trade for our income, and thus vulnerable for war, want to grow even closer attached to the risks this brings? Use the economic output we have for expansion, I say.

[Mewtarthio]

Pay no attention to these atavistic naysayers. The old order is dead! No more will Switzerland defend its interests through crude violence! The banks and traders are the warriors of the future!

Long live the Merchant Republic! Aye! Aye!

[Neon Knight]

Nay. The merchants would grow us into fatted calves for the slaughter ambitious neighbors will bring upon us. A purse rests safely only when it is next to a sword.

[Misery Esquire]

What, is that a real gold coin? For what? ...You want me to... Oh, I see.

Aye. And there was no bribery involved, nossir.

[Aricandor]

Aye!. Buy off the swords to keep the wealth safe if need be, but by the power of gold will the future be ours!

[Altaria87]

While I have reservations in giving the merchants too much control over the country, I am in full support of ridding our nation of the aristocrats, and for that reason, I say Aye!

[Rustic Dude]

Nay

A wise man said long time ago, "The sinews of war are infinite money". Let's sharpen our pikes and start building the Mightiest Army of Europe!

[doliest]

What has the war taught us? That our people shan't become warlords; they lack the desire to kill, and the will. But we are locked in alliances we need to survive, and the Tower of Gold's anti-war policy resulted in an army that could barely hold back our nation's unrest, much less a true foe...and yet, I know the tide is coming and can see it-may God have mercy, I vote aye

[SiuiS]

The policies of the Tower of Gold have led us from strength to strength, we have no reason to doubt them. I say 'Aye', we should trust in them to craft for us a glorious new republic.

This man speaks truth!
Right now, our weapon is coin. What nation could survive if their enemies were better equipped than they were? Money that buys more money buys nothing. I vote Nay.

[Thanqol]

Aye: 7
Nay: 5

Voting is closed, the Ayes have it by a narrow margin. The closeness of the vote will be reflected in the update. Playing now.

[Caewil]

Let's not forget, that being a merchant republic gives a free Casus Belli against all other merchant republics. Conveniently, there are two right next door, Venice and Genoa. These can be regularly plundered with little consequence and perhaps finally annexed.

[Thanqol]

1410-1421: Doge Alfred von Baltharsar

In the biggest upheaval of Swiss politics ever seen since the occupation of Rome, the Swiss chose to reject the false words of the Aristocrats and create a true republic where a man's wealth would determine his standing, as God intended.

However removing the cornerstone of power from a nation is never easy. All the cards had been thrown in the air and none knew where they would land.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/6557/2011050700001.jpg

Game Concept: Stability
Stability is the overal peace and harmony within your nation, ranging from +3 to -3. +3 is safe and tranquil, -3 is so anarchistic your government outright cannot function. Big nations have a harder time stabilising than small ones.

Internal problems were but one of Switzerland's problems during this chaos. The three great trade leagues, Venice, Genoa and the Hasaa sent letters of condemnation and demanded the Swiss sign humilating concessions to avoid competing with the established powers. In the destablised Swiss Parliament a variety of viewpoints were being discussed when it was discovered that an enraged Weichter had mustered the Republican Guard and marched south on Genoa's capital of Ligura without waiting for orders.

http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/06/3/9/8/20405381684552830.jpeg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8312/2011050700002c.jpg

The war expanded out of control. No one knew who was really in charge; with the constitution only respecting wealth, rich but unskilled generals were making the calls. Five thousand men were marched to distant Crimera to break the Genoese holdings there. For any other nation, this move would have been a hideously suicidal act, but fortunately Switzerland's strengths compensated for it's weaknesses. An army of bribes marched ahead of the army, purchasing passage across Germany and Poland and ensuring the troops were amazingly supplied.

Throughout this madness, newly liberated slaves found themselves emboldened enough to come forwards and speak of the darkest cruelties of the fallen nobility. Riots gripped the capital and a series of bloody trials purged a great deal of these criminals.

http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/00a231618115a88ea7b0258a367872da.gif

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/2217/2011050700003.jpg

But despite all this, the constitution was clear on one thing: The man with the support of the wealthy would have the power, and in this turbulence there were no other options than to support Baltharsar. The war with Genoa had expanded to include Venice and embargoes were harming even the amazing prowess of the Swiss Merchant Army.

http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/7711/2011050700005.jpg

From the North came messages from the newly raised Army Von Bern; Kaffa had been captured. Soon thereafter, France sent a letter demanding the Swiss' support in their war with England. Again, due to the lack of coastal holdings, the Swiss Parliament regarded this as a war in name only.

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/9944/2011050700006.jpg

After two years of madness, the Doge was finally able to find the remains of the Genoan government and negotiate a peace deal. It demanded that the Genoese dismantle their colonial empire and return independence to their Corsican and Crimean holdings. This was the end of the Genoese as a potential military power. After the war was over, Genoa was gripped by peasant riots and their capital was occupied by the rebels for years.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4725/2011050700008.jpg

As peace returned to the mountains, the Swiss' merchant army marched out once more and returned Switzerland to it's rightful place as the richest country on Earth. The instablity had led many to invest in the Tower of Gold, as it was a beacon of safety and stability amidst the chaos, and it's investments bore fruit for the nation. Soon after, even the war with the English came to a close and Switzerland finally reached a point of stability.

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/5299/2011050700009.jpg

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6043/2011050700011.jpg

The cards had fallen, the dust had settled, and they had fallen in the lap of Otto Aebi. Otto Aebi had become the Director of the newly formed Department of Finance and Deregulation. The DOFAD had two directives: Maintain Switzerland's economy and break down international trade barriers. It sounded harmless until one realised that they had a mobile department of nine thousand men under arms.

Otto Aebi had used the anarchy to effectively make himself the Commander in Chief of the Swiss Army. And the few scholars and politicans in the world who could work out what he had done looked on in awe.

http://cfile25.uf.tistory.com/image/206E594C4D5697780E28D9

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9310/2011050700013.jpg

But none could contest the Doge's power. He was the man who had written this constitution, and he was the most savvy politican in Switzerland besides, beloved by the people and rich beyond dreams. Another election passed uncontested.

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/8482/2011050700014.jpg

Once again, Switzerland was summoned to war of aggression by the Holy Roman Emperor, this time aimed at Hungary. The war was dementedly one sided, with powerhouses such as Milan and Austria arrayed against the poor and backwards Hungary. The Doge spent an hour ranting at the Parliament, trying to convince them to give up their alliance with the Emperor to stop Switzerland being drawn into an endless series of wars for the Empire. The answer remained the same: Switerland's trade was built on it's reputation for honourable dealings and to betray an alliance was unconscionable.

But the night before the invasion was to begin and before the Doge was to be summoned the the Imperial Court to discuss the war, Otto Aebi came to him in secret and together they devised a plan to solve all their Imperial woes.

Doge Alfred Von Baltharsar's speech to the Imperial Court is one of the most famous in history and has been recorded in full for posterity.

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200703/images/rediscovering/SCI_12591_1213.jpg


Lords of Germany. Today the Emperor has ordered us all here to support his just and righteous campaign against the enemies of the Empire. And Switzerland, most loyal of Imperial subjects, has answered the call!

*Pause for applause*

Already, our troops have crossed the border. Already we have cornered the bulk of the enemy army and dispersed them in a great battle. Already, we have laid siege to every one of our enemy's cities! Already, victory is within our grasp! This war is over before it has begun!

*Significantly more applause, shouts from the audience to explain. The Doge pauses for effect, then goes on*

Our siege engineers predict it will take three months to break the walls and then, all of Savoy will be in Swiss hands! And then, we shall march on to Baden! No enemies of the Emperor will stand before our might!

*More applause which trails off into confused silence. The representitive of the King of Savoy slowly gets to his feet, face pale*

"Which country did you say you had invaded?"

*The Doge pauses in confusion as if he had not been expecting the question.*

Why, Savoy of course, as the Emperor demanded.

*At this point, the Emperor gets to his feet and begins shouting in a rage. His advisors, including Otto Herberlin, rush to his side*

"Savoy is an Imperial holding, as is Baden! The Emperor alone holds claim to those lands! You have invaded MY lands!"

*The Doge then proceeded to sit down, spread his hands, and famously said,*

Whoops.

Legally, the Emperor's hands were tied. He was unable to declare war on Switzerland to defend the Imperial holdings due to the fact that Bohemia was allied with Switzerland in it's war on Hungary. Furthermore, due to a complexity of Imperial law he was, in fact, required to support Switzerland's campaign and march on his own holdings. The Emperor absolutely refused to be tricked by such legality and broke the alliance, which devastated the Emperor's name and Bohemia's reputation. He spent the remaining years of his reign unhappily trying to force through legal reforms to prevent this from occuring again, but the damage had been done.

When he died, Bohemia's reputation was so fallen that the Imperial Crown passed to Austria. Switzerland celebrated this with lavish gifts and celebrations. These were graciously accepted by the new Emperor, Albercht the Fourth, who respected the Swiss cunning which had helped him attain the throne.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/227/2011050700018.jpg

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6079/2011050700019.jpg

Both Savoy and Baden had, as a result of the Swiss Gambit, become vassal states and had become the foundations of the new Swiss Trade League. The wars had been virtually bloodless, had been so deftly executed legally that Switzerland's reputation had barely been scratched.

After two years of blessed peace, the Doge of Switzerland, the genius Alfred von Baltharsar, the man who had made the Tower of Gold a reality passed peacefully away in his sleep. He left a Switzerland more powerful and more wealthy than ever before. He had taken a tiny, poor central European country and made it one of the most important political players on the European stage. He had crushed the potential of a monarchy, ended the aristocracy and created a true republic. His name would live forever through history as one of the greatest and wisest men in Switzerland's history.

And Switzerland's political landscape would forever be shaped by his legacy.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1929/2011050700024.jpg

POLITICAL PARTIES:

Note: The Tower of Gold has become so successful as to become almost the 'only' party in Switzerland. These three are all spinoffs and internal divisions within the Tower.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation: Military

http://www.finance.gov.au/Publications/annual-reports/annualreport07-08/_lib/img/financegroup2008.jpg

Europe is a Byzantine network of randomly placed kingdoms each run by idiots who think they understand economic policy. Their nonsensical rules, restrictions, embargoes, and backwards, mercantilistic policies are strangling human development everywhere.

Some of these barriers should be... deregulated.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation was founded by Otto Aebi and controls the majority of Swiss military assets. The DOFAD seeks a sensible and reasonable excersise of Swiss military force to ensure the opening of markets and the protection of Swiss merchants.

If you vote for the DOFAD expect to see:

- Interventionalist foreign policy.
- Economic decisions guiding military and expansion policies.
- Conflict with the other Trade Leagues.

The Reich of Heaven: (Diplomatic)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2bAkaCQTisw/SJtRDUW6IiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/3dt3YCY4cEU/s400/celtic-cross-pendant.jpg

Switzerland has had a dubious relationship with religious authorities in the past, but the vast majority of it's people are extremely devout Christians, and foreign powers have a vested interest in seeing them represented. By raising a religious leader, the leaders of Europe will be reassured that the dangerous ideas brewing in Switzerland will be contained.

The Reich of Heaven has graduated from a group of militaristic rabble to a collective of bishops and priests who are extremely well educated and adept at directing public opinion and international perception. They still hold to the teachings of Smallet and will seek his canonisation, but are less ferverant about spreading Democracy through violence than they used to be.

If you vote for the Reich of Heaven expect to see:
- Populism, humanitarianism, diplomacy and peace.
- A foreign policy founded on stability and morality; interventions will occur only to end injustices or protect the weak.
- Pro-Church Policies

The New School: Administrative

http://www.oilpaintingsframes.com/images/10inch_tower_marble_gold-thumb.jpg

The New School is an organisation dedicated to the legacy left by the Doge Baltharsar and headed by Englebert Freich. It is an evolution of the concept of the Tower of Gold and dedicated to the policy of peace, stability and occasional cunning and opportunistic foreign policies. The New School wants to continue Switzerland's rise to power by repeating what works. It has a lot of positive momentum behind it but it seriously risks losing it's innovative edge.

If you vote for The New School expect to see:

- Opportunistic and cunning foreign policy.
- Continuation of current economic policies without innovation.
- Bureaucratic decisions. Technical efficiency and limitating of individual power.



Cast your votes.

[Altaria87]

The Doge has led Switzerland well with his cunning, and we should continue his legacy by emulating him as closely as possible. For that reason, I lend my support to the New School. However, if the contest turn out to be between the other two parties, DOFAD should be the wya to go, Switzerland has a great place in the world from which to extend its military might.

[Fluff & Napalm]

DOFAD In order to prosper we must be innovative. Limiting that by choice is a dangerous decision. For that reason the new school must not be chosen.

[Hawkflight]

The DOFAD is right out, we can't afford further conflict. The time has come for peace. I vote for the Reich of Heaven.

[doliest]

A 'Aye' instead of a 'Nay' and we cast down the nobles and break empires. I stood before the tide and was not submerged-so now, I stand again and proclaim my support for The Reich of Heaven-no more war, no more fighting.

[Kurgan]

Let us take a step back and look at what DOFAD has done for us, shall we? First, it was under Aebi's leadership that we dismantled Genoa's empire. Second, it was the armies that took Savoy and Baden and brought them under our wing. Lastly, it was Aebi who fed the Doge the cunning plan to break our alliance with the Emperor while maintaining face.

Tell me this: are these accomplishments to be ignored? No! I say we elect a member of DOFAD to lead our nation.

[Artanis]

Is there an updated map, or did I miss it?

Also, I'm going to vote for DOFAD.

[Caewil]

DOFAD and the Pax Helvetica! (vassalise everyone in range)

Is this Divine Wind, BTW? If so we should get as many nations into our sphere as possible. It ramps up your diplomacy to crazy levels.

[Thanqol]

DOFAD and the Pax Helvetica! (vassalise everyone in range)

Is this Divine Wind, BTW? If so we should get as many nations into our sphere as possible. It ramps up your diplomacy to crazy levels.

It is Divine Wind, yes, but I haven't expanded our Sphere yet. I've just been absolutely starved for Prestige because we didn't take any territory in any of those wars. We just broke 30 when the update ended. (I'll also explain the concept for non-EU3 players next update).

World map hasn't shifted much yet, I'll post a copy next update.

[Pathicus]

We must free our neighbours from the tyranny of bureaucracy if we are to deal effectively with them and reshape this world. Only DoFaD can offers an effective means of doing this.

[Thanqol]

1421-1427: Doge Stefan Oberholzer

The world at 1421:

http://img807.imageshack.us/img807/5107/2011050800001.jpg

England is almost united, France is beginning to take shape, Bohemia has taken a fair swathe of Hungarian territory, along with releasing Croatia as an independent nation, the Byzantine Empire is undergoing a resurgance in Greece. Denmark's crusade into Ireland is going well, though our diplomats have as yet been unable to determine why, exactly, they are annexing Ireland.

*

http://www.terrainmodels.com/pictures/artists/Oberholzer/oberholzer.jpg

Stefan Oberholzer had a long and decorated career in the famous Broken Arrows mercenary company that operated out of Venice. Despite his dubious origin, he was wealthy and the Swiss constitution forbade political discrimination for any reason other than wealth. With the backing of Otto Aebi the career soldier became Doge of Switzerland and head of the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8554/2011050800007.jpg

Note: An interesting quirk of EU3 is that if you save and exit the game while the election screen is up it picks a ruler at random. I can see why it does this - it's better than the alternative - but if you notice any dates not matching up then that's why.

Oberholzer was one of the most terse men in the history of Swiss politics. His attitude is best summarised by the following exchange:


Small Girl: "Mr. Oberholzer, my dad says if I can get you to say more than five words he'll buy me a new dress!"
Oberholzer: "You lose."

Oberholzer famously cared nothing for the DOFAD's mission statement or protocol. Upon being assigned office, he immediately asked the Swiss Parliament asked where he might find the DOFAD's mobile division and, upon being given directions, left the Tower of Gold and never returned.

The DOFAD immediately set to work trying to figure out where Oberholzer had gone, who had gone with him, and what nations the Swiss were now at war with. The answers to these questions were "Ligura", "The entire DOFAD Mobile army" and "Northern Italy". The best that could be said was that the war was well timed - exhausted by it's own incessant civil strife, Italy was ripe for the conquering.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3599/2011050800003.jpg

Game Concept: War Exhaustion
The people's collective distaste for war. Raising war taxes, losing battles, being blockaded and losing territory raises War Exhaustion - conversely, a successful overseas campaign will generate almost none. War Exhaustion is serious business and is the best way to reliably kill a big nation, as it increases riots, cripples income, and prevents reinforcements.

This war turned out to be perfectly timed. I was expecting to face a lot more opposition but the nations allied against me had already bled each other dry. Another three years and this update could have ended very differently. I chalk this one up to the wisdom of our voters.

The DOFAD even recieved a letter from the Pope informing them that, for the third time in thirty years, Switzerland was at war with the Holy See and that the Swiss parliament was to be disbanded. The Swiss decided to close that particular recurring loophole by declaring that the Doge was the Head of the Church as well as the Head of State. Three months later, when the DOFAD couriers managed to track down Oberholzer, who at this point was besieging Cremona, and inform him of his new title.


"My Doge, the Parliament of Switzerland has declared you the Head of the Church and defender of the Faith. What are your orders, your Holiness?"
"Tax them."

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9030/2011050800008.jpg

As the couriers returned to Bern to communicate the Doge's instructions they found that a legend had come to an end. The legendary Englebert Freich, founder of the Tower of Gold, Treasurer of Switzerland, the Grandfather of Economics and the genius behind the nation's economy, had been tragically murdered at 51. The Swiss Secret Service managed to track down the culprit, a landless young aristocrat who had tried to strike a blow for his outdated beliefs.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/10/2011050800009.jpg

He was replaced in the cabniet by the incompetent Englebert Oberholzer, Stefan Oberholzer's idiot son. This was no political wrangling on the Doge's part - indeed, quite the contrary, this was an attempt by the DOFAD to institute an enormously unpopular Church Tax, blame it on the idiotic young Oberholzer, and dismiss him in disgrace.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/6859/2011050800010.jpg

http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/6613/2011050800011.jpg

Meanwhile, the campaign in Milan was having devastating success. The Lombardian Army had been deregulated, Genoa had been vassalized, and the remaining coalition members were begging for peace. The DOFAD began frantically organising ceasefires with the various crushed factions. Milan ceded some enormously wealthy territory in Northern Italy along with joining the Swiss League.

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/8421/2011050800012.jpg

Once again, Rome was taken by the Swiss. This time there was no murder of popes, no anarchy, no bloodshed and no massacres. Just a polite discussion about tarrifs with the DOFAD Mobile Wing camped outside the walls to make a point.

http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/9349/2011050800013.jpg

Ferrara was likewise invited into the fold. In Italy, there were now more Swiss governments than there were petty Italian despots.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3770/2011050800014.jpg

And not content to organise the downfall of just one Pope while he was out, the Doge organised the surrender of the Antipope of Avignon. The DOFAD decided against a government integration in the same manner as Italy's - Avignon was in the heart of France and Switzerland, mighty as it was, would stand no chance if the French were to turn their gaze east.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2066/2011050800016.jpg

The war had been almost insultingly easy. The hardened troops of the DOFAD had descended upon an exhausted and tapped Italy and rolled over country after country with minimal opposition. And, to hammer the point home, the Emperor at Austria decided to intervene on Switzerland's behalf and make a show of crushing Venice and annexing it's territory.

The DOFAD was aware that the Emperor Albericht was a cunning man and that his gesture of support would doubtless carry a cost later. Emperors never acted without reason.

But one way or another, the First Swiss Deregulation had ended.

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/4159/2011050800017.jpg

The Doge returned to court amidst celebrations and festivities. As usual, his return to the Tower of Gold is best communicated in his own words.


Otto Aebi: "My Doge, you have brought us victory in the greatest Deregulation the European market has ever seen! We would like to -"
Doge Oberholzer: "Wait."
Otto: "Yes, my Doge?"
Doge Oberholzer: "Why is he here?" *Points at Englebert Oberholzer*
Englebert: "I'm your son!"
Doge Oberholzer: "And an idiot. Out."

Shortly thereafter, the significantly more competent Paul Munzinger was appointed to office.

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/5199/2011050800018.jpg

The biggest problem facing Switzerland after the Deregulation was it's finances. Nations were suddenly extremely uneasy about Swiss hegemony and began placing more tarrifs, not less, on Swiss merchants. Within Northern Italy the markets were open and uncontested but the wider international opinion had slipped. The Republic's income had dropped sharply as a result of the Deregulation.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5656/2011050800019.jpg

Game Concept: Infamy
Infamy is the big limiter in EU3. When a nation expands it develops a reputation for warmongering and it's popularity drops. If you get more than a certain amount of Infamy you become known as "Dishonourable Scum" and will be dogpiled by everyone at once. Infamy wars can be hideously devastating.

Another problem of Infamy is that it crashes your trade income. We lost about a third of our income from those wars and quite a few of our monopolies!

But despite the difficulties suffered by the merchants, none could contest that the campaign had been wildly successful. On paper, Switzerland had only gained two provinces. The reality of the Deregulated Swiss Prosperity Sphere (DSPS) was very different to what it had been when the DOFAD had taken office.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1535/2011050800020.jpg

Game Concept: Vassal States
Vassalising a nation is a cheap version of conquest, in that it costs less infamy than straight annexation. The state remains independent but they give you half their own tax income, build and maintain their own armies and fight on your behalf. Every 10 years you can annex a vassal without further infamy, which means that we can eventually integrate all that territory properly.

But Emperors make as dangerous friends as they make enemies. Albericht politely requested that the Swiss turn over some of their newly deregulated territory to the Emperor as a gesture of good faith. There was heated discussion in the Tower of Gold, but ultimately, Switzerland refused to concede such hard won gains. The Emperor politely agreed and proceeded to tie Switzerland up in a network of lawsuits. After more heated discussion the DOFAD authorised the release of funds in the hope it would soothe the Emperor's pride and prevent a war that Switzerland had no chance of winning.

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4482/2011050800021.jpg

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2412/2011050800022.jpg


Less than a year after the war had ended, the Doge vanished abruptly. After a hurried investigation, the Swiss Secret Service discovered he had packed up and left for Lithuania and was serving in their Grand Army as a general. He hadn't bothered to tender his resignation to the Tower of Gold or tell anyone where he was going.

Upon reflection, those who knew him were surprised that Stefan had gone almost nine months without a war.

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/8760/2011050800023.jpg


And so the reign of the Doge Stefan came to an abrupt and unceremonious end. The DOFAD has delivered an excellent military result as they promised, more than doubling Swiss and Swiss allied territory and massively deregulating the local markets. Their economic record is more mixed, but the DOFAD is adamant that as soon as the markets stabilise and Switzerland's reputation is restored the country will be richer than ever before. Furthermore, they claim the complete deregulation of multiple petty kings and two Popes amongst their accomplishments.

What say you, Switzerland? Four more years?

POLITICAL PARTIES:

The Department of Finance and Deregulation: Military

http://www.finance.gov.au/Publications/annual-reports/annualreport07-08/_lib/img/financegroup2008.jpg

We Deregulate nations. We do it well. We do it charismatically. We intend to keep on doing it.

We understand that our reputation cannot withstand much more expansion, but we intend to use the intervening time to prepare for further deregulation. We must also prepare for a mercantilistic backlash that could be coming from France or Austria.

If you vote for the DOFAD expect to see:
- Military-Industrial buildup
- Deregulation whenever possible
- Free trade policies and swift integration of subsidary territories.

The Reich of Heaven: (Diplomatic)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2bAkaCQTisw/SJtRDUW6IiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/3dt3YCY4cEU/s400/celtic-cross-pendant.jpg

Now that we have Deregulated much of Italy we can focus on what matters. We can now bring Democracy to the people, we can now return Religion to it's rightful place, and we can now reconcile with the Church and Pope now that both are securely under our wing.

The Reich of Heaven promises that this Deregulation will not be wasted, that our DSPS will not be taken from us by a swift or impusive Deregulation. We have more territory than we can maintain right now.

If you vote for the Reich of Heaven expect to see:
- Consolidation, diplomacy and integration.
- Restoration of our damaged reputation.
- Pacifistic defense policy
- Pro-religious policies.

The New School: Administrative

http://www.oilpaintingsframes.com/images/10inch_tower_marble_gold-thumb.jpg

Four years in opposition has done wonders for the New School. The complete lack of support in the last election taught them that the old ways were not a guarantee of success. The death of Freich freed them from the old ways of thought and enabled the New School to find it's true voice.

The New School advocates management. Switzerland has gone out and earned itself a huge set of problems. Switzerland now runs half a dozen countries, has no alliances outside the DSPS and has angered the Emperor. We must work through these problems as fast as possible before our rivals exploit them.

If you vote for The New School expect to see:

- Defending against Austria and France
- Restoration of Swiss finances
- Infrastructure investments in our new territory.


Cast your votes.

[Altaria87]

As before, I pledge my supprot to The New School, DOFAD have doen their part,a nd we are grateful for it. But now we have more urgent matters at hand, deregulation can wait until Switzerland's reputation has been restored. We cannot give support to the Reich of Heaven, Switzerland is built on the policy that only your wealth and ability matters, we cannot put religion on any higher pedestal than it already has. Fort hat reason, I once again give secondary supprot to DOFAD, if it would prevent the Reich from gaining power.

[Frozen_Predator]

i vote for the new school, right now what Switzerland needs is to reform its internal workings to maximum effeciency. at the same time we most also look at our diplomatic field so hiring a competent diplomat is essential to improve our standing


as a note, the Reich of Heaven is also a good choice but only after infamy has gone down. in gameplay terms a diplomatic rulers most usefullness is easier access to the boundary dispute and the claims of our rivals events.

[Fluff & Napalm]

New School. Dofad has done their job but now it is time to clean up the loose ends.

[Caewil]

The New School, with two unlawful imperial provinces, we're suffering penalties to infamy reduction (actually, gaining 0.5 infamy/year but the HRE modifier and our leader's diplomacy will bring this to a barely positive rate)

Unless we hire a diplomat or even better, build an embassy to host foreign dignitaries in Verona, we will have difficulty shedding our poor reputation.

EDIT: Yes, the Reich of Heaven is the diplomatic choice, but religion is annoying. We should dissolve the monasteries if we can for even more taxes.

Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that all of the Swiss provinces have Rheinlander culture? Looking at a map of modern switzerland, I modded Schwyz to Lombard and Freiburg and Wallis as Occitain, which was the most historically accurate I could come up with. Makes the starting switzerland culture map a lot prettier though. Multicoloured.

EDIT: How do you take screenshots? CTRL+PrtScn isn't working.

[Thanqol]

The New School, with two unlawful imperial provinces, we're suffering penalties to infamy reduction (actually, gaining 0.5 infamy/year but the HRE modifier and our leader's diplomacy will bring this to a barely positive rate)

Unless we hire a diplomat or even better, build an embassy to host foreign dignitaries in Verona, we will have difficulty shedding our poor reputation.

EDIT: Yes, the Reich of Heaven is the diplomatic choice, but religion is annoying. We should dissolve the monasteries if we can for even more taxes.

Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that all of the Swiss provinces have Rheinlander culture? Looking at a map of modern switzerland, I modded Schwyz to Lombard and Freiburg and Wallis as Occitain, which was the most historically accurate I could come up with. Makes the starting switzerland culture map a lot prettier though. Multicoloured.

EDIT: How do you take screenshots? CTRL+PrtScn isn't working.

I'm using Steam so I can just hit F12 for screenshots. It's super convenient - I had this LP idea in my head for a long time but the banality of taking a screenshot and alt-tabbing to save it to paint put me off.

[Caewil]

That is convenient, but then you don't get the benefits of the March 30th beta. Not really an issue when playing Switzerland though. You don't really have to worry about crazy hordes or the mess that is the middle-east.

[Artanis]

My vote is for The New School. As much as the DOFAD has done for us, our reputation can't really afford more warmongering while the Reich of Heaven's policies seem like a good way to get our asses handed to us by somebody - not to mention wasting all the blood that was spilled to get us here in the first place. The New School seems to strike a good balance between the two while doing what got us here in the first place: investing, both in the immediate rebuilding of our finances and in the long-term payoff of new infrastructure throughout our growing nation.



Also, since we now seem to control some coastline, what's our naval situation?

[doliest]

The people speak, and I speak with them, The New School; we have deregulated enough for one lifetime. For many lifetimes, to be truthful.

[Kurgan]

I must agree with the others and cast my vote for The New School. We have deregulated quite a bit of territory in the past few years, but cannot continue at such a pace without becoming hated the world over. A few years of consolidation and defensive buildup sounds like a good idea in this light.

[Mewtarthio]

Our precious deregulation has cost us the most important asset of a merchant: Our reputation. We can't very well sell anything if all of Europe considers us the scum of the Earth! We need to fix this as promptly as possible, and that means we need The Reich of Heaven. Accepting their less progressive policies is a small price to pay for the restoration of consumer confidence.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

The Reich of Heaven is needed to counterbalance the diplomatic hell-hole the DoFaD got us in.

[NyuBomber]

The New School

Regulation is a good thing.

[Thanqol]

That's 8 for the New School with 2 for the Reich. I reckon that's an uncontestable lead; voting closed, update coming.

[Thanqol]

1427-1444: Doge Nikolaus Bischofberger

No one truly envied the New School their position. They had been given a position of total military victory and were told to somehow make everything work. To the New School's credit, their Doge, Nikolaus Bischofberger, was an exceedingly competent man and one of Germany's most famous musicians. Gentle and sickly in nature, Nikolaus was a complete pacifist and could not countenance the thought of war. When he was not setting his formidable mind to the impossible task given to him, the Doge was found in his flower gardens.

These gardens grew in time to be some of the most beautiful in Switzerland. Opened to the public after the Doge's death, the Song Gardens are one of the Country's national landmarks along with the Tower of Gold.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7453/2011050900001.jpg

One of the foremost priorities of the New School was that of Centralising the state. The vast, fundamental inefficiencies that plagued Switzerland due to it's disorganised, multi-layered government began to be dealt with. These reforms also added layers of checks and balances within the Swiss government branches. No longer would it be possible for a newly elected Doge to take an army and go conquering deregulating without warning or due process.

The DOFAD was asked to manage the rollout of these policies, and they ensured that no armed bureaucrats got any inefficient ideas.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/3941/2011050900003.jpg

The Holy Roman Emperor continued to deal with Switzerland through nonviolent means. Albericht was a cunning man and he knew well the best way to deal with Swiss deregulation was through litigation rather than armed force.

The DOFAD warned that military force was still a possibility, however, and prevailed upon the New School to authorise a doubling of the DOFAD Mobile wing. This new wing became known as the DOFAD Active Tarrif Deregulators, or DOFAD Active for short. Despite this, the DOFAD complained of chronic under funding and warned that if war did break out Switzerland would be in a dangerous position.

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/6158/2011050900004.jpg

In June 1429 a decision was finally reached by the Tower of Gold. Savoy and it's territories were to be completely deregulated and joined within the greater Swiss Republic.

This was not an easy decision to make. There were a lot of cases against: That it was bad for Switzerland's already damaged reputation, that there was a logistical nightmare involved in integrating the nation, that it would send dire signs to other partially deregulated Swiss governments, that it would give the Emperor another excuse for a legal offensive and so on.

So why do such a thing?

The New School had three reasons that contributed to the decision.

- An alliance with Bohemia. Austria was still holder of the Imperial title, but Bohemia was a huge power and provided a second front all along the Austrian north should Austria decide to invade. Furthermore, Austria was undergoing instability due to it's own massive territorial expansion, making the possibility of Imperial intervention unlikely.

- Security. A single bad war or series of rebellions amongst the provinces could cause a total collapse of the fragile network of alliances that held the DSPS together. While an integrated Savoy would cause problems, it could not be taken away easily.

- Territory. Annexing Savoy gave Switzerland access to a desperately needed naval port, as well as provided a land route to Genoa which could be annexed next along with the stupendously wealthy center of trade in Ligura. This also provided a complete encirclement of Milan which had withdrawn from the DSPS earlier.

And so, Savoy was annexed and the Tower of Gold prepared for another diplomatic offensive.

On the plus side, the tolerant policies of the Swiss government lead to the near faultless assimilation of the Italian language and culture.

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9443/2011050900006.jpg

An election came and went. Quite frankly, noone wanted the job of sorting out the collossal mess of integrating this territory and dealing with an annoyed Emperor. Nikolaus was left in charge.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/4530/2011050900007.jpg

Note:
This guy got a few free passes because stabilising after that war was going to take ages, during which few decisions really needed to be made.

Not long after this, Emperor Albericht passed on - and not a moment too soon. The Emperor was a man who had studied the genius of the Swiss and, methodically, turned it against them. His actions had crippled the Swiss economy almost beyond the point of repair, had befuddled the Tower of Gold with so many lawsuits that the mountains seemed to bleed money, and virtually wiped out the Swiss Merchant army. Fortunately his son, Karl Joseph, was a complete idiot and far less interested in blocking the expansion of the Swiss than he was in achieving personal glory on the battlefield.

With the Imperial boot off Switzerland's back, progress began to be made.

http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/1332/2011050900008.jpg

Some hard saved money was used to patronise international art. The Florentine School actually flourished under Swiss rule and was favoured by the Doge, and eventually rose to become a political power. A magnifiecent tapestry depicting the Great Deregulation, with seven Kings and two Popes bowing before the tower of Gold, became one of the most famous works of Swiss art in history.

http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/773/2011050900009.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9397/2011050900010.jpg

Game Concept: Cultural Tradition
Normally advisors randomly appear and one just has to watch for opportunities. Cultural tradition allows you to recruit specific types on demand. Very handy.

Another great debate in the Tower of Gold was sparked by the Emperor's proposal of Reichsreform. The DOFAD was adamantly for, as it cut through a lot of the trade barriers they were sworn to destroy, but the New School was more dubious, worrying this would strengthen an already powerful Emperor. Switzerland eventually voted for reform but resolved to block any other expansion of Imperial power.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/9941/2011050900011.jpg

In 1436, after another uncontested election, the Doge finally succeeded in pensioning off Weichter and installing Thomas Herberlin, grandson of the infamous and now retired Otto Herberlin, into the cabniet. Having a Herberlin at his side proved an intimidating gesture and allowed the Doge to exert greater control over the Swiss economy.

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7499/2011050900014.jpg

In the end it proved that Switzerland's decision to back Reichsreform was a canny one. The Emperor soon passed on, leaving Austria to his even more incompetent son whom the Electors refused to make Emperor of Germany. The Crown passed back to allied Bohemia, and Austria's name became a byword for treachery, idiocy and warmongering.

The DOFAD urged taking this chance for a large scale deregulation of Austrian territory which would doubtless succeed with the Emperor's assistance but the Doge vetoed it. With reluctance, the DOFAD stayed at home on peacekeeping duties.

http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/5365/2011050900016.jpg

Centralisation policies continued, internal regulation was crushed and taxation became vastly more efficient. Switzerland by this point was close to completely modernising it's financial system.

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/329/2011050900018.jpg


In 1444, Switzerland finally reached a point of relative stability, and the nation braced itself for a great change. A new idea was sweeping the nation, and would carry with it profound policy and political implications that would forever define Switzerland's character.


The Department of Finance and Deregulation: Military

http://www.finance.gov.au/Publications/annual-reports/annualreport07-08/_lib/img/financegroup2008.jpg

The DOFAD has turned Switzerland into one of the largest and most powerful nations in Germany and within Europe. And now we bring an even greater idea.

http://www.ardtornps.sa.edu.au/images/SailingShip.jpg

We have a port. We have the potential for a navy. Let us cast off the landlocked and gridlocked markets of Europe and explore! Let us travel to foreign lands and foreign markets and deregulate the hell out of them! Let us return to Switzerland bearing gold, ivory and treasure - let us make Switzerland the greatest country on earth, lest we be left behind by those who would go ahead of us!

If you vote for the DOFAD expect to see:
- Exploration!
- Colonisation!
- The foundations of an overseas Swiss empire!

The Florentine School: (Diplomatic)

http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/7606/10212statue_of_justice.jpg

We are at the center of the world, and yet we are hated. Our merchants are spat on, our deregulators are viewed with fear and suspicion. This is not right. This is not Switzerland.

We bring a stronger idea to the table. Art.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9fiIrkrCXQo/SapVN58FM0I/AAAAAAAADqw/PjF32QnWkpI/s400/Bernini_David.jpg

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword. Is it not better to see the Swiss legends immortalised in history than forgotten, lost in dreams of plunder and greed? Is it not better to live forever, to leave a legacy that will have the young six hundred years from now looking back and being awestruck by the marvels wrought by those who swore by the Tower of Gold?

Please, Switzerland. Think of our future. Think of our legacy.

If you vote for the Florentine School expect to see:
- Art!
- Culture!
- Peace!

The New School: (Administrative)

http://www.oilpaintingsframes.com/images/10inch_tower_marble_gold-thumb.jpg

We in the New School see no need to present you with anything other than the facts. Switzerland needs money. To make money in this crushing environment it needs skilled economic managers and a policy of trade and innovation. We offer legitimate revenue streams. Our competitors will waste their money sailing ships off the edge of the earth or building statues that will be looted and end up in French museums when their pacifism gets us invaded.

If you vote for the New School, expect to see:
- Money!
- Sanity!
- A focus on Europe!

Cast your votes!

[Caewil]

DOFAD: If we want to colonise, we will have to start early to grab good locations before the better placed nations like Castille and Portugal do. Stuck back in the mediterranean, we will need access to a port on the atlantic and in the indian ocean to get decent range for our colony and trade ships to travel.

Onward to India! We want beachfront property on the Maldives!

The Pax Helvetica awaits!

We can ask for military access from everyone, explore the non-european centres of trade and open them to our merchants. The Indians/Chinese have horrible trade modifiers, so it's easy to place all five merchants. All we'd need is to take over a port like ceylon or the maldives.

[Artanis]

Let's go with DOFAD and pray that more warmongering doesn't bite us in the ass :smallwink:

[Altaria87]

The Florentine School. Colonisation, while an attractive prospect, is not our highest priority right now. We do need to get rid of the infamy associated with Switzerland, so our traders can once again rule the economic world. However, colonisation is an attractive prospect for the near future, the moment Switzerland are no logner looked upon with hardly concealed fear, we should set sail immediately!

[doliest]

DOFAD

Colonize, Colonize, Colonize! It's the only thing to do.

[Talkkno]

I'm voting for the The Florentine School, we only have a single shipyard, greatly reducing our ability to replace naval losses we are sure to incur against the might of Spain and England as we attempt to contest their attempts at colonization, a battle we are sure to lose.

[Fluff & Napalm]

Florentine School to better lull our enemies into a false sense of security.

[Raz_Fox]

The Florentine School is, despite the rumors floating about, not a haven for former nobility and Bohemian louts. It is our only hope for a truly Swiss future. To invade - oh, I'm sorry, deregulate - foreign countries should be completely anathema to our way of life. We need culture! Art! Well-paid art critics! The trade routes and economic gibberish can come later - we have a legacy to create.

[Rustic Dude]

The DOFAD. There are lots of land to discover, lots of ignorant people in dire need of our cultured deregulation overseas.

And of course, wealth like nobody has seen before.

[Kurgan]

While colonization and art are both commendable projects, they both require one thing: money. Tell me, how are we going to fund such ambitious projects? No, we need the New School in office for another term. Build up our coffers and reputation for a decade or two, and then we can explore the world.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Florentine School, same reason as before. We MUST get rid of the hatred pointed at us!

[Neon Knight]

DOFAD. A whole world awaits us, ripe for conquest and plunder, if only we are bold enough to reach out a hand and it take it!

[Caewil]

Wow, hotly contested election. But we don't need ships to explore foreign lands. Military access overland can be purchased easily enough. We can walk though Anatolia and the middle east on to India. Long journey, but worthwhile if we can find some poor minor to DoW and conquer.

[Thanqol]

Wow, hotly contested election. But we don't need ships to explore foreign lands. Military access overland can be purchased easily enough. We can walk though Anatolia and the middle east on to India. Long journey, but worthwhile if we can find some poor minor to DoW and conquer.

We have exactly one ship, a Carrak which was building at the time when we annexed Savoy. Since Nice isn't a core we can't build more ships for about 25 years. Noone said DOFAD has a good idea.

I might try and grab a piece of Morroco or Portugal for an Atlantic base to set the stage for further expansion.

The Long Walk to China might be the most hilarious military crusade preemptive deregulation ever though.

[Caewil]

We have exactly one ship, a Carrak which was building at the time when we annexed Savoy. Since Nice isn't a core we can't build more ships for about 25 years. Noone said DOFAD has a good idea.

I might try and grab a piece of Morroco or Portugal for an Atlantic base to set the stage for further expansion.

The Long Walk to China might be the most hilarious military crusade preemptive deregulation ever though.

With DW, you need a base nearby to get trade range. Used to be you could just explore and dominate every Asian CoT without any problems. Depending on the local situation, stealing a province can be helpful. The easiest would be to get military access and walk down the african coastline until we find some pagans. Infamy cheap CB and we can steal provinces directly. I favour Rhodesia for it's proximity to Asia and the GOLD.

[Misery Esquire]

DOFAD, with the world record breaking Longest Overland Military March in all of history.

[Mewtarthio]

Let's not mince words here: We are the bad guys right now. Parents in foreign nations tell their children that, if they don't eat their vegetables, the Swiss will deregulate them. This is not conducive to our trade ambitions. We need the Florentine School to remind the world we're not here to usher in the Apocalypse.

[Thanqol]

Let's not mince words here: We are the bad guys right now. Parents in foreign nations tell their children that, if they don't eat their vegetables, the Swiss will deregulate them.

This is the best summary of this LP.

[Caewil]

Let's not mince words here: We are the bad guys right now. Parents in foreign nations tell their children that, if they don't eat their vegetables, the Swiss will deregulate them. This is not conducive to our trade ambitions. We need the Florentine School to remind the world we're not here to usher in the Apocalypse.
Yes, but AFRICA! Let's be like this man:
http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/april2007/britemp8.jpg

Adventure! Safaris! Lions and Wilderbeeste! Gold and Diamonds!

The Africans need to be deregulated for their own good. We are bringing them civilisation on the end of a swiss pike.

[Thanqol]

DOFAD: 6
The Florentine School: 6
New School: 1

A tie vote is a terrible thing to waste. Voting closed, update coming.

[Thanqol]

1444-1475: Doge Nikolaus Bischofberger

Note: This is a long period. Essentially there was only so much we could do while waiting for the territory we'd taken from the Empire to core.

Game concept: Core
The majority of people in a province regard the nation's ownership as legitimate. Non core provinces are very useless until you can hold them for 50 years, when they become full fledged provinces.

There was a draw exactly down the middle of Swiss politics. The DOFAD and the Florentine School each had equal support from the Swiss public. Both sides had excellent points and the Tower of Gold could ill afford civil anarchy. So it was that the famed DOFAD Director, Otto Aebi, approached Nikolaus Bischofberger before the election and offered a daring proposal: A coalition of shared interests!

The DOFAD would recieve full financial support on it's colonial ventures, would be authorised to explore the world, and would be given the support of the Swiss diplomatic core. Limited deregulation of indigenous tribes would be permitted. In exchange, the DOFAD would refrain from deregulating European territory and antagonising the Emperor. The bargain was struck, and the Great Market Research began.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4016/2011051000001.jpg

The upper class, opportunistic as ever, immediately lobbied both sides to try and secure concessions and have their voices represented by the coalition. Both the Doge and the Director were wiser than to listen to their greedy demands.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9130/2011051000002.jpg

The DOFAD Director appointed Ulrich Schwendimann as the Explorator In Chief of the Swiss Market Research Floatilla. Ulrich is one of the world's most famous explorers, and he documented his travels well. The following entry will be from his diary:


Ulrich here. Interesting day. The Director came down and asked me if I knew anything about sailing. Told him I'd spent eight years in the British Navy. Sucker totally brought it and he named me the EIC of some ship. Told me to go explore the world. Piece of cake. This sailing thing should be a lark.


Ulrich here. The ocean's about the worst thing I've ever experienced. Hate the sailors, hate the food, hate the crew. Land's right over there and I keep wanting to get out of the boat and walk along the shore like a real Swiss man. When some natives decided to let us dock for repairs it was all I could do not to deregulate their scrappy nation on the spot and live there.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7214/2011051000003.jpg


Ulrich here. Hate Africa. Hate mosquitoes. Hate the natives, hate their stupid hats. Meet a few from time to time. Pulled up for repairs and gathering supplies the other day, some native came out of the bush and said this was his land. I deregulated him in the face. Left Europe hoping to find a place where pushy regulators wouldn't tell me what to do but it turns out that there's just as much garbage down in this hellhole. On the plus side, these heathens are easy to deregulate.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2981/2011051000004.jpg


Ulrich here. I didn't think it was possible to hate Africa more. Met another tribe. These savages had never seen a Swiss pike before. Changed that for them, ha! But then, you won't believe, one of them hit Gaelic with a spear. A spear! That's what he said when it hit him, "A spear". That Gaelic was always a master of the bleeding obvious, he was. You know, perhaps it's better he's gone. And you know what will be even better? When I'm out of Africa.

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/2258/2011051000006.jpg


Ulrich here. Wondering what's going on back home. Probably making some sodding foolish economic decisions, I'll bet. I think the DOFAD made a mistake letting these Florentine sops in charge. Next thing you know they're going to regulate and turn over regulation to any sop who drops the right bribe in the right place. No long term planning in these kids. Switzerland'll be poorer for it, just you see.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7473/2011051000007.jpg


Ulrich here. I'm starting to get a picture of how big the world is. We docked in Egypt the other month and we've gone on to sail East past Jeruselum. Pa always said that once you went more than a few miles East past Jeruselum there's a giant wall of red tape ten miles high. Turns out he was right. There's so much bloody regulation in this part of the world that I can't even secure a decent docking spot half the time. I did get caught up from some news back home, though - turns out the DOFAD is trying to organise a land route to send some men to come and join us. They're just being stopped by the bloody regulations of the bloody Ottomans. Just deregulatee your way through Anatolia the hard way, that's what I say

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5296/2011051000010.jpg


Yes! The DOFAD finally wrote back about my suggestion that all Swiss ships should be made out of Silver (so that it impresses the natives with how rich we are). Going to open it right now.


Explorator, stop mailing me every time a thought crosses your mind. Do your job.

- Sincerely, Otto Aebi.

CURSE YOU OTTO AEBI

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6910/2011051000012l.jpg


Discovered India. Feels kind of empty, you know? I thought I'd be respected, or maybe get a crown or a medal. Instead all I've got is a crew full of malaria and a ship made out of wood. By this point there's less silver aboard than there was in Rome after the Great Deregulation.

And that's not exactly nothing, you know? Discovering India? Do you know how many people have done that? None. I'm the first. I discovered India and charted a sea route from there to Switzerland, and I'm from a landlocked country. And who the heck knows about it? Nobody, that's who. Gonna keep sailing east. Maybe I'll find a cool country.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/5024/2011051000014.jpg


Discovered China and Japan. I don't even know why I bother these days. These countries have so much regulation it's like I never left Europe - bastards wouldn't even trade with us. I'm going to take my men and sail south. Maybe I'll find a country that doesn't need a deregulation up the back passage.

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1237/2011051000016.jpg


I've got a good feeling about this, actually. I'm sure whatever country I discover next will turn out to be not a total pile of dog droppings! Maybe I'll find a place with some nice weather, without any poisonous animals. Maybe another Switzerland, a land of peace and harmoy hidden here at the bottom of the world! Let's take a look.

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/2236/2011051000020.jpg


...

Screw this for an Austrian lawyer.

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1371/2011051000018.jpg

*

And so ends the narrative of the Explorator Ulrich, one of the most famous men in history. Shortly after his death the Swiss DOFAD managed to FINALLY secure an open border arrangement with the Ottomans after spending nearly twelve years in negotiations. If the DOFAD needed another reason to champion aggressive deregulation, the Ottoman diplomats certainly provided one.

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/9461/2011051000022.jpg

Soon thereafter, the DOFAD lived up to an election promise and marched nine thousand men and horses across Europe, through Anatolia, across the Middle East and into the heart of Asia and into India. Three divisions of specialised Deregulators led the charge. The logistics involved were terrifying, as always, but Otto Aebi ensured the men were fed and equipped.

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9875/2011051000024.jpg

Soon after the DOFAD Expeditionary Force hit another nation that refused to allow military access to the Swiss. The Swiss had simply had enough and Deregulated the country without waiting for justification. And the feeling of finally getting a good Deregulation in after 32 years of peace absolutely galvanized the entire country.

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/3528/2011051000026.jpg

As the DOFAD wrapped up it's first full scale Deregulation since 1427, Otto Aebi finally passed on. A national day of mourning was declared to rest this champion of the Free Market, and the Director was buried outside his country home in Bern.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9426/2011051000027.jpg

The province of Indus was added to the DSPS. It would provide a perfect base for the Deregulation of India and trade with global markets.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2774/2011051100001.jpg

Back in Europe, things were stable. The Swiss had even finally deregulated the chaotic and messy system of weights and measures and established a simple, clear and sensible system. They had further deregulated ancient monopolies and opened many previously stalled markets to free trade and competion. The Swiss economy was finally starting to recover. Honesty was the order of the day, in comparison to the corrupt, mercantilistic markets of their neighbours. The Swiss markets began to boom with riches from China and India.

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/9408/2011051100007.jpg

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/1465/2011051100008.jpg

It was in 1471 that the coalition of 30 years finally fell apart. The people of Tyrol had declared their allegiance to the Swiss flag and begged their wealthy neighbour to release them from the tyrant grip of Austria. The DOFAD could not allow Swiss patriots to be oppressed and launched a huge Deregulatory effort, calculating that Austria could not afford a prolonged war.

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/1469/2011051100011.jpg

This turned out to be a huge blunder. Austria's armies met the crack DOFAD armies in the mountains of Tyrol and an absolute bloodbath ensued. Tens of thousands lay dead on both sides and, reeling, both sides backed off and declared a ceasefire. Switzerland had come out the better and had both deregulated and integrated Tyrol and forced Austria to swear never to seek to take the territory back. But the war could so easily have swung in the other direction that Swiss complacency and belief in their own invincibility was sorely shaken.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3223/2011051100016.jpg

Furthermore the Doge could not countenance the agreement between the Florentine School and the DOFAD being broken, not even for reasons as honest as the freeing of desperate countrymen from the tyranny of economic mismanagement. With the final legal acceptance of Verona and Bresica by the courts of Europe as Swiss territory, and with Savoy's territory to follow soon after, the Doge of Switzerland called an election with several critical topics.


The Great Election:

1) The Holy Roman Emperor has began a great expansion of his power. He is claiming ever more taxes, more legal authority, and more glory for himself at the expense of the states. Switzerland is under the Emperor's aegis but finds herself increasingly wondering if it is a shield worth paying for.

The proposal has been mooted that Switzerland has become powerful enough to withdraw from the petty collective of kings and bishops that make up the Holy Roman Empire. Such a move is not easy, or even wise, but it will mean that Switzerland will never be asked to bend knee to another king.

Should we start proceedings to reject the Emperor? Aye or nay!

2) Switzerland finds itself in a position almost ripe for sending out colonies to the world. We have three options:

To take Africa! A huge, empty, barren and desolate land where life seems impossible. It has the advantage of being close to home and weak natives.

To take India! An amazingly rich and amazingly populous subcontinent, but it poses genuine military and logistics issues to even contest, and more to hold afterwards.

To take Asia! The Southeast Asian islands are safe, distant and will provide great income in sugar and spice. They will also prove an excellent staging ground for possible deregulation of China and Japan.

3) The alliance between the DOFAD and the Florentine school has crumbled, and Swiss politics, so long stable, have begun to redefine themselves once again. New political parties are forming in response to the first election in thirty years without a predetermined outcome. Three thought patterns are establishing within the tower of Gold. Vote for one, and the dominant thought pattern will define the nature of the parties that appear at the next election.

- Imperialism and Deregulation
- Republicanism and Freedom
- Finance and Economics

Cast your votes.

[Artanis]

Yay maps! I like maps, they give a good idea of what's going on. Speaking of which, can we have a world map, by any chance? :smallsmile:


This election is a tough one.

1) We barely survived taking on Austria, I don't think that pissing off the Emperor would be a good idea, no matter how much we may want to. Our day is coming and coming soon, but I believe that the battle against Austria showed that that day has not quite come yet. For now, don't piss off the Emperor. Yet.

2) I have no idea what our reach really is in terms of overseas stuff. India seems like a bad idea, and I think it would be catastrophic if we do decide to break with the Emperor. So India is out, as far as I'm concerned. That leaves Asia vs. Africa, and I'd say focus on Asia, but not to the complete exclusion of Africa. There might be something worth deregulating in Africa, and even if there isn't, it'd probably be worthwhile at least to have a port of call or two on the Dark Continent for our ships to stop at for supplies and repairs.

3) This is another tough one, mainly because I don't know just how valuable deregulation of Asia (and, as I said, one or two provinces in Africa) would be. If we can get away with it, go with imperialism/deregulation in Asia, trying not to ruin our rep in Europe as we do so.

[Kurgan]

While breaking from the emperor sounds like a good idea, it is not something we can afford to do at this point. We barely held our own against Austria, against the full might of the emperor, we might find ourselves being regulated. I vote nay.

Where should we colonize? India! We own a base of operations there already, and have 9,000 soldiers just waiting for orders. I say, next opportunity we get, we begin picking off some of the primitives that live there.

Our finances are currently doing fine, and our reputation has improved (somewhat), so now is the time for Imperialism and Deregulation.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

1. I vote, for the moment, Nay. We need to become more powerful if we are too make it out of the empire.

2. India is tricky, because it's not COLONIZATION as such, it's conquering. So, there's more to lose. However, the priiiiize... Asia's way too far away... I vote Asia, with various bases in Africa to get there, for supply and such.


3. It is clear that my goals of building a more peaceful, purely financial power aren't going to fly. In my opinion, we are far to gone for anything but Imperialism and Deregulation to be the main issue.

[Neon Knight]

1. Nay. A second front on our doorstep would only slow down our efforts overseas.

2. Hmmm. A difficult decision, but I say... To Asia! More valuable than Africa, and easier initially than India.

....

We could hit Australia, though. Just for the lulz.

3. Imperialism and Deregulation.

[Caewil]

1. Nay. We'd lose out on the nice tech cost reduction as well.

2. Colonies in Asia grow slowly owing to the tropical penalties. We should concentrate on India first to get better colony range and seize a few strategic ports on the west african coast for later access to Brazil.

3. Imperialism and Deregulation

Also, I'm not sure if Japan can be deregulated. The Japanese Emperor thing may be buggy and prevent people from taking land unless Japan is united.

[Raz_Fox]

Let's give all of Europe yet another reason to view Switzerland as a land of savage deregulators, that's a great idea. Nay is the only sensible suggestion.

As for expansion, we must move towards Asia. Any Hispanic or Italian johnny-come-twoshoes could colonize Africa, and we do not currently have the strength to take far-off India. This leaves the fair and virgin isles of Asia as ours for the taking.

And unfortunately, I am forced to concede that we are too far gone down the long and winding path of deregulation to do anything less than focus on Imperialism and Deregulation.

[SiuiS]

DOFAD, with the world record breaking Longest Overland Military March in all of history.

This is hilarious, though it ended poorly.

I say neigh. Austria broke our momentum. The empire is a conglomeration of Austrias under the papal tiara- a cult of personality. Colonize and conquer around them, make it obvious that in the future, they will have to be the ones to pick the fight. And that it's not a fight they can afford to pick.

Imperialism is the way to go. I suggest India as our prime target. Far enough, prosperous enough and populated enough for a vigorous and worthwhile challenge, with suitable rewards.

We are the gilded iron bogeymen of all europe. A target who doesn't understand our strengths, or our weaknesses, would be best. The Indian people see a base of 9,000 soldiers. What they don't see is the poised economic powerhouse behind those soldiers.

[Thanqol]

This one went in a landslide. Going to call it there and do the update.

In the meantime, here's a world map (http://imageshack.us/m/21/91/eu3mapswi1475343.jpg)

[Pathicus]

1) Ours is the Switzerland that will pierce the heavens! Let's be bold, let's be outrageous...let's do something rash. Let's do something no other nation would believe workable, and make it work! Aye! Aye I say!. I mean really what's the worst that could happen...?:smallamused:

2) To South-East Asia! Where there is money to be made, and where we can plot further deregulations.

3) I wish I could say I was tempted by republicanism and freedom, but I'm a pettier man than that. I am, like all Swiss, an imperial deregulator.

Edit: Voting after voting closed. I blame Thanqol. I will leave my words here for the benefit of posterity. But know that I consider you all cowards on the question of the Holy Roman Empire.

[SiuiS]

1) Ours is the Switzerland that will pierce the heavens! Let's be bold, let's be outrageous...let's do something rash. Let's do something no other nation would believe workable, and make it work! Aye! Aye I say!. I mean really what's the worst that could happen...?:smallamused:

2) To South-East Asia! Where there is money to be made, and where we can plot further deregulations.

3) I wish I could say I was tempted by republicanism and freedom, but I'm a pettier man than that. I am, like all Swiss, an imperial deregulator.

Edit: Voting after voting closed. I blame Thanqol. I will leave my words here for the benefit of posterity. But know that I consider you all cowards on the question of the Holy Roman Empire.

Fear not for your integrity, friend. Freedom! Republicanism! These things are good in their time and place. But a man does not leave his sheep in pasture amongst the wolves. First, you build the fence around the pasture, and train the hounds to keep watch.

No, so long as the world remains wolf and not hound, we cannot trust our lives, our assets, to the wild. I have all Trust that when we as a people can give the world free reign, we will. The Swiss are not monsters, but as a people, we areresolute.

As for 'aye', well. I approve! But I cannot countenance sending good Swiss men in to do a battle I wouldn't trust in my own hands. No, I will wait until I am confident we would be doing to right thing.

[Thanqol]

1475-1490: The Reign of Four Doges

Note: This update happened because inflation had capped 12% and our first National Idea was to counter inflation. We even got a mission to bring our Inflation below 6%

The one constant in Swiss politics at this time was the belief that Switzerland had the right to deregulate the world. The public had spoken and many parties with many beliefs rose and fell over the fifteen year period known historically as the Reign of Four Doges.

The first to rise was a DOFAD candidate named Ruprecht von Hasseln. A brilliant strategist but so narrow minded that he reminded many of the Doge Oberholzer

http://imageshack.us/m/98/6891/2011051100022.jpg

Immediately, Hasseln began preparations to expand the DOFAD Mobile wing. He was immediately vetoed by the Tower of Gold.

The Tower of Gold was the fundamental power in Swiss politics, and for the first time in a long time it rasied it's head. The currency had been devalued to dangerous levels by short sighted policies of previous Doges and inflation had passed ten percent. The Tower of Gold announced a complete mortium on all discretionary spending until the budget was brought under control.

This was poorly received by the Swiss. Having grown so used to being the richest country on Earth, the Swiss people had forgotten the harsh realities of sound economic management. Switzerland, said the Tower of Gold, was in danger of becoming another bankrupt, petty german minor. Switzerland's awaking was unpleasant.

http://imageshack.us/m/69/4296/2011051100023.jpg

The Tower of Gold went on to make the point that Swiss Deregulation had not led anywhere. Even after several massive deregulations, the Swiss were trading only in their own capital of Bern, in Egypt and in China. Switzerland had almost become as mercantilistic as their neighbours! The Tower of Gold supported the rise of a new Doge in the next election, one Matthieu Combie, who was able to renovate the great Swiss Merchant Army.

http://imageshack.us/m/52/3279/2011051100025.jpg

Soon afterwards, the provinces Deregulated from Savoy were properly integrated into Switzerland. Immediately Doge Combie set in motions plans to deregulate and integrate Genoa. This, too, was vetoed by the Tower of Gold. The move was short sighted and driven by ideology and would damage the struggling Swiss recovery.

http://imageshack.us/m/705/7747/2011051100026.jpg

The Tower of Gold was powerless to combat the public mood in Switzerland, though, and when several hundred colonists left for the Canaries and Cape Verde off the coast of Africa the Tower of Gold could do nothing but rebalance the budget and curse.

http://imageshack.us/m/862/9953/2011051100028.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/508/7857/2011051100029.jpg

The war against Austria had some positive effects, though - the people of Tirol were fast to embrace Swiss culture and prove their gratitude for their deregulation.

http://imageshack.us/m/21/3972/2011051100030.jpg

But the failure to carry through on his election promises and his poor handling of an insurrection in Indus cost Doge Combie his job. Florain Frisch soon took his place, but was nervous - the Tower of Gold had shut down both of his predecessors and made it impossible for them to maintain support over more than one term. How could he do any different?

http://imageshack.us/m/5/7371/2011051100032.jpg

The answer was that he could not. The Tower of Gold applied so much money to the control of Swiss politics that Frisch spent most of his time in office as a figurehead. He presided over absolutely nothing of note and, indeed, the best that can be said about him was that he kept the chair warm for Stefan Aebi.

http://imageshack.us/m/38/8444/2011051100037.jpg

But Stefan Aebi was a man worth keeping a chair warm for. Grandson of the legendary Otto Aebi of the Department of Finance and Deregulation, Doge Stefan Aebi was one of the smartest men in Europe. Rather than butting heads uselessly with the Tower of Gold by begging for more funding, he made do with what he had. He first organised a complete reformation of the DOFAD's outdated military tactics.

The DOFAD suddenly became one of the most powerful armies in Europe and other nations scrambled to copy them - and this was without spending one additional cent on more soldiers.

http://imageshack.us/m/687/7647/2011051100039.jpg

Secondly, Aebi finished his grandfather's legacy and perfected the Free Market. Finally, Switzerland had mastered the practice of trade and was living up to the ideal it held most dear.

http://imageshack.us/m/864/5958/2011051100040s.jpg

And finally, Aebi turned the Austrian's favourite trick back upon them: Litigation. The Doge perfectly handled a lawsuit that proved uncontrovertably that the province of Sundgau historically belonged to the Swiss and won Switzerland vast respect.

http://imageshack.us/m/339/9930/2011051100041.jpg

Note: Also notable in this screenshot:
- Our infamy has finally dropped from a peak of 27 to 4. We're cool for more Deregulation now.
- Look at our merchants and trade income, good gracious. At this point we're currently contesting almost every center of trade in the world and our income is out of control.
- Inflation is back down to 8.9%.

Sundgau has historically been a bother for Switzerland. From a military perspective, it allows enemy armies to walk right into Bern. From a diplomatic perspective, the people there are historically Swiss. From an administrative perspective, the province's annexation would allow some of the huge wealth that pours from Bern to improve the province. There are a lot of very, very good reasons to take it.

http://imageshack.us/m/135/2871/2011051100042.jpg

Furthermore, the Doge has provided perfect justification for claiming it; the Holy Roman Emperor tacitly accepts Switzerland's right to take the province. There is one problem: Austria will not relinquish it without a fight.

Austria is a major military power and Switzerland is not guaranteed a victory against her. However, this could be a perfect window for the Swiss to strike. We have a technological edge, the Emperor in Barvia will not come to Austria's aid and their only other ally is Crete, while we have the backing of the entire DSPS. The DOFAD seems confident that this war will go hugely better than the last one.

But to begin another land war in Europe we need the conscent of the Swiss public. And while every party can agree on the Doge Aebi's track record and leadership, there are a number of different competing opinions on where he should focus his time.


Voting:

First: War with Austria, Aye or Nay?

Second: Which party should lead us?

The Department of Finance And Deregulation: (Administrative)

http://www.finance.gov.au/Publications/annual-reports/annualreport07-08/_lib/img/financegroup2008.jpg

As much as it pains us to say, involving ourselves in Europe is not in our best interests right now. There are two paths to Deregulation - deregulating regulated markets, or expanding deregulated markets. We are on the cusp of bringing civilisation to Asia so long as we don't get invaded back home.

The Florentine School: (Diplomatic)

http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/7606/10212statue_of_justice.jpg

Quite the opposite to our DOFAD colleagues, Europe is where civilisation is. Within the DSPS there are thousands of artists, scholars and geniuses that are kept in a state of subservient second-class citizenship. By deregulating the DSPS and uniting a greater Swiss Republic we will advance the cause of humanity as a whole.

One Market: (Military)

http://www.mcmconsultants.co.uk/pic_map.gif

The DOFAD has lost it's way, has become too focused on overseas exploration and colonial conquest. The One Market is the part of the DOFAD that remembers our mission. The One Market has a dream.

A single market, named "Germany". Every man, woman and child in the Holy Roman Empire united under the Red Cross. All of Europe freed from tyrrany. The weight of history is behind us, and though the cost will be great, the Swiss have a duty to be great.

Cast your votes.

[Caewil]

War with Austria: Aye!

I honestly like all three options, however we need seaside provinces to build docks, drydocks and shipyards. These all improve the prices of colonial goods.

Therefore, it is not in our best interest to deregulate the inland provinces in europe but instead to expand in India and SEA. The holy war casus beli, which allows us to take adjacent heathen provinces for 1 bb, runs out in 1650 so it's best to make as much use of it as possible early on.

Therefore DOFAD!

Also, we have a lot of trade income. National Trade policy would boost that even higher. Yum.

[Kurgan]

We must protect Bern from Austria, and capturing Sundgau looks to be the easiest way to do it. Austria is strong, but it is not Swiss strong. We can take whatever they throw at us. I say aye to war.

I must vote for DOFAD. We have already begun colonizing Africa, and the income from abroad will help us to deregulate Europe at a later date. India and Asia are ripe for the picking, but we must take them before the rest of Europe becomes aware of their existence and...regulates them.

[SiuiS]

I too, say YES, to war with Austria, and YES to the continuation of the DOFAD.

But tell me, friends. When will the time to strike at europe's heart be ripe? When they have grown strong off of our policies? When every other nation amongst the empire is half our strength, then the whole will be too much. I will stay my vote from the One Market for now, but remember! We must not be slaves to momentum. Continuation of outdated policies will be the death of us. If there is eve a sliver of a chance we can unite Europe under our banner, I say to you; why do we not do so now?

[Caewil]

The infamy would be much higher for one. Secondly, with our ridiculous trade income, we'll race up in technology far ahead of even the other europeans. Frankly, we still lack the manpower for prolonged wars. When we have the same manpower as France may be a good time to strike.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

AYE, DOFAD. That is all.

[Altaria87]

Aye and DOFAD
So, I take it that we are no longer in the scary-bedtime-stories-for-foreign-children position?

[Artanis]

I say aye to war with Austria. If we can beat them, our most fervent rival will be broken and it will show even the greatest powers that invading us may be far too costly for any benefit they may gain.

I vote for DOFAD. We simply don't have the manpower it will take to unify Germany under the Swiss banner, and even if we somehow do manage it, it will do little more than make us a target for great powers like Castille and France. Overseas colonization is the future, and we must seize upon that fact if we are to rule the future.



This one went in a landslide. Going to call it there and do the update.

In the meantime, here's a world map (http://imageshack.us/m/21/91/eu3mapswi1475343.jpg)

Sweet, thank you! :smallbiggrin:

[The_JJ]

Aye and The Florentine School

[Neon Knight]

Aye, One Market.

[Pathicus]

Any excessive engagement within europe will just lead to a giant mess that threatens our very existence. Nay to the War! and may DoFaD lead us into the future!

[Thanqol]

The war and DOFAD both have clear majorities. Update coming.

[Thanqol]

1490-1509: Doge Stefan Aebi and Doge Edmondo Munzinger

War was declared. As usual, the fresh, crisp Swiss DOFAD arose with full public support and total legal justification and struck a nation that had bankrupted itself to pay for it's own mad campaigns. Deregulation and salvation were the same thing to the suffering people of Austria.

http://imageshack.us/m/90/4084/2011051200001.jpg

And then, in one of the most curious strokes of fortune in Swiss history, the Austrians annexed Venice and destroyed the Venitian League forever. Switzerland's greatest rival had ceased to exist and the Swiss were in a perfect position to capitalise on it

http://imageshack.us/m/34/9089/2011051200002.jpg

The Swiss had superior logistics, technology, military drill and six allied nations but the Austrians were amazing warriors. Even crippled by overtaxation, undersupplied and underequipped they were capable of dealing enormous losses to the DOFAD elite forces.

http://imageshack.us/m/34/9089/2011051200002.jpg

But the weight of history was against them. The Austrians came to have a saying, "An avalanche of gold" to refer to the way that money poured down from the Swiss mountains and buried entire armies. The Swiss bore the brunt of the campaign's losses, and the DSPS members sealed the deal.

http://imageshack.us/m/42/6097/2011051200005.jpg

Austria's allied nation of Trier was acquired by the DOFAD and added to the DSPS. Yet another backwards theocracy was deregulated and made into a sensible Swiss republic.

http://imageshack.us/m/194/7056/2011051200007.jpg

Soon after, Austria likewise collaped. The Swiss negotiated not only the acquisition of Sundgau but also all of Venice's former territory, providing them with the spectacular wealth of their former archrival's center of trade.

http://imageshack.us/m/838/7969/2011051200008.jpg

The Deregulated Swiss Prosperity Sphere had risen to unprecedented new size. While Switzerland had not grown hugely in terms of sheer territory, the Red Cross now represented a huge amount of Europe.

http://imageshack.us/m/852/1056/2011051200009.jpg

Meanwhile, the Doge turned his sights south. Milan had long been a problem for Switzerland - refusing to join the DSPS while sitting right within it's heart. The Milanese had long been overdue for a Deregulation - even it's own people cried out for Swiss Deregulation.

This wave of public opinion was not confined to Milan. Baden, a DSPS member, also suffered great popular revolts from people demanding to join the spectacularly wealthy Switzerland. This huge lower-class popularity made foreign rulers nervous, worried that a great tide of public opinion would sweep them away.

http://imageshack.us/m/571/386/2011051200010.jpg

However, apart from the ingenious leadership of Otto Aebi, the Swiss people had lacked interesting government personalities for a long time. Instead, an endless series of barely competent and unmemorable bureaucrats passed through Swiss halls. Fortunately, the Tower of Gold uncovered a true genius at long last - a man named Emmanuel Gasenzer, who stood at the forefront of Science and knew the true character of the world.

http://imageshack.us/m/713/6823/2011051200011.jpg

Elsewhere, the other Great Trade League of Genoa was finally integrated into Switzerland proper. Now all three Great Cities - Venice, Genoa and Bern - were united under the Swiss flag. The only trade league left in Europe was the Hasana, a country that spent most of it's time excommunicated by the Pope.

http://imageshack.us/m/848/1363/2011051200012.jpg

It wasn't long before Emmanuel Gasenzer truly proved his worth to Switzerland by building the most complete observatory in the world, named the Eye of the Mountains, which along with the Tower of Gold and the Song Gardens became a symbol of Switzerland - and the start of it's own political party.

http://imageshack.us/m/864/5646/2011051200014.jpg

Stefan Aebi went to visit the newly finished Eye of the Mountains but, tragically, an avalance struck his party as it approached the observatory and the greatest mind in Switzerland passed away. Whispers said that Gasenzer had used his sorcery to kill Aebi but these were dismissed by the learned as the wagging tongues of ignorant peasants.

http://imageshack.us/m/405/5113/2011051200015.jpg

Doge Edmondo Munzinger was elected in Aebi's place, as the DOFAD enjoyed the most popular support in Switzerland at the time. He was not as competent as his predecessor, but then, none were. Edmondo was a quiet and pious man who liked maps and would spend most of his time in his room with enormous maps of the world.

http://imageshack.us/m/840/3204/2011051200016.jpg

Doge Munzinger authorised a limited deregulation of Milanese territory, as authorised by the Emperor, including adding it to the DSPS. The war was uneventful - with the adding of cannon to the Swiss army, the DOFAD was invincible.

http://imageshack.us/m/819/1304/2011051200017.jpg

The DOFAD was preparing a vast array of men and material for 1510 when they would be able to launch a huge colonisation effort of Southeast Asia, in preparation for a greater Deregulation. But something happened that would cast all of the assumptions that held the world together in doubt.

A man named Luther walked to a church in Holstein and nailed a letter to a door.

And nothing would ever be the same again.

http://imageshack.us/m/842/6050/2011051200020.jpg

This is a religious map of Europe in 1502. Yellow is Catholic, Gold is Orthodox, Blue is Protestant, Green is Islam.

http://imageshack.us/m/641/5229/2011051200021.jpg

This is Europe two years later...

http://imageshack.us/m/9/3971/2011051200022.jpg

One year later...

http://imageshack.us/m/832/6955/2011051200023.jpg

Two more years later...

http://imageshack.us/m/192/4927/2011051200025.jpg

And today. And this thing hasn't stopped spreading.

http://imageshack.us/m/688/3812/2011051200029.jpg


The Swiss, long unconcerned with Religion, suddenly face a choice. The Pope is their vassal but the mighty island nation and Defender of the Catholic Faith, Great Britain, is not, and Great Britain has made a great proclaimation to be obeyed by all loyal Catholics everywhere: To burn the heretic and restore sanity to the Church.

http://imageshack.us/m/577/3474/2011051200028.jpg

And Switzerland finds itself having to decide.


Option One: THE COUNTER REFORMATION

The Catholic faith is, despite the spread of the Heresies, the faith followed by the majority of Swiss people. With policies to discourage heretical thought and sponsor the old authority of the Church, we can close this chapter of our history before our nation tears itself apart in the fires of civil war.

The reasons to vote for the Counter Reformation include:
- Easier colonisation!
- Minimal religious turbulence!
- We'll keep hold of the DSPS with minimal pain!
- We won't all burn in Hell for our sins!

Option Two: THE PROTESTANT FAITH

The Protestant Faith has taken root in the capital of Bern and spread across the north of Switzerland. Whilst in the minority, Protestantism offers several remarkable advantages, such as hugely increased contentment amongst the lower classes and greater tolerance of those who do not think the same way.

The reasons to vote for Protestantism include:
- Greater production!
- Less Church authority!
- Hugely improved relations with other Protestant countries!
- Immunity from Excommunication and an escape from Papal authority!

Option Three: THE REFORMED FAITH

Unlike Protestantism, the Reformed Faith is a uniquely Swiss invention. Based off the legacy of Smallet, founder of the Reich of Heaven, the Reformed religion believes in the supremacy of trade, and the rights of man. Peace, democracy, egalitarianism and humanism are the marks of the Reformed Faith - and it carries with it the backing of Poland, who has already formally converted.

Emmanuel Gasenzer has cast his full suport behind the Reformed Faith and preaches of a secular society where all religions are free and equal.

The reasons to vote for Reformed include:
- Tolerance and humanism!
- Trade!
- Democracy!
- A permanently innovative and scientific approach to the world!


So speak to your priests, pick which God you will worship, cast your vote and may God have mercy on our souls.

[Caewil]

I'd say go for the Reformed faith, if only because it's historical. We should also become defenders of that faith if at all possible. It has almost as good bonuses for colonising as catholicism, whereas to go protestant would lose us 0.5 colonists per year.

Besides which, being highly free subjects and innovative will make most of our provinces convert anyway. Within a few years, I'd be suprised to see many catholic provinces remaining in Switzerland.

[SiuiS]

Wow. I am caught between the Protestant and reformed faiths. Rather than one or the other, then, I want to cast a reverse vote on Catholicism. One way or another, we must be ot from under the thumb of papal tyranny.

I will of course be more decisive if this does not suffice, but for now... I bide.

[Artanis]

Wow, we're becoming quite the Power, aren't we? :smallbiggrin:

What worries me is the Great Powers to the west: Britain, France, and Castille. Especially Castille. We're becoming a tasty target, and Castille might take exception to our overseas ambition given their own obvious taste for inter-continental expansion.


Edit: Oh, right, a vote :smallredface:

I'm going to say Protestantism. It's spreading, and spreading FAST, and all that blue in France is a good sign if we choose to follow Luther. Meanwhile, Poland is too far away to help if we really really need it, and the Reich of Heaven has never been popular anyways. It also seems kinda hypocritical to go with Catholocism thanks to all our disagreements with Rome (not to mention that Austria is Catholic, which in and of itself is a perfectly good reason not to go with it). I do worry about irking Britain though.

[Altaria87]

For long, I have voted against any option which would strengthen the hold of Religion on the Swiss. But now, we have a perfect chance to make Religion be as one witht he Swiss mentality. The Reformed Faith is the way forward!

[Mewtarthio]

Reformed!

Wait, the Pope is our vassal? When did that happen?

[Artanis]

Wait, the Pope is our vassal? When did that happen?

I think it was after we invaded Rome for the third time.

[The_JJ]

Huldrych Zwingli forever! Reformed!

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Huldrych Zwingli forever! Reformed!

Mmm, Reformed or Protestant... Let's go with Protestant. It looks to me like France is going quickly Protestant, and that is a VERY good sign.

[Kurgan]

Trade and innovation seem to be the two cornerstones of our great republic. Therefore, I say we embrace the Reformed faith as our official religion. Lets face it, it is a faith of deregulation.

[Thanqol]

1509-1537: Doge Edmondo Munzinger

Doge Edmondo Munzinger laboured his entire life under the word "Competent". Yes, he was competent. Yes, he was a skilled administrator. But he was the successor to Stefan Aebi, who was a legend. Munzinger tried, tried, tried his entire life to raise above "Competent" and into "Legendary" but he never quite made it. It didn't help that he hated art, starved the cultural tradition of the Swiss via neglect, and had an utterly boring family life. People in centuries hence would talk about the clash of ideas and the Swiss Reformation, about the beginnings of the Swiss Colonial Empire...

But Doge Munzinger just happened to be the man in charge at the time.

http://imageshack.us/m/687/648/2011051300001.jpg

With the Reich of Heaven finally taking the center stage of Swiss politics, united under the banner of the sorcerer Emmanuel Gasenzer, the old ways were shattered forever. Money reigned supreme at last, and God's monopoly was challenged - and deregulated.

Fear the Swiss, for they would deregulate Heaven Itself.

http://imageshack.us/m/855/1322/2011051300002.jpg

Both Poland and Lithuania joined Switzerland in following the ideals of Smallet, Democracy, Trade and Freedom. The DSPS grew to it's greatest extent ever.

http://imageshack.us/m/713/4101/2011051300003.jpg

Gasenzer and the Eye of Heaven had become the emblem of the Divine Deregulation, and used the great upheaval and collapse of the old ways to spark a scientific revolution and open the closed minds of the masses. Great philosphers and geniuses arose as even the barriers in people's minds and souls were deregulated, and the shrill voices of the old ways grew ever more desperate.

http://imageshack.us/m/546/8458/2011051300004.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/708/9451/2011051300006.jpg

Swiss colonies in the Carrabian suffered legendary problems with pirates, but the Swiss had calculated cunningly - the Portugese navy would keep the sea lanes clear, and the few islands Switzerland had claimed would provide a constant bounty in sugar.

http://imageshack.us/m/402/9002/2011051300007.jpg

Gasener finally played out the ultimate step in his great plan. He visited the Pope in Rome, who still had to bow knee to the Swiss who had deregulated the Papal market, and ordered him to officially endorse the Reformed faith as equal to the Catholic one. The unthinkable happened; a Pope stood on a stage together with a Reformed Priest and the two shook hands.

And two impossible, incompatible viewpoints were equal.

Fear not the heretic, for he is thy brother.

http://imageshack.us/m/15/8521/2011051300008.jpg

Less interestingly, the Tower of Gold had something of a row about trade policy. Passions ran high, drinks were involved, and the Minister for the Interior ended up punching the Director of Deregulation in the face. After a brief but memorable brawl, as depicted by the artist Leonardo Da Vinci of Switzerland in his famed masterpiece "Efficiency", the Swiss came to a resolution about their trade policy.

http://imageshack.us/m/863/3707/2011051300011.jpg

Not all was right in the world, though - Great Britain had been drawn into a war with Poland and soundly defeated the Polish armies. The event spooked the Swiss, and they were ready to provide assistance, but the Polish were too proud to even summon their allies. The war was lost, but Poland suffered little more than a humiliation.

http://imageshack.us/m/812/5345/2011051300012.jpg

Doge Munzinger solidified his unpopularity with the public by deregulating the estates of one of the richest merchants in Switzerland, over the Florentine School's desperate cries that his wealth should have been used to finance a great work of art. Munzinger responded to the Florentine School by saying, "If you have forgotten the value of three hundred ducats, you are no longer Swiss."

http://imageshack.us/m/189/9113/2011051300015.jpg

Switzerland continued to allow free thought, religion and education amongst the masses. They caught a lot of disdain for it. The King of England reportedly quipped, "When the Swiss find out that the commoners have no good ideas, they'll start asking the pigs."

http://imageshack.us/m/607/4553/2011051300018.jpg

But the policies were wise and the revolution finally finished: All were equal in God's eyes and Switzerland was once again the most tolerant nation on Earth. God be praised!

http://imageshack.us/m/231/6893/2011051300019.jpg

With that finally out of the way, it was finally time to go deregulate some heathen filth.

http://imageshack.us/m/64/5088/2011051300021.jpg

There was no way these backwards, mercantilistic idiots could hope to compare to a modern Swiss DOFAD Wing. A quick round from good Swiss muskets followed by a traditional Swiss Piking opened a lot of markets.

http://imageshack.us/m/685/8301/2011051300026.jpg

The Holy Roman Emperor attempted to order the Swiss republic to pay 10% of her yearly income to the Austrian crown. The Swiss discussed the possibility of Deregulation or a legal battle but settled for just bribing all the judges in Germany to declare the motion illegal.

http://imageshack.us/m/339/522/2011051300027.jpg

Europe had been shaken to it's foundations by the revolutions. While Germany's heartland, along with Spain and England, remained Catholic, France had declared itself the sole Protestant power - in part due to their refusal to bow to a Pope who was a Swiss puppet - and Poland and Lithuania stood behind the principles of Smallet and Reformation.

http://imageshack.us/m/219/9917/2011051300028.jpg

The DOFAD continued their campaign in Southeast Asia. The war grew so tedious that even the Swiss public grew bored of hearing of spectacular victories. Tellingly, even the Swiss navy, which consisted entirely of transport ships, repeatedly defeated and captured the heathen capital ships.

http://imageshack.us/m/222/1433/2011051300031.jpg

An ultra-Modern Swiss army, raised in the Indus Valley and armed with cannon, musket and pike marched into Northern India simply because it was oppertune. The DOFAD had decided that they might as well deregulate as much of India as they could while they were in power and leave it to their more philosophical successors to determine what to do with it.

http://imageshack.us/m/857/589/2011051300033.jpg

The situation in East Asia resolved itself to satisfaction, with Switzerland claiming the region's center of trade. The DOFAD set plans in motion to capture the rest of the territory while expanding colonisation efforts.

http://imageshack.us/m/714/9849/2011051300037.jpg

A philosopher of the most unusual sort arose from these events. He was a Herberlin, Johan Herberlin and direct descendant from Otto Herberlin. He said that it was Switzerland's duty to Deregulate as much of Asia and India as possible before the backwards nations of Europe arrived. The DOFAD offered him a job, and Herberlin soon arose to become Director of the Department of Finance and Deregulation's Asia-Pacific Region (DOFAD APR).

http://imageshack.us/m/638/2522/2011051300038.jpg

In a way, it didn't matter that DOFAD had just appointed a philosopher Commander in Chief, because the backwards forces of India were no match for Deregulation.

http://imageshack.us/m/9/5619/2011051300041.jpg

A huge swathe of the Indian coast was claimed, including yet another fabulously wealthy center of trade.

http://imageshack.us/m/96/9169/2011051300045.jpg

Herberlin did make his mark with a stroke of genius: He merged the DOFAD with the East Indian Trade Company. This rose the DOFAD from "Political powerhouse" to almost the level of "Nation Allied with Switzerland". Even the Doge had little way to combat the sheer amount of money possessed by the DOFAD-EITC and had to concede the DOFAD a free hand in their dealings in Asia. Whispers in the Tower of Gold said that if this trend continued, the DOFAD might eventually become powerful enough to simply take power from the Doge.

But then, said the DOFAD, if we eventually gather the money to make that happen, would it not be right and Swiss that we would do so?

http://victorious.pbworks.com/f/eichq.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/220/2884/2011051300046.jpg

And so, Doge Munzinger's political fortunes finally fell and an election was called. In his years in office, Munzinger had overseen no great expansions, no economic collapses, no strokes of genius that redefined the scope of the world. He had represented the DOFAD, he had followed through on his promise to deregulate the markets of Southeast Asia, and he had guided his nation through great changes of mindset.

He had done well.

And that was all.

http://imageshack.us/m/35/6006/2011051400001.jpg

THE ELECTION:

DOFAD-EITC: (Administrative)

http://images03.olx.in/ui/4/35/44/1266079041_56253144_1-Pictures-of-XX-Cash-East-India-Company.jpg

Sniff that. It's the smell of pepper. We control 29% of the world's pepper supply, and 90% of the pepper that's imported to Europe. We also control global supplies of chili, as well as dozens of other spices. And not only are these spices revolutionising crusine, they are making the Swiss wealthy beyond our wildest dreams.

We in the DOFAD promised you a colonial empire. We delivered. We in the DOFAD promised you wealth beyond your wildest dreams. We delivered. We in the DOFAD promised you a land of opportunity and a head start on the nations of England, France, and Spain. We delivered.

The DOFAD is Switzerland's guiding hand, Switzerland's vigilant guardian, Switzerland's gateway to India and Asia, Switzerland's savior time and again. We will serve with or without your votes, but see what we have done - and imagine what we can do if you allow us.

If you vote for the DOFAD-EITC expect to see:

- Acronyms!
- Expansion through Asia and India!
- Neglect of Europe!

Eyes of the Mountain: (Diplomatic)

http://www.onlineweblibrary.com/gallery/d/16526-1/Bern_+Switzerland.jpg

A fusion of the Florentine School and Gasenzer's famous observatory, we in the Eyes of the Mountain say that it's finally time to slow or stop our brutal expansionistic ways and ensure peace and stability at home. We have sparked a scientific and cultural revolution that had the world staring in shock - and now all the press writes about is the victories in India! We have all the wealth of the world flowing into our borders, and yet we only use it to fund weapons research! We are forgetting who we are as Swiss and becoming a military-industrial complex, a nation state where the almighty DOFAD happens to keep it's stuff!

If you vote for the Eyes of the Mountain expect to see:

- Internal reforms and consolidation
- Recovering some of our terrible relations with our neighbours outside the DSPS
- Investment in universities and manufactories.

One Market: (Military)

http://www.mcmconsultants.co.uk/pic_map.gif

The DOFAD doesn't go far enough.

You know why we're here.
You know what we stand for.
You know, deep down, that we are living on borrowed time.
You know that one war with England, or God Forbid, France, and Switzerland as a nation is done.
And you know how to fix it.

Deregulate them first.

If you vote for the One Market expect to see:
- A massive, unprovoked assault on one of our major neighbours. No hints about which one.


Have a world map (http://imageshack.us/m/215/1320/eu3mapswi15379151.jpg).

And cast your votes.

[Altaria87]

We have conquered enough for many lifetimes, and we Swiss are merchants not warriors. We must extend a hand of friendship towards Britain and Spain, both to trade with the other two great colonial powers and for the purpose of trade. Yes, we must support the Eyes of the Mountain

[Raz_Fox]

We must back the Eyes of the Mountain. Switzerland is not a military dictatorship, it is the most civilized country in the world, and we must continue to keep that legacy alive.

[Artanis]

The One Marketers are right about one thing: if we find ourselves in a war against one of the Great Powers, then we're in serious trouble. The recent Anglo-Polish war proved as much. To enter - nay, start - such a war would almost certainly be disastrous, and maybe even suicidal.

They are also right that our time is running out: soon we will become targets of the Great Powers. When that day comes, only a massive technological advantage will save us from the sheer manpower wielded by the likes of Britain or Spain. Technology requires wealth, wealth requires overseas markets, and overseas markets require the DOFAD.

[Grif]

We have a head start on the other civilized nations in Far East. Let us not let that priceless opportunity go to waste. DOFAD-EITC will be the driving force that propels our nation to greatness.

[Hawkflight]

I vote for the Eyes of the Mountain.

[The_JJ]

Eyes of the Mountain. Why? Because France is scary. And we really ought not jump that gun. You beat France through blockade, you get blockade through Great Britain.

[James the Dark]

One Market seeks the death of Switzerland by throwing ourselves on French swords. The DOFAD has expanded enough. Stabilize the home market, under the Eyes of the Mountain.

[Narkis]

DOFAD-EITC. We can't stop our market crusade now that we're so close to deregulating the entire South and Southeast Asia.

[Kurgan]

While I like several of the platforms of the Eye of the Mountain, I will have to once again vote for Dofad. Simply put, we have an opportunity: India and Asia are ripe for the picking, and we are already there. I say, we take those territories before someone else does. Once that is done, we can then focus on diplomacy at home.

[SiuiS]

I back the DOFAD. the Eyes are too conservative; the One Market is slightly too suicidal.

I can't wait to jump into the One Market driver's seat once we are ready though. Hee Hee.

[Pathicus]

DoFaD has only done us good in the past, and it can only do us good in the future. I mean, who doesn't like pepper?

[Thanqol]

DOFAD: 6
Eyes: 5

Another close one! As usual, I'll reflect this in the update, which is coming.

... in 4-5 hours when I'm done with work

[Thanqol]

1537-1564: Doge Friedrich Luz, Doge Timoteo Herberingen, Doge Florian Schwendimann and Doge Johan Bischofberger

The DOFAD had, tragically, won the election without ever producing a convincing candidate. Doge Friedrich Luz, who they produced at the last minute after a heated debate, was a Bureaucrat to his boots and a choice that no one was especially happy with - but he had been the best choice for keeping One Market influences out of the DOFAD. The DOFAD began something of a leadership struggle that would occupy them internally over the next decade.

"For the Luz" became a Swiss term to refer to when a lose-lose settlement was negotiated, and that phrase remains Luz's one impact on the history of Switzerland.

http://imageshack.us/m/863/8831/2011051400002.jpg

The Eyes of the Mountain, who were strongly represented in the last election, began exerting pressure on the DOFAD to tone down the volume of their overseas deregulations and tried to insist on certain humanitarian standards. The DOFAD conceded the point, but many DOFAD Directors resented this intrusion into their affairs. Politics became chilly in Bern following this agreement, with the DOFAD only providing very limited reports about their activities overseas.

http://imageshack.us/m/560/6350/2011051400003.jpg

The Swiss were famous for their lack of concern about foreign politics, but they did note that the two bastions of the Reformation, Poland and Lithuania, had declared war on each other and were at each other's throats. The Polish emerged the worse off again.

While intervention was contemplated, the prevailing attitude in Swizterland was that "Religion did not matter". It was nice that the Polish and Lithuanians were being reasonable about God, but that did not make intervention economically viable. The DOFAD stayed at home.

http://imageshack.us/m/638/6762/2011051400005j.jpg

In an uncharacteristic blunder, the Tower of Gold found itself in the embarassing position of having to petition a DOFAD Doge for a financial bail out. Foreigners wondered why such a trivial sum had such significance, but to the economically aware Swiss, this was the first true confession by the Tower of Gold that the DOFAD had arisen to become the foremost power in Swiss politics.

http://imageshack.us/m/607/2783/2011051400007.jpg

The DOFAD promptly capitalised on this gain by electing the most useless dolt it could find to office. The kindest words said about Doge Timoteo Herberingen was that he was, at least, not aggressive in his insanity. He simply sat in his office humming and leaving the legwork to his staff. This was a huge loss of face for the DOFAD.

http://imageshack.us/m/585/6756/2011051400008.jpg

At the very least, they could finally claim victory over the inflation problems Switzerland had spent the past hundred years grappling with. As trust finally returned to the currency, Switzerland's economy virtually exploded.

http://imageshack.us/m/64/8413/2011051400009p.jpg

Elsewhere, in Germany, a new Emperor was elected. No Prince of Austria or Barvarian tyrant was he - he was the Lord of Wuttemburg.

The Tower of Gold, when hearing this news, checked their sources. And then they double checked. And then they confirmed - Wuttemburg was part of the Swiss' sphere of influence. While not part of the DSPS, it was a puny, four-state territory that had so little economic clout that it's market was utterly dependent on the Swiss for survival.

And this was now the Holy Roman Emperor. Switzerland had to bow it's knee to Wuttemburg.

Needless to say, this didn't go over well.

http://imageshack.us/m/852/629/2011051400010.jpg

Elsewhere, completely ignoring Europe, Johan Herberlin plotted out the continued Deregulation of Southeast Asia. He had correctly determined that the only limiter on DOFAD dominance in the area was a lack of transport ships and made plans for a doubling of the Swiss navy, including a number of genuine combat vessels.

http://imageshack.us/m/824/3840/2011051400011.jpg

It was tedious the first time nine thousand crack DOFAD troops stood in front of six thousand savages and started shooting, and it would be tedious to relate the story now. Suffice to say that the deregulation went virtually unopposed.

http://imageshack.us/m/21/1970/2011051400012.jpg

The DOFAD, as it embarked on it's campaign into India, noted that sheer weight of numbers was a fool's game. The Indians relied on it and were obliterated time and again by crack Swiss firearms. As they began refining their practices further they got a number of threatening letters from merchants who did not want to have to rely on the DOFAD for protection and resisted the disbanding of private mercenary companies.

http://imageshack.us/m/198/5140/2011051400014.jpg

The leadership struggle within the DOFAD was by this point becoming the object of ridicule. Doge Florian Schwendimann won the primaries with 4% of the vote. Political cartoonists had enormous fun depicting the DOFAD as a headless organisation.

http://www.thetick.ws/images/headlesshenderson.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/189/8506/2011051400015.jpg

The policial mood suddenly changed when the Emperor of Wuttemburg revived a failed Austrian piece of legislation to demand taxes from the entire Empire. Let us repeat that: Wuttemburg demanded that Switzerland pay taxes to Wuttemburg.

http://imageshack.us/m/862/516/wit.jpg

The motion was defeated, but never had the Swiss been more enraged.

http://imageshack.us/m/402/553/2011051400016.jpg

Deregulation in Asia came along as the DOFAD had promised. The unfortunate passing of Josef Herberlin left the DOFAD armies momentarily leaderless, but his writings became required reading for every officer in the DOFAD-EITC area.

http://imageshack.us/m/202/3292/2011051400018.jpg

Twelve years and three Doges after they took power, the DOFAD finally produced a candidate that did not warrant the contemptuous spit of every political party in Switzerland, including the DOFAD itself. It was the most bitter irony Doge Johan Bischofberger's grandfather had been the leader of the New School and one of the DOFAD's political archenemies. Nonetheless, young Johan was loyal to the DOFAD and made an exceedingly competent Director.

http://imageshack.us/m/708/7114/2011051400021.jpg

The Swiss Navy had finally raised itself from the level of "Switzerland is a landlocked country, idiot" to "Actual professional group of sailors". This was mostly because the Swiss had purchased the most competent sailor in England, Mr. Ambrose Uxbridge, and told him to reform their navy. He did some good work.

http://imageshack.us/m/16/9936/2011051400022.jpg

Gasenzer, the scientist and sorcerer who had deregulated the Church and God, passed on at the age of 95. A great university was built in Bern and dedicated to him. A plaque out the front bears the words:

"We stand atop the roof of the world
If we step off the edge
We'll either fall
Or we'll fly."

http://imageshack.us/m/801/1060/2011051400025.jpg

The DOFAD f***ing loves charts and graphs, and took the time to present the Swiss public with 400% more charts and graphs than all their rivals combined. Swiss culture and religions were genuinely more multicultural and tolerant than anywhere else in the world, probably due to the abundance of Swiss charts and graphs

http://imageshack.us/m/688/9388/2011051400027.jpg

The DOFAD finally deregulated the entirity of Southeast Asia and began colonising what was left. There had been a brief and extreme panic in the DOFAD when France claimed a swathe of the Indian coast but, to the derision of the entire world, they lost it to rebels.

The DOFAD also took the time to endorse the Swiss merchant army and perfect the tax code. There was literally nowhere else for Switzerland to go in terms of trade reforms. Their traders were, scientifically, the best in the world.

http://imageshack.us/m/219/1210/2011051400028.jpg

Meanwhile, back at home, the Eyes of the Mountain used their political clout and the presence of the Gosenzer Memorial School to institute a policy of universal education and literacy. The move was unprecedented and staggering in scope and effect. The Sorcerer's vision took another step towards completion.

http://imageshack.us/m/710/1064/2011051400029.jpg

In a somewhat baffling display, the Pope travelled from to the Tower of Gold to inform his Swiss masters that he was calling a crusade against the Kongo. The Tower of Gold spent an hour and a half working with the Pope to try and figure out where the Kongo was before collectively deciding it was a waste of time. The Pope gave his half-hearted endorsement of the Crusade to the Portugese who had demanded he call it.

http://imageshack.us/m/405/5933/2011051400032.jpg

Baden, deregulated during the first Great Deregulation, was finally integrated into Switzerland proper.

http://imageshack.us/m/155/5118/2011051400033.jpg

Meanwhile, France went on to claim much of North America - mostly by seizing colonies directly from Spain. The DOFAD claimed the island of Cuba in case they would one day need to launch an invasion of the American colonies and ensure they would never be cut off from sugar entirely.

http://imageshack.us/m/845/1319/2011051400034.jpg

In Europe, Austria finally got sick of the jumped-up Emperor of Wuttemburg and invaded him. The Emperor invaded back. The Swiss looked on this war with the kind of enthusiasm normally seen when watching two scorpions sting each other to death. The Swiss made a killing in selling weapons to both sides.

While the war was officially titled the "Imperial Liberation", the Swiss referred to it as "Lawyers Verses Loudmouths".

http://imageshack.us/m/851/9248/2011051400037.jpg

Taiwan was one of the largest and most prosperous of the DOFAD SE-Asian Holdings. The DOFAD began a policy of shipyard construction there to provide a naval base to control both China and Japan from.

http://imageshack.us/m/825/7755/2011051400038.jpg

Good news came from India! Orissa, one of the biggest powers in India, had inherited the throne of the second biggest power in India! The DOFAD sent them a gift to help them deal with their sudden expansion of territory - a sudden reduction in territory!

After all, what kind of benevolent Deregulator lets backwards primitives have to go through all the pain and suffering of integrating all that land with their backwards and mercantilistic bureaucracies?

http://imageshack.us/m/194/7813/2011051400039.jpg

Call it the Rich Man's Burden.

http://imageshack.us/m/710/3553/2011051400042.jpg

What was concerning was the presence of Naples - Naples! - in India. This was a challenge to the Swiss Spice Monopoly, and the DOFAD quietly prayed for a resolution similar to France's. They began planning on funding anarchists to help in that resolution.

Interestingly, Lithuania had invaded and occupied almost the whole of Persia for some reason. The Swiss didn't stop to ask why.

http://imageshack.us/m/339/9458/2011051400043.jpg

Finally, the Swiss paused to spare a thought for America and investigate who was winning the colonial race there.

It was...

Gotland?

http://imageshack.us/m/3/5556/2011051400044.jpg

In 1564, the world is full of incomprehensible military campaigns. Gotland owns a significant chunk of America. Lithuania occupies Persia. Switzerland is holding most of India. The Pope leads a crusade into the Kongo.

And it's time to pick a policy for the future.

DOFAD-EITC: (Military)

http://images03.olx.in/ui/4/35/44/1266079041_56253144_1-Pictures-of-XX-Cash-East-India-Company.jpg

It's happened, just like Herberlin said. France arrived in India but were too incompetent to hold it, just like they lost their American possessions (to Gotland!). And now Naples is here, trying to cut a piece out of the pie.

We need to move fast and move now. We need to grab as much of India as we possibly can - especially the coastline - to deny access to our rivals. We need to activate the Swiss Secret Service and forment rebellions amongst the colonies. We need to drive them out and make sure that Asia remains a Swiss sphere of influence.

If you vote for the DOFAD-EITC expect to see:
- Aggressive expansion through India and carpet-colonisation of SE Asia
- Attempting to deny other nations from gaining a foothold
- Lots and lots of colonial money.

The Eyes of the Mountain: (Diplomatic)

http://www.onlineweblibrary.com/gallery/d/16526-1/Bern_+Switzerland.jpg

While the DOFAD has been so busily engaged in acquiring money, the Eyes of the Mountain have been in charge of Swiss domestic policy. Under our lead, we have finally managed to normalise relations with the French to the point where they are unlikely to invade us out of spite, and we have been overseeing a grand expansion of Swiss infrastructure and culture. We have been limited by the nature of the government in charge, but we truly believe there is a cultural explosion waiting to happen as soon as we unbind our people.

If you vote for the Eyes of the Mountain expect to see:
- Further cultural and infrastructure investments
- Focus on trade and annexing the remaining nations in the DSPS
- Further improved relations with our neighbours.

The Silver Standard: (Administrative)

http://www.deeptruths.com/bof/images/crash2.jpg

The Holy Roman Emperor has his boots on our backs. He's trying to tax us, despite the fact that we are over ten times his size. He already takes a tribute of art and Swiss soldiers in exchange for - what?

Protection? Wuttumburg is going to protect Switzerland? From who? Corsica?

Why are we, the most modern and enlightened Republic in the history of mankind, the richest country on Earth, enlightened under God and Smallet, owners of India - why are we, the Swiss, bowing to a King? Why do we tolerate the presence of Austrian lawyers in our country? Why do we agree to this byzantine network of regulations?

And you know something? If Switzerland was a monarchy they'd be begging us to lead their backwards coalition.

Hear us, Swiss people: The time has come to cast off the Imperial boot! The time has come to stand on our own! The time has come to show the Emperor that he will not get one piece of Swiss Gold, and the time has come to leave his backwards economy in the dust as Switzerland flies free!

The time has come to step off the cliff.

If you vote for The Silver Standard expect to see:
- A withdrawal from the Holy Roman Empire
- Populist policies and financial investment
- Actions based on prestige and honour

Cast your votes.

[Caewil]

DOFAD-EITC

India shall be ours for the taking!

EDIT: I'd support the silver standard if we... deregulate the HRE. All we'd need to do is vassalise every elector and control the emperor's capitol.

[Artanis]

It's too bad I can't vote for 1/3 of each of them: continued overseas stuff, annexing the rest of the DSPS, and leaving the Holy Roman Empire :smallfrown:

If I must cast a vote for one party, however, it must be for The Silver Standard. No matter our situation and no matter our plans, the Holy Roman Empire has become a farce that will only hold us back. For the good of Switzerland, we must unchain ourselves from the great weight that now hangs about our neck.

[Fluff & Napalm]

The Dofad-EITC seems like the way forward. Controlling India is a crucial goal.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Remember when I said we needed to wait for the opportune time to leave the HRE? Well, this is that time. Wurttemburg is just the weak Emperor we need to leave! The Silver Standard.

[Narkis]

DOFAD-EITC. They deregulated SA Asia. Let them deregulate India. And after that, we can focus on deregulating the Emperor.

[Grif]

The gall of this upjumped emperor to demand taxes. TAXES!? From the nation that pioneered deregulation? I'll say it's high time we deregulate his precious empire instead. The Silver Standard has my support.

[The_JJ]

Quick, while they're weak and recovering from a war with Austria, The Silver Standard: a party that will do it's job and quickly be voted out and returned to pointless irrelevancy.

[Altaria87]

Quick, while they're weak and recovering from a war with Austria, The Silver Standard: a party that will do it's job and quickly be voted out and returned to pointless irrelevancy.

I agree with this man wholeheartedly.

[James the Dark]

The only good Holy Roman Emperor is a deregulated Holy Roman Emperor. The Silver Standard must be recognized!

[Kurgan]

The Holy Roman Empire has become a farce! Wurrtemburg? Really? We must break away from this institution of madness before it starts to effect us. Therefore, I say we follow the path of the Silver Standard. Colonization is important, but the Empire is the more pressing concern at the moment.

[Pathicus]

Our position in India is already strong, and doesn't require urgent prosecution. Our relationship with the Empire however, would be laughable if it weren't so demeaning. It is time we shrugged off our imperial chains. Let The Silver Standard do their thing.

[Artanis]

Just out of curiosity, where do we stand militarily and diplomatically in regards to the big boys like Britain, France, Spain, and the rest of the Empire?

[Thanqol]

Just out of curiosity, where do we stand militarily and diplomatically in regards to the big boys like Britain, France, Spain, and the rest of the Empire?

Diplomatically, England and Spain hate the frack out of us, while France is finally clawed up to the lofty heights of -10 (out of a max of -200) due to a policy of regular bribes. Spain got beat up by England and had to release Aragon and a bunch of other territory, so they're not a big threat, but England is a powerhouse.

Austria, without the gold mines we took from them when we annexed Tirol, is not much of a factor any more. They're a nice buffer on our eastern border but they're unlikely to run a successful invasion against us. The rest of the empire is fragmented as all hell, and mostly hates us because they're almost all Catholic. We can pretty much take an alliance with Poland or Lithuania whenever we want as we've got decent relations with both of them.

In terms of threats, a war with France is basically certain death, especially with half of our armies in India. Britain will probably murder us with war exhaustion and blockades if it ever comes to war. Right now, we're a Power, but we're not the biggest power.

[Dragor]

May I just say, Thanqol, that this Let's Play is superb and it's persuaded me to cave in and purchase Divine Wind. :smallsmile:

The Silver Standard are the best to lead the Swiss.

[Thanqol]

Thanqol's ego:

http://www.scuba.com/mecontent/photos/medium/small-puffer-fish-koh-tao-thailand.jpg


May I just say, Thanqol, that this Let's Play is superb and it's persuaded me to cave in and purchase Divine Wind. :smallsmile:

The Silver Standard are the best to lead the Swiss.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zqFoq3qej2c/SwxL0G4Dn7I/AAAAAAABKL8/cSZjLJmfYuQ/s1600/pufferfish.jpg


Silver Standard: 9
DOFAD-EITC: 3

That's a convincing majority.

[Thanqol]

1564-1585: Doge Johan Bischofberger and Nicolas Sporri

The Emperor had gone too far.

Riding a great wave of rage, the Silver Standard became the leaders of Switzerland. A party that had come into existence with one clear, definable goal: The End of Empire. Freedom for all. The Ultimate Deregulation.

And Emperor Ernst 1 of Thuringia - A country even smaller and more backwards than Wuttemburg, if such a thing could be believed - was their target.

All For One.

http://imageshack.us/m/821/4694/2011051500001.jpg

The Holy Roman Empire was a huge confederation of Nation-States covering all Germany. It was the ultimate check on the expansionistic ambitions of England, France, and, yes, Switzerland. The HRE was the ultimate symbol of stability and unity in those times. It's armies were vast, it's politics complicated, it's power great.

http://imageshack.us/m/807/5562/2011051500002.jpg

Even legally justifying such a war would be difficult, and Switzerland could hardly appear in Paris or London and say, "We voted to Deregulate the greatest Empire in the world, and so we did" without expecting retribution. No, the Empire would have to be picked apart, piece by piece.

This would start with the recently fallen Wuttemburg, a country so reviled for it's unjustified pride during it's own stint with the Imperial crown that Europe would turn a blind eye to it's deregulation.

http://imageshack.us/m/156/5973/2011051500003.jpg

Game Concept: Casus Belli
Casus Belli, or "Cause for War", is a legal justification for starting a war. Different casus belli, such as "Trade war" or "Colonial expansion" allow different things to be taken in victory. One can always grab territory in a peace deal, but going to war over, say, an insult and then annexing the country doesn't look good to the world. Without a causus belli, a nation loses two stability points just to declare war!

We can also see the effect of Dishonourable Scum here. If your Infamy gets too high, everyone gets this Casus Belli on you, meaning they can take your territory for virtually no infamy of their own. This is Bad News.

But the real reason why the Swiss invaded Wuttemburg is because it was a nation allied to a great number of other HRE states - including several Electors. The Swiss would have to deregulate all these Electors before they could dismantle the Holy Roman Empire. They already possessed two - Milan and Mantua.

This would be the greatest challenge the Swiss had ever faced.

The war began.

http://imageshack.us/m/15/7338/2011051500006.jpg

Benedikt Bibes was a populist and a rabble rouser, who stood in the streets of Bern and whipped the masses into a bloodthirsty frenzy.

"Wuttumberg Loudmouths are right across the river," Bibes shouted as he hung from the statue of Alfred von Baltharsar outside the Tower of Gold, "And we want to go and silence them! Give us weapons that we might deregulate the Empire oureslves!"

The Doge walked out, and stood before the howling crowd. "If you want weapons," he said, cool as you please, "Go buy them yourselves. We're not running a charity here."

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/unitarymoonbat/whitefield.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/15/7338/2011051500006.jpg

Militarily, the war was proceeding well, but economically corrupt influences - referred to in Switzerland as "Moral Regulation" - were starving the troops of critical supplies. Merchants, used to war profiteering off the battles between Austria and the Empire, were gouging the Swiss even as arrows fell around their ears. Johan Bischofberger sent in the Swiss Secret Service to deregulate the problem, but it was ill timed in the extreme.

http://imageshack.us/m/35/6286/2011051500008.jpg

Worse, Great Britain and Spain had been drawn into the War. The Swiss Navy was still laughably poor and it didn't take long for a blockade to be set up, which strangled Swiss trade.

http://imageshack.us/m/545/283/2011051500009.jpg

But on the land, the war progressed well. Alsace was the first to be Deregulated, followed by Ansbach. France, however, crumbled in the face of the English blockade, which did not bode well for the Swiss future.

http://imageshack.us/m/703/3440/2011051500012.jpg

If there was one spark of hope, it was that Wuttemburg had, in it's idiotic and loudmouthed way, demanded that it be declared war leader and that all English and Spanish commands be integrated with the Wuttemburg stategy. This meant that if the Swiss could capture the Wuttemburgian king and force him to surrender they could end the entire war.

Invisible Hand willing, that moment would come soon.

http://imageshack.us/m/853/8624/2011051500016.jpg

The DOFAD quietly encouraged the greatest minds in Switzerland - artists, scholars, generals, and merchants to withdraw to the colonies where it would be safer. The other factions howled that the DOFAD was using the war to go headhunting for talent, and was taking the chance to consolidate it's power in Asia. The DOFAD reminded these opponents who, exactly, was fighting this war on their behalf.

http://imageshack.us/m/810/4635/2011051500018.jpg

Benedikt Bibes had spent the past three years sitting atop the head of Doge Baltharsar, ranting at passerby about the evils of Empire and the values of freedom. In a way, he had become a Swiss landmark. Devotees gave him food and clothing, and wrote down his rants, and foreign dignities took to carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the food and curses he'd hurtle at them as they sought access to the Tower of Gold.

When he passed away many years later, having spent his entire life sitting atop the statue of the Doge, the Swiss added a smaller statue of Bibes sitting cross-legged atop Baltharsar's head.

http://imageshack.us/m/845/2318/2011051500019.jpg

The sheer amount of Deregulation happening in Europe caused the Swiss economy to enter a sudden upturn. War economies finally kicked in, and the Swiss reached a point of total military mobilisation. It was terrifying to see how united in purpose the Swiss were. This fanatical nationalism was the precursor to the doctrines of Total War that would define later centuries.

http://imageshack.us/m/801/9097/2011051500021.jpg

Four years after war had been declared, the King of Wuttemburg was finally located hidden in his country estate. The Swiss Deregulators, even then, had to fight tooth and nail to extract a surrender from him. While the terms were unfavourable compared to what the Swiss could have attained, the real goals had already been met: Several Imperial Electors had been added into the DSPS.

http://imageshack.us/m/41/9927/2011051500022.jpg

Doge Johan Bischofberger unfortunately passed during the peace that followed, as the Swiss prepared for the next stage of the war. The DOFAD's position in Europe became compromised as it's ranks swelled with fanatical young Swiss men who shouted One Market slogans and were loyal to the Silver Standard. This was at odds with the DOFAD's focus on the colonies, and the mighty Department of Finance and Deregulation once again looked like it faced a split.

One such man became Doge, the youngest ever at twenty three. Nicolas Sporri also insisted on being called by his name rather than his title, and was the most terrifying man Switzerland had ever elected to office. His first act upon recieving his robes of office was to go out and shake hands with Bibes the madman and promise, "Soon, my friend, all your dreams will come true."

http://imageshack.us/m/17/4752/2011051500028.jpg

The DOFAD in India regarded this with the wistful air of an opportunity passed. Naples had claimed the majority of Southern India and there was nothing the DOFAD could do about it. The chance for the Spice Monopoly, so fondly dreamed of, had passed.

http://imageshack.us/m/849/1156/2011051500029.jpg

Thuringia's Ernst II inherited the Imperial Throne. As a corination gift, Nicolas sent him a map of Europe without any nations or borders marked. The significance of this was lost on the new Emperor, who hung it on his wall.

http://imageshack.us/m/836/4733/2011051500034.jpg

Nicolas was a student of Bibes, and a demagogue and rabble raiser - but above all, he was a genius. He knew where power in Switzerland lay and exploited the huge public fury to convince the Merchant Army to make a huge contribution to his war chest.

http://imageshack.us/m/860/3077/2011051500035.jpg

DOFAD colonisation was coming along, quietly. No other nations were present in Southeast Asia, giving the settlers peace and quiet with which to build the Tower of Gold anew. The DOFAD-EITC continued to quietly grow and consolidate.

http://imageshack.us/m/30/2378/2011051500036.jpg

Back in Europe, Nicolas ordered Bern leveled.

The city had been built for 2000 people and had expanded by a factor of ten, completely out of control. The Doge sent in the army and ordered everything except a few select landmarks levelled and the total reconstruction of the city in a more aesthetically pleasing idiom. Rivals in the Tower of Gold spoke of the madness of the project and objected to the style Nicolas was using - the huge, imposing and gleaming white and gold architecture of the new Bern raised images of Rome.

Who was this Doge, said they, who styles himself Emperor?

http://imageshack.us/m/835/9408/2011051500037.jpg

Wuttumburg, for the record, collapsed in on itself, becoming a one province minor state that was promptly occupied by peasants. "The Shouting Revolution" as the Swiss Silver Standarders called it.

http://imageshack.us/m/824/1096/2011051500039.jpg

Austria, to it's shame, lost the territory of Styria to revolution. Switzerland had claims on the territory and, with the newly formed nation lacking allies, declared war on it and siezed the remainder of the Austrian gold mines they had long coverted. The Styrians cursed Swiss treachery, but the war was over before they even had time to raise an army.

http://imageshack.us/m/90/567/2011051500041.jpg

The DOFAD continued it's policy of gently edging it's holdings out of Europe and into more stable Asia. Some of the Silver Standard demagogues accused them of cowardice, and the rift between the DOFAD and the Silver Standard ran deeper.

http://imageshack.us/m/577/5990/2011051500043.jpg

Finally, justification for a new war was found. Over a technicality regrading Switzerland's sphere of influence a collossal invasion of northern Germany was launched. The target was the Elector of Brunswick, but Nicolas' speeches called for total deregulation of any market that stood opposed to Switzerland.

http://imageshack.us/m/856/9206/2011051500046.jpg

The DOFAD, in India, flubbed a war for the first time in memory due to the unexpected withdrawal of resources to Europe. What was to be a sudden and total deregulation of the Indian market hurriedly turned into a few minor concessions in name only and a humiliating peace. Fuming, the DOFAD-EITC forces returned to their garrisons.

http://imageshack.us/m/829/6079/2011051500048.jpg

Europe burned on Nicolas' orders. His troops took to calling him by the nickname of "The Director" rather than "The Doge". Elite Silver Standard troops crushed the germamic city-states one after another.

http://imageshack.us/m/821/1745/2011051500049.jpg

In a freak coincidence, the Hasaa annexed the Elector of Brunswick before the Swiss could get to it. Even with the supposed justification for the war over, The Director ordered the Deregulation to continue.

Three Electors were now Swiss.

http://imageshack.us/m/696/5752/2011051500050.jpg

The Palatinate was also Deregulated, drawn into war over a technicality about trade barriers and swiftly dispatched. Four electors were now Swiss.

http://imageshack.us/m/641/6486/2011051500053.jpg

Only two Electors remained: Saxony and Thuringia itself. And here the position became complex for The Director. Switzerland was already regarded with fear by the French, English and Spanish whom they could not afford war with - how to declare war on the Emperor without being invaded by everyone else?

http://imageshack.us/m/833/9764/2011051500054.jpg

The answer came like a dream. Like a gift from God to justify all of Swiss Deregulation. And when it came, the Swiss almost missed it's significance and the opportunity almost passed them by.

Just as the Silver Standard had finished Deregulating much of Germany, an Indian nowhere declared war on Switzerland. The Emperor was honour bound to aid all members of the Holy Roman Empire against heathen aggression but, so contemptuous was he of the murderous Swiss rampages across Germany he refused.

And there were legal provisions for declaring war on cowards who dishonoured alliances. So rarely invoked that they were virtually forgotten (This player has never followed up on a Dishonoured Call Casus Belli before) but there.

http://imageshack.us/m/7/7492/2011051500058.jpg

Death to the Emperor.

Death to the Coward.

Death to the Tyrant.

http://imageshack.us/m/163/8632/2011051500059.jpg

This was the deadliest Deregulation Switzerland had ever engaged in. They had overpowered Austria twice but, allied with the Emperor, the Austrian army was unstoppable. Three times the Silver Standard stood within cannon range of the Emperor himself, and three times they were cast back.

The Emperor was within range of Bern.

http://imageshack.us/m/641/1706/2011051500060.jpg

The Director's response was brutal and brilliant: Invade Austria, burn the countryside, and slaughter it's people. The Austrians, reeling from the invasion, accepted peace with the Swiss. Their armies withdrew from Swiss borders, leaving the Emperor's army alone and unsupported.

http://imageshack.us/m/52/3414/2011051500062.jpg

Pisa was Deregulated for the foolish decision of standing with the Emperor and against History.

http://imageshack.us/m/855/9291/2011051500064.jpg

Suddenly it was very lonely in Dresden.

http://imageshack.us/m/809/4300/2011051500065.jpg

The Imperial Army was finally vanquished by three combined Silver Standard armies. The Emperor fought valiantly, but there was all the wealth of the world arrayed against him. The Emperor was slain by a nameless Swiss halberder during his final cavalry charge, and his crown was carried back to Bern where it was melted down into coins.

http://imageshack.us/m/859/7858/2011051500066.jpg

The final siege began.

http://imageshack.us/m/189/1861/2011051500067.jpg

But there was a problem: One elector remained. Saxony. And there was no justification that Switzerland could find for invading it.

And worse, it was allied with France.

The Director made a call that terrified all of Switzerland. He ordered three DOFAD wings down to the French-Swiss border and gave them orders to invade the moment the French issued their declaration of war.

The country held it's breath.

And the French sent their reply.

http://imageshack.us/m/96/8162/2011051500068.jpg

The French said they were not going to stand with Saxony.

And the Silver Standard rose over the Reichstag in Berlin.

http://imageshack.us/m/6/1612/2011051500069.jpg

And then they burned it to the ground.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pS7sKjlzwFg/S6vFmM1SxbI/AAAAAAAAFRo/9mfLsV2dhI4/s320/reichstag_33.jpg

http://www.bookpalace.com/acatalog/CotonReichLL.jpg

All For One. One For All.

Helvetia Victoria

http://imageshack.us/m/651/1476/2011051500072.jpg


THE AFTERMATH

Player Thoughts: Gently caress, I can't believe I just did that. I've never dismantled the HRE before, and certainly never so fast or with such a ballsy strategy.

And the best part about this game is that, mechanically, we're not actually in a better position after that. We lost the pretty hefty HRE benefits, we basically opened up Germany to anyone who wants to annex some territory, and we absolutely crashed our economy to finance that war. We still have plenty of threats and predators - we are nowhere near running out of challenges.

POLITICS:

The Director has achieved an unprecedented victory. He ended Germany. He Deregulated the Empire. And he is a man of boundless genius and ambition, beloved by the masses, in control of the DOFAD's European Wing. He is almost above politics at this point.

Worse, he could well turn to be a tyrant worse than the Emperor he deposed. The Director is known to be merciless and brutal, but he is still the greatest leader Switzerland has ever seen.

And so, a secret meeting is hosted in the Eye of the Mountain Observatory. The richest men in Switzerland, the nobles who define policy with their thoughts, must reach a decision:

SUPPORT THE DIRECTOR

The Director is a genius, but he still needs guiding, temperate hands and influences. If we provide him with our unconditional support he will organise us into a Cabinet, giving us complete control over Swiss politics and a means to bypass even the great political parties when setting policy.

This option is one of self interest, but it could be the wisest move for Switzerland as a whole. Consider:

- The control we wield over the DOFAD would prevent any of our colonial holdings from rebelling.
- Our position in Europe is uncontestable and we stand within striking distance of the One Market.
- We would be aligning ourselves with the richest, smartest, most popular and most powerful man in the entire world.

SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION

The constitution is clear. Just wait until he dies, block any attempt to rewrite the constitution to establish a dictatorship, and otherwise treat him as though he were any other Doge. We deal with ten, twenty years of a maniac in power and then he'll just go away. No reason to destabilise our country over this.

This is the halfway measure, and we just mention it here for the Luz.

- The DOFAD might declare indendence and take our Asian holdings with it.
- Director Nicolas remains in power till the end of his days.
- Potential civil instability or the founding of political legacies in the Director's favour.

KILL THE DIRECTOR

Assassination.

To kill the man who gave us victory. To kill the man who killed the Emperor. To kill the Imperator like Brutus killed Caesar.

Madness. Madness, it would plunge us into civil war, it would ruin our reputation, the backlash could destroy the Tower of Gold and fragment the DSPS. A move with no reason or redeeming features.

Except that it'd ensure that the Republic will never die.



Vote, O Ye Men of Switzerland.

[Thanqol]

Also?


Quick, while they're weak and recovering from a war with Austria, The Silver Standard: a party that will do it's job and quickly be voted out and returned to pointless irrelevancy.

Suckers.

[The_JJ]

Also?



Suckers.

Oh, yes, I quite agree. 9 8 9. We lack the smilies to express how awesome that is.

I take it back.

This man shall be our puppet until we work him into the grave. That said, I support the Constitution. He remains mortal, and his is a genius far greater than 'once in a generation.' The republic means continuity and the opportunity for men such as this to arise, and for the chaff to be quietly disposed.

[Thanqol]

Oh yes, and a World Map (http://imageshack.us/m/705/537/eu3mapswi15851282.jpg).

Yes, Gotland still has control of North America.

[Pathicus]

There is no question that we should Support the Director. Switzerland is sure to have a grand future under his strength and brilliance...so long as he is guided by our wisdom.

These fears of tyranny are a result of the slander of foreign agents, and influence only the smallest and most hysterical minds.

[Altaria87]

Switzerland has worked too hard for our colonies to have them lost to a DOFAD rebellion, for that reason alone we should Support the Director. Besides, this way we stand behind the greatest man in Europe. If we accidentally allowed the Silver Standard to gain so much power, we may as well capitalise on our misjudgment.

[Kurgan]

The Director has succeeded where no one else could: he fragmented and deregulated the Holy Roman Empire. Now is the time to capitalize on his genius, while the rest of the world is still reeling from the aftershocks! Support the Director. Between his genius and our guidance, Switzerland will become a powerhouse strong enough to rival England or France.

Also we should take India away from Naples.

[Dragor]

Support the Director! The genius of this man brought the HRE to the ground; with more time, he can bring everything else up to snuff!

[Caewil]

Support the Director: Ein volk, ein reich, ein fuhrer!

With the empire destroyed, we can easily take the provinces necessary to form Germany. Making the directorship for life (if it means what I suspect it does) will also give us a free imperialism CB on... Everybody.

As for Napolitan india, taking the provinces next to theirs will give us the colonialism CB on them. The infamy price is the same as taking provinces from heathens, so nothing lost there.

[James the Dark]

The Swiss spoke a century ago to never suffer a tyrant. He has given us great things, but a tyrant he must not be. He is no king, nor father to a line of them. Support the Constitution, and when he is gone, we move forward with our heads held high that we are still Swiss, and bow to no colors but gold.

[Grif]

SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION

The director is but one man. A genius, I will grant him that, but only one man. Switzerland is more than that. We are the Republic. It would be folly now to deregulate the Holy Roman Empire just to turn into another soulless clone in the steps of our dear departed Wuttemburg Emperor.

Once the DOFAD sees the wisdom of our path, even they can be placated to stay their hand, and remain in the Swiss sphere of influence.


(Reading this LP has inspired me to look for a local copy of EU3 myself. I'm going to do a personal version of deregulating Europe myself if I succeed.)

[Narkis]

Support the Constitution

For what Grif said.

(I'm a little fuzzy on how the Dofad could rebel and take our Asian holdings. Is this something on the mechanics, or you'll make it happen, maybe?)

[Artanis]

Hell of an update, and an amazing war. We have now subjugated two of the greatest powers in Europe: the Holy See and the electors of the Holy Roman Empire :smallcool:

Before I vote though, I have a question: realistically, how bad is the threat of a DOFAD-EITC revolt if we go with supporting the Constitution?




Some random comments and stuff:
-Tee hee, there's a province called "Worms"
-Good God has Lithuania ever gotten big
-Is that British red covering most of Sweden? :smalleek:

[Caewil]

By supporting the director, I think he means a Republican Dictatorship (http://www.paradoxian.org/eu3wiki/Republican_Dictatorship).

It can always be reversed in any case, but it gives us a good window of time in which to make use of the imperialism CB. Basically it gives a free no-stab casus belli on everyone as it is considered permissible by our people to expand our empire. It also costs half the badboy normal.

If we plan on crushing the rest of the now deregulated HRE, it'll be easier as a dictatorship. If we're colonising semi-peacefully, it may be better to wait a while, because the dictatorship does away with elections and there's no guarantee his successor will be as good.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

The Director holds absolute power, and most likely, absolute popularity with the people.

We must support the Director.

[The_JJ]

Oh yes, and a World Map (http://imageshack.us/m/705/537/eu3mapswi15851282.jpg).

Yes, Gotland still has control of North America.

Mingolian hordes moving west to meet the vast Lithuanian Empire while someone has taken over the entire Swahili Coast and the Scandinavian situation has just gone bat****. All this outside of the immediate Swiss vassalizing the Pope and destroying the HRE while jockeying with some Italian's over India.

[Murska]

Support the Director. I want to see some German unification. :smallamused:

EDIT:
And yeah, I've seen Ming and Lithuania fight it out a number of times but Lithuania's never been quite that huge. I mean, they're way down to Persia and over to Siberia. :smalleek:

[ragingrage]

Support the Director

He's destroyed the Holy Roman Empire for us. And he's 9 8 9. What more do we want?

[Slipperychicken]

I Support the Director, his skill and cunning shall be invaluable to the coming trials: to liberate the remainder of the Asian markets from mercantilist oppression, to encourage prosperity at home, to keep the English and the French at bay through diplomacy, till we have the resources to deregulate them as well :smallamused:.


I say that our leader should drive Naples from India, rejuvenate our economy, free the eastern trade centers, and finish the HRE's deregulation (German Unification may or may not be a wise course of action, but the Director knows his economics well: he has shown that he can weigh cost and benefit).


[Btw, a) this is awesome b) I hope China and Lithuania don't go to war and conquer each other. That'd be scary/awesome. :smallbiggrin:]

[Hussam B.]

Support the Constitution

[Thanqol]

Mingolian hordes moving west to meet the vast Lithuanian Empire while someone has taken over the entire Swahili Coast and the Scandinavian situation has just gone bat****. All this outside of the immediate Swiss vassalizing the Pope and destroying the HRE while jockeying with some Italian's over India.

I think Eastern Africa is controlled by Adal IIRC - they're basically a nowhere Islamic state in the Middle Eastern desert.


By supporting the director, I think he means a Republican Dictatorship (http://www.paradoxian.org/eu3wiki/Republican_Dictatorship).

It can always be reversed in any case, but it gives us a good window of time in which to make use of the imperialism CB. Basically it gives a free no-stab casus belli on everyone as it is considered permissible by our people to expand our empire. It also costs half the badboy normal.

If we plan on crushing the rest of the now deregulated HRE, it'll be easier as a dictatorship. If we're colonising semi-peacefully, it may be better to wait a while, because the dictatorship does away with elections and there's no guarantee his successor will be as good.

Yes, you are going to be establishing a Dictatorship with that vote. On the downside, we don't have the tech for a switch yet - I think we're 4 gvt techs off? - so I'll be consoling it in.


Hell of an update, and an amazing war. We have now subjugated two of the greatest powers in Europe: the Holy See and the electors of the Holy Roman Empire :smallcool:

Before I vote though, I have a question: realistically, how bad is the threat of a DOFAD-EITC revolt if we go with supporting the Constitution?

If the DOFAD-EITC rebels I will mod in a custom country and give them all our colonial holdings. It always pays to have a "We've gotten too big, now for the next challenge!" plan when playing EU3.

Essentially, when I was talking about "The DOFAD is getting too powerful!" in earlier updates, that wasn't an empty threat.

(Note: I've never modded a country before so I'm going to have to play around with some game files. Doesn't look too hard from the Wiki's guide, just time consuming)



Some random comments and stuff:
-Tee hee, there's a province called "Worms"
-Good God has Lithuania ever gotten big
-Is that British red covering most of Sweden? :smalleek:

Yes, England covers most of Sweden, and has random provinces all over Europe - in Portugal, Greece and France.


The next update might not be until Wednesday because I've got some schoolwork work to catch up on and there's a bit of modding I want to do to reflect Switzerland's new position in the world. :smallsmile:

EDIT: And the Director brings with him a sweet new flag. Just saying, if that influences your votes at all. it is his face photoshopped onto a picture of europe

[Artanis]

I was more wondering about the odds of such a rebellion, but even with very low odds, that's a hell of a risk.

Also, new flags are cool.

I vote to Support the Director. Let Switzerland reign supreme!

[Thanqol]

INTERLUDE 1: THE ASCENSION 1585

http://imageshack.us/m/231/5355/fascistbritishflagbykac.png

Source (http://kacen.deviantart.com/art/Fascist-British-Flag-87336088?q=boost%3Apopular%20fascist&qo=23)

Hail Switzerland! Hail the Director! Hail the Silver Standard! Hail!

Hail Benedikt Bibes, the Philosopher who prophesised victory! Hail the Philosopher who spoke the words of the One Market and made them reality! Hail!

Hail Christoph Sporri, brother to the Director and Chairman of the DOFAD! Hail the Chairman who sat in front of the DOFAD-EITC and reminded them of the glory of the Swiss Mountains! Hail!

Hail Frederic Munzinger, heir to a Doge, who oversaw the reformation of the DOFAD and the army! Hail the General, under his guidance, every Swiss army will undergo complete reforms! Hail!

Hail the Director, the Ender of Empire and our Lord Protector! Hail the Voice of Switzerland!

http://imageshack.us/m/808/2954/2011051600001.jpg

The last corners of the map are filled in, and the Emperor's boot is no longer on our backs! Swiss Art and Culture will reign supreme over all of Europe! No longer must we buy art from our lessers! Now art will become yet another monopoly that the Swiss has deregulated!

http://imageshack.us/m/9/8034/2011051600002.jpg

Already lesser nations beg to be deregulated into Switzerland. In time, we will oblige them. Our duty, our honour, our resolve have never been greater! The mountains overflow with Gold and we are the Heart of the World once more!

Raise the Silver Standard high and sing songs of the Motherland! Let the words on your lips be faithful and true, let the gold in your hands be pure, let the heart that beats within your chest remind you: You are Swiss! You are the Heir to Empire! The Lords of India, of Asia, of Germany! Feared by all the world!

We shall forge the most progressive republic known to man.

All For One.

And One For All.

http://imageshack.us/m/220/4725/2011051600005.jpg

http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-NaziPartyDay_1934e.png

It's always the ones you least suspect.

[Klose_the_Sith]

Well I for one welcome our new Swiss overlords. Glory to de-regulation! :smallbiggrin:

[Thanqol]

INTERLUDE 2: THE FALL OF SWITZERLAND 1585-1586

Greetings, puny civilians! I am Chief Word Speaker For His Imperial Glory Imad ad-Din Kolathiri! I speak His divine Words while he labours under the terrible affliction of being thirteen! Cower and tremble, because I speak for the Lord of the greatest nation on Earth - no, in the universe!

http://imageshack.us/m/52/4237/2011051600017.jpg

MALDIVE!!!!

Reports have reached our ears that our Lithuanian vassals are at war with the puny, ugly country that calls itself "Ming". Fortunately, our divine Imad ad-Din Kolathiri will negotiate a ceasefire.

http://imageshack.us/m/836/3324/2011051600018.jpg

He dispatched our fastest messenger atop our fastest war canoe to bring our demands to the self-styled Chinese "Emperor". His Imperial and Divine Majesty is feeling generous, and he simply demands that China become our vassal state and pay half their taxes to Maldivia. He could have, instead, ordered them to kill themselves or, if he was feeling mean, simply cause a giant volcano to kill them all. Well, these things he will do once he's fifteen. Until then, think of him as the precursor to the greatest ruler that will ever live.

http://imageshack.us/m/560/8991/2011051600019.jpg

Blasphemy! Blasphemy in the Court of the Most High! The ignorant Chinese have chosen the path of madness, heresy and blasphemy! They rejected the most generous offer they were ever going to see - and now, they must pay the ULTIMATE price!

http://imageshack.us/m/851/6182/2011051600020.jpg

For see, Maldive armies are the greatest in the world! Never have two thousand men been better trained and disciplined! Fear, cowards, fear! The end is at hand!

http://imageshack.us/m/580/8614/2011051600021.jpg

Our benevolent Shogun Super Kami Guru Monarch has ordered, in his infinite wisdom, that our largest war canoe be renamed the USS Asskicker. Glory to the Asskicker! We shall leave no asses unkicked in our quest for retribution!

http://imageshack.us/m/854/2206/2011051600022.jpg

Under Imad ad-Din Kolathiri's enlightened leadership, the Maldavian navy has doubled in size in under a year! Oh, joyous day! With a production increase like this, how do those Chinese fools ever hope to stand against us?

His Forteen Year Old Glorious Exalted Majesty has ordered this new war canoe, so large it can carry HALF the entire Maldivian army, the "Double Asskick". ALL HAIL THE DOUBLE ASSKICK!!

http://imageshack.us/m/820/8688/2011051600025.jpg

Messenger canoes are dispatched to puny Bavaria, ordering them to lay down their weapons and cower, for we shall be landing our army in their puny territory as soon as the Emperor Monarch Butterfly-King comes of age. They, of course, obey, but we recieve a mysterious message - these fools are part of the sphere of some backwater called Switzerland! And these Swiss fools may object to our "trespass"! Who is this Switzerland, and how dare they insult the President-Pope Royal Doge Imad ad-Din Kolathiri!?!

http://imageshack.us/m/215/1614/2011051600027.jpg

Elsewhere, our minions crusade goes well, no doubt because the Divine Commander has been thinking positive thoughts about the war against China. We are so lucky to have an Imperial majesty like ours!

http://imageshack.us/m/535/3192/2011051600030.jpg

Finally, the Emperor-Elect Archduke has completed his grandest and most daring scheme yet - A TRIPLING OF THE MALDIVIAN NAVY! The Lord, Master and Doctor has ordered this final war canoe, the greatest of it's kind, to be named the USS ASSKICKER SUPREME! We shall howl it's name to the heavens as we destroy our foes from it's greatest height!

http://imageshack.us/m/850/590/2011051600033.jpg

But then, blackest news: The Ming fools have denied our merchants from trading beans for shiny beads in their puny markets! While the offense is inexcuseable, the event gives the Madivian Stattenhalder an idea...

http://imageshack.us/m/710/9151/2011051600034.jpg

The idea is simple. Switzerland is apparently a nation of merchants and bankers. If we invade Switzerland through or Bavarian holdings we can force Ming to open their market to us once more! And, as everyone knows, merchants can't fight so this should be easy!

http://imageshack.us/m/860/1782/2011051600037.jpg

Unfortunately, the Swiss have developed an ingenious ploy of blinding our divine ruler with popup windows! Such dishonourable tactics are no doubt the work of scum-sucking merchants!

http://imageshack.us/m/189/6039/2011051600039.jpg

Even so, our glorious leader manages to sweep the detrius of diplomacy aside and lay siege to one of their crummy little cities. This should be a piece of cake.

We also have our scouts executed for treasonous fear.

http://imageshack.us/m/837/4101/2011051600040.jpg

Finally, a Swiss army is cornered, cowering in their warrenous rat-nest. The God-Emperor of Mankind himself leads the charge!

http://imageshack.us/m/593/4760/2011051600041.jpg

The Childlike Emperor himself strikes down Swizerland's twelve greatest champions and legends, all enhanced by demonic possession and unholy strength, and then retires to leave his loyal followers to finish the job.

http://imageshack.us/m/202/4995/2011051600042.jpg

But then the Prime Minister realises he's been going about this all wrong. The Swiss are traders. The surest way to defeat them is an embargo!

http://imageshack.us/m/121/3313/2011051600043.jpg

As economic depression kicks in and the Swiss finances spiral out of control, the Emperor takes mercy and offers them peace - so long as they return to their mountains, dismantle their acronyms and release every nation that they control, and also become vassals of His Highness.

http://imageshack.us/m/109/2814/2011051600045.jpg

We remain confident that our messenger canoes will return bearing good news.

http://imageshack.us/m/193/8108/2011051600046.jpg

But the Strongman Himself has decided to sample in Swiss democracy and give his people a choice:

WHO SHOULD WE CRUSH FIRST?

CRUSH MING (Diplomatic)

We must crush Ming for their arrogance and foolishness!

If you vote for CRUSH MING expect to see:

- TOTAL VICTORY OVER MING

CRUSH SWITZERLAND (Administrative)

We must crush Switzerland while they are weak after our embargo!

If you vote for CRUSH SWITZERLAND expect to see:

- TOTAL VICTORY OVER SWITZERLAND

CRUSH GOD (Military)

We have learned that these heathen Europeans follow some "One true god" who claims that Professor Archmage Imad ad-Din Kolathiri is somehow lesser than him! We must storm his pathetic house and slay him and bring his head to the Marquis!

If you vote for CRUSH GOD expect to see:

- TOTAL VICTORY OVER GOD

Cast your votes!

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Crush God.
Clearly.
Gott ist tot.

[Grif]

Crush God.
Clearly.
Gott ist tot.

I support this man's decision wholeheartedly.

God must be crushed.

[Caewil]

Whoa, the new Swiss flag is scary.

[Narkis]

See, people? That's why you don't support megalomaniacs who want to change the country into their image.

As for the issue at hand, Crush God.

[Thanqol]

See, people? That's why you don't support megalomaniacs who want to change the country into their image.

Interestingly, if even one person voted to kill the director without the motion getting a majority?

Well. Let's just say our sliders would look very different right now.

And instead of Ecumenism we'd have Vetting.

[Rustic Dude]

This is creepy.

That being said, Crush God

[Slipperychicken]

multi-spoiler island insanity

I have a question:

What?


I don't get it. Why aren't we following our glorious Director? Why are we now this s****y island nation run by a 13 year old? WHERE IS THE AWESOME FLAG YOU PROMISED US?! Crush God, for having brought this madness upon us!

[Altaria87]

I have a question:

What?


I don't get it. Why aren't we following our glorious Director? Why are we now this s****y island nation run by a 13 year old? WHERE IS THE AWESOME FLAG YOU PROMISED US?! Crush God, for having brought this madness upon us!

I agree with all this post says.

[Artanis]

So uh...are we still Switzerland? :smallconfused:


If we're The Maldives now, go with Crush God. Come to think of it, if we ARE still Switzerland, I vote for crushing God as them too :smalltongue:

[Mewtarthio]

I have a question:

What?

Yeah, I was a bit confused, too. My guess:

He's attempting to get Maldives completely annihilated so that he can overwrite its data with the data for the new DOFAD rebellion state.

But I'm not Thanqol. Nor am I sufficiently well-versed in EU3 modding to know if that is necessary or advisable. Heck, I only just got the game yesterday (My first game is... not going very well).

Back to voting:

With due respect to our immortal God-King, none of these options seem advisable at the moment. No matter who we crush, we will still be best on all sides by strange barbarians who are not Maldives. We really only have one logical course of action:

Crush the very concept of Not Being Maldives

[Thanqol]

We're still Switzerland. Remember the opening to Men in Black when we follow a fly around for about 5 minutes and then it gets hit with a car and then the story really begins? It's kind of like that.

Oh, and to anyone who's recently purchased EU3: Be warned, the learning curve is more like a learning wall. Once you figure it out, though, it's the best game ever. I seriously reccomend reading this introductory guide (http://www.paradoxian.org/eu3wiki/Strategy_Guides); it's the tutorial the game lacks.

[Pathicus]

Crush the very concept of Not Being Maldives

Yeah, I've got to vote for this one. On that note...Switzerland is the least Maldivian. Maldivian is a word right? I'm gonna say it is.

[ragingrage]

CRUSH GOD!

...this is going to be fun.

[Slipperychicken]

we follow a fly around for about 5 minutes and then it gets hit with a car and then the story really begins


INTERLUDE


Oh.

All right, it all makes sense now that I've had enough sleep to remember our theatrical traditions, specifically what interludes/entr'actes/sideshows are supposed to be. So we learn what happened in Switzerland during those 2-3 years on... Wednesday, you said? Checking and re-checking this thread for updates has been eating quite a bit of my time as of late

[Grif]

I just realised where that flag was from.

V for Vendetta. How could I have missed the reference?

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj3mrjbhqd1qevsmn.jpg

[Thanqol]

Oh.

All right, it all makes sense now that I've had enough sleep to remember our theatrical traditions, specifically what interludes/entr'actes/sideshows are supposed to be. So we learn what happened in Switzerland during those 2-3 years on... Wednesday, you said? Checking and re-checking this thread for updates has been eating quite a bit of my time as of late

The next big update will should be here in an estimated 24-26 hours :smallsmile: Chances are I'll do one more Interlude before then, though, a State Of The World style post going over what's happening in nations other than Switzerland.

[Thanqol]

I just realised where that flag was from.

V for Vendetta. How could I have missed the reference?

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj3mrjbhqd1qevsmn.jpg

Swiss, in selling the Silver Standard to the suffering souls of select societies, have slipped in their selectivity and superior sense of spirit. The scale of these sorties is self evident: As the seafaring English stand supine over Scandinavia, the scrounging slaves of Lithuania strike the stones of Ming, and the silly senechal of the Maldives slips and staggers - Stop!

For in soulless centuries when supple and sensual silver, servants and spice strip away republics, in silence 'tween the notes of war songs, she can be heard.

She is Switzerland. And she shall stand and slay, and slay, and slay -

Until simple sunlight strikes our skulls, and Switzerland suffers no more.

You can call me S.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Swiss, in selling the Silver Standard to the suffering souls of select societies, have slipped in their selectivity and superior sense of spirit. The scale of these sorties is self evident: As the seafaring English stand supine over Scandinavia, the scrounging slaves of Lithuania strike the stones of Ming, and the silly senechal of the Maldives slips and staggers - Stop!

For in soulless centuries when supple and sensual silver, servants and spice strip away republics, in silence 'tween the notes of war songs, she can be heard.

She is Switzerland. And she shall stand and slay, and slay, and slay -

Until simple sunlight strikes our skulls, and Switzerland suffers no more.

You can call me S.

Beauty incarnate.

[Grif]

Swiss, in selling the Silver Standard to the suffering souls of select societies, have slipped in their selectivity and superior sense of spirit. The scale of these sorties is self evident: As the seafaring English stand supine over Scandinavia, the scrounging slaves of Lithuania strike the stones of Ming, and the silly senechal of the Maldives slips and staggers - Stop!

For in soulless centuries when supple and sensual silver, servants and spice strip away republics, in silence 'tween the notes of war songs, she can be heard.

She is Switzerland. And she shall stand and slay, and slay, and slay -

Until simple sunlight strikes our skulls, and Switzerland suffers no more.

You can call me S.

The alliterations. It's a work of art. :smalleek:

[Narkis]

Mind - blown.

[SiuiS]

Supple and Sensual Silver.

Hot.

I vote to Support The Constitution, provided I'm not too late.
Though the flag, she tempts me...

[Thanqol]

INTERLUDE 3: THE GREAT POWERS 1586


Great Britain:

http://imageshack.us/m/703/3792/unionjackbyganscasual.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/692/7154/2011051700002.jpg

In 1585, Great Britain is the world's greatest power, and the world's most Holy nation. Ruled over by the Archbishop of London, Charles Potocki, Great Britain rejected the decadence and madness of Europe and denounced the heresy of both Monarchy and Republic.

The roots of this can be traced back to the presence of the Knights Templar, who took refuge in England early in it's history. The Knights Templar at first occupied an exalted station within England, but fell out of favour with King George Lancaster and were disbanded. The King underestimated the cunning of the Templar, however, who merely withdrew and concealed their shrines and emblems.

During the Protestant Reformation, it was said that King George was considering the political usefulness of breaking with the Swiss Pope. On August 23 1521 he announced to his assembled vassal lords his plan. Every one of his vassal lords stood, produced the Templar seal they had concealed beneath their clothes, and drew their swords. They chanted an ancient and beautiful verse as they slowly approached the cowering, betrayed and defenseless King and cut him limb from limb.

In an instant, the Knights Templar returned. Their rise was metoric, their power absolute, and before the decade was out England was ruled by an Archbishop and was named the Defender of the Catholic Faith - a bulwark against Heresey everywhere.

Culturally, England is stuck in the middle ages. Her armies fly Templar banners, religion is mandatory, and heresy is punishable by death. The British are a dour and serious lot, given to extremes of devotion and a complete lack of humour. They produce many exceptional men nonetheless, with men such as William Shakespeare arising to become the Bishop of Ireland. Technologically, no nation knows the sea better. On the waves, England is uncontested and uncontestable; her fleets are everywhere and their voice is cannon fire.

The Swiss take a darkly mocking view of the English. The two have never engaged in open warfare, aside from a few blockades during one of the Swiss Deregulations, but the Swiss mock the English patriachal, backwards world view and the English regard the Swiss as a collective of ravenous and greedy bankers who would jump out of Heaven if they heard a rumour there was gold in Hell.

France:

http://imageshack.us/m/204/9504/2011051700003.jpg

The years have not been kind to France.

She sits astride some of the most fertile and beautiful land in Europe, and yet she is locked in an eternal war with England to try to free Her land from the Bishops. The English invariably respond to each attempt with complete naval blockades, which grinds down the French spirit. With their king unfortunately killed by sickness and a Regency Council established to manage the land for his heir, the French people whisper that they are cursed.

A defeatist air pervades the entire country, and French pride is lower than it has ever been. Economically strangled by England's endless blockades, too weary to even fight Switzerland over a matter of honour, and losing it's colonies in both India and America, unable to reclaim Normandy, France is in danger of giving up. It's people pray for a miracle, a savior, another Joan of Arc to lead them to victory.

But should such a miracle occur, should the French break their bad luck, the world will tremble.

The Swiss regard the French as loveable losers and treat them condescendingly but nicely. There has never been a Swiss-French war, as decreed by Tower of Gold policy over the past 200 years, and several alliances has built trust between the nations. Trade is fairly open across the border, and there is some cultural mingling. The French regard the Swiss with a mixture of envy and affection, as it is fashionable for the Swiss to constantly finance French artists and charities.

Spain:

http://imageshack.us/m/196/9161/2011051700004.jpg

Spain is an Empire in decline.

Queen Isabel de Valencia has overseen the greatest collapse her people could have ever imagined. Not only has her reign seen the people of Aragon cast off Spanish rule and divide the Iberian Pinennsula that her forebears worked so hard to unite, but Spanish Africa has been beset by a variety of revolutions and wars. Overstreached Spanish armies have been defeated by the Ottomans and by the Lithuanians (?), who claimed Tsunia for their own. Worse, a great deal of occupied Portugese territory has revolted and escaped, and the English claim multiple Spanish territories as staging grounds for their Crusades.

The Spanish are fortunate in many ways, though: Their centers of trades swell with slaves and sugar from their colonial possessions, and they have done more than any other nation to bring Christianity to Africa. Unfortunately, this is greatly reliant on Swiss largesse. The Swiss need vast quantities of slaves to stock their asian plantations and sugar to prepare their famous chocolates. The Spanish are acutely aware that a Swiss embargo could undo their struggling economy once and for all and plunge them into the depths of bankruptcy.

The Spanish response seems to be more colonisation, not less. Rather than trying to re-acquire the territory they lose in revolts they continue to try to populate the world with Spaniards. This strategy can only take them so far, though, especially if they get drawn into a war with another great power.

The Spanish and Swiss have an uneasy truce of mutual necessity. The Swiss need Spanish slaves and sugar, and the Spanish need Swiss silver. Neither trusts the other, and Swiss steriotype Spanish as drunkards and the ultimate in economic mismanagement, while the Spanish regard the Swiss as cowards without national pride or identity.

Poland:

http://imageshack.us/m/155/6509/2011051700006.jpg

No one in the entire world knows how to lose a war quite like Poland.

Once the equal to Lithania - in fact, Lithuania used to be Poland's vassal! - Poland now stands as a fragmented and fractuous collection of nations, split into pieces after some ill advised wars against England and France. Despite being excellent soldiers, despite having a huge territorial base and a great cultural elan, the Polish are constantly slain by their own pride.

Their alliance with Switzerland has stood for over eighty years, ever since they became brothers under the teachings of Smallet, but never in that time has Poland requested Switzerland's help with any of it's many wars. The Swiss have, time and time again, watched helplessly as the Polish armies are gloriously defeated, unable to enter the war on Polish behalf because the Polish won't let them.

The Swiss regard the Polish as mad - regal, proud, glorious, beautiful people with a demented obsession for getting themselves all killed spectacularly. Poland has become a similie for tragedy, insanity, and glory. The Polish, for their parts, don't think ill of the Swiss, but absolutely refuse any show of generosity or charity.

Lithuania:

http://imageshack.us/m/705/8594/2011051700005.jpg

Europe does not appreciate the service Lithuania does for it. Were it not for Lithuania's armies and constant wars against heretics and heathens, the Swiss merchants would have to do their trading while neck deep in ******** and muslims.

Lithuania has become a country of constant, total war - and a country the Swiss cheekily claim credit for. Doge Stefan Oberholzer arrived in the country in 1428 and soon became commander in chief of Lithuania's armed forces. He oversaw the complete destruction and annexation of the Golden Horde, and laid the groundwork for a military culture that never quite left. Lithuanians have spent the past 200 years in a state of constant war against savages and heathens. The subject of peace has never been raised.

The Lithuanians also convert their conquests by the sword, and follow the principles of Smallet, albiet with their own spin on things. Lithuanians believe that as long as you follow Christ, no matter how you follow him, you're essentially all right, and it's just that everyone else has to die.

Oddly, the Swiss get along fantastically with the Lithuanians. Lithuanians are portrayed as big, slow, boisterous but good-hearted and noble warriors and it's a point of pride for many a Swiss merchant to have a Lithuanian bodyguard. The Swiss are quite active in their support for Lithuanian counterparts, assisting them with military reforms and supplying them with gold to finance their endless crusades.

Naples:

http://imageshack.us/m/84/897/2011051700008.jpg

"By Jove, how do they do it?" is the most common expression used to speak about Naples. They are widely regarded to be the luckiest nation on Earth. After an early war with France halved their territory, which was already insignificant, Naples seemed doomed. But then, in a stroke of luck, the inherited the Throne of Sicily. Then the Explorer, Grastail Ipazzo, took four thousand men and departed - and the Neopolitans mourned that their army was gone and they would be paupers hence. They later recieved news that their army had conquered all of Southern India and that Naples was now rich beyond it's wildest dreams. Lucky break after lucky break defines the country.

King Durazzo is quite laid back about his country's luck, not questioning when he ends up with territory in Poland or Anatolia due to some diplomatic SNAFU, or because an army got lost and accidentally conquered a nation or two. His people seem similarly relaxed, applying minimal effort to their work in the sure certainty that God will give them fortune.

The Swiss regard the Neopolitans with something best described as "Frothing rage". The lazy moochbags claimed a huge amount of what was considered DOFAD territory through a lucky blunder, and despite not putting any work or care into their economic policy are drowning in wealth. Every time the Neopolitan king announces some new tax or tarrif, Swiss journals fill with gleeful predictions of how this will cripple Naples' economy, and then watch with horror as it somehow makes them richer.

[Spartacus]

Your description of Naples amuses me. Despite never having played this game and not knowing what the screenshots mean, I think I'll still follow this LP.

[Grif]

King Durazzo is quite laid back about his country's luck, not questioning when he ends up with territory in Poland or Anatolia due to some diplomatic SNAFU, or because an army got lost and accidentally conquered a nation or two. His people seem similarly relaxed, applying minimal effort to their work in the sure certainty that God will give them fortune.

This.

This is amusing.

Can we play as Naples now?

[SiuiS]

This.

This is amusing.

Can we play as Naples now?

Wehad the DOFAD sent out by the Silver Standard and just so happen to own huge swathes of SE-Asia.

We are the closest thing to Naples one can be, without being Naples.


while the Spanish regard the Swiss as cowards without national pride or identity.
the poor bastards. If only they knew...
Everything we have done, we have done because we are Swiss! Ah well. They will find the truth on the end of a deregulating pike, one day.

[Grif]

Wehad the DOFAD sent out by the Silver Standard and just so happen to own huge swathes of SE-Asia.

We are the closest thing to Naples one can be, without being Naples.


the poor bastards. If only they knew...
Everything we have done, we have done because we are Swiss! Ah well. They will find the truth on the end of a deregulating pike, one day.

But we didn't conquer entire nations by (accidentally) losing an army.

They did. I'll say they already one-upped us. :smallbiggrin:

[Thanqol]

But we didn't conquer entire nations by (accidentally) losing an army.

They did. I'll say they already one-upped us. :smallbiggrin:

The Neopolitan Central Intelligence Agency in the 1960's (http://www.theonion.com/video/ospan-classic-cia-accidentally-overthrows-costa-ri,18056/).

[Thanqol]

1586-1599: Lord Protector Nicolas Sporri



What the Tower of Gold didn't know was that their 'secret' meeting had been infiltrated by the Lord Protector's spies. The Lord Protector was no fool and knew to keep close tabs on the most powerful men in Switzerland. When he recieved his report at the night's end, he liked what he heard: While there had been some argument over the nature of the constitution, by and large the Tower of Gold were in favour of The Director's appointment and would cast their support behind him.

When the Tower of Gold assembled the next day to celebrate the Director, Sporri swore that he would serve the Swiss people until his dying day. And oddly, in that moment I believe he was sincere. Everything Sporri had done he had done for Switzerland. And the constitutional reforms he drew up with the aid of the Tower of Gold were, to his mind, genuinely good ones. He believed that the establishment of the office of Lord Protector was necessary to oversee the Swiss economy and prevent the corruption that had almost crippled his deregulation of the Emperor.

Of course, later generations would tell a different story of the day Switzerland chose to elect a Tyrant, but right then, on that day, the young Director was a patriot and a good man.

The Director's first act upon claiming office was to unleash the DOFAD-EITC. Despite all the Director's power, he still had to treat the DOFAD gingerly. While the SS armies in Europe were disciplined and hardened by decades of Deregulation, the DOFAD armies could match them for size and were dedicated survivalists besides. The DOFAD finally siezed some territory it had long coveted and began the process of catching up upon their Neopolitan rivals.

http://imageshack.us/m/7/4388/2011051700011.jpg

In Europe, the "Aftershock War" occured. The crushed Thuringians had gathered a rabble of an army and sought to re-establish the Empire by force of arms. Unfortunately, they declared war on Switzerland at the wrong time, touching the center of a web of alliances. The SS did not bother to leave Bern and left the Deregulation to their allies. The war went quickly and predictably.

http://imageshack.us/m/713/2650/2011051700014.jpg

Soon after the Aftershock War was wrapped up, the French took the opportunity to launch a crusade against the Ottomans. The Swiss provided token support in the hopes that an easy victory against the muslims would rejuvinate Swiss politics.

http://imageshack.us/m/808/1253/2011051700016.jpg

In 1593 the King of Naples paid a diplomatic visit to the Tower of Gold. As he stood before the Lord Protector, the announcer read out all the King's many titles. At the end, when the announcer rolled up his scroll in finality, the King spoke up.

"Actually, you missed one of my titles."
"Sir?" Said the announcer.
"I'm now the King of Songhai too, apparantly."
"The King of Songhai?" Asked the Director, standing up dramatically and turning to face his Secret Service guards, who shrugged abashadly. "When did this happen?"
"It's the darndest thing I ever heard," said the Neopolitan King, "Apparently one of my merchants was having trouble with the locals while he was prospecting, so he hired a mercenary company to go and sort them out, but it seems like he hired too many. So I gave him a loan to cover the merc's pay, and he gave me the country in exchange..."

Various factions in the room have described the Lord Protector's response in a variety of ways, but they all include the grinding of teeth.

http://imageshack.us/m/715/3638/2011051700017.jpg

America was an, often violent, mess and had been for some time. Gotland still held it's colonies in North America. On a whim, the Lord Protector ordered Gotland added to the Swiss Sphere, quipping, "If that island has held that land for this long against the likes of Portugal and Spain, they deserve to keep it."

http://imageshack.us/m/268/8200/2011051700018.jpg

The DOFAD, by this point, had completely integrated their Malayan possessions and deregulated the language and cultural barriers that divided them from the Swiss. Malayan heathens had spent so long under Swiss deregulation that their eyes had finally opened to just how miserable their lives had been before. The DOFAD was now able to fully leverage the vast manpower reserves that control of South-East Asia gave them.

Colonising these islands had been a long and expensive process, but finally the DOFAD colonies were nearing self-sustainability.

http://imageshack.us/m/593/6233/2011051700020.jpg

Back in Europe, the city-state of Aquilia opened a trading hub less than a mile from Venitia, one of Switzerland's richest possessions, and immediately drew away a huge amount of Swiss trade. This was a clear insult to the Swiss people, and coming from a nation that had no reason to be proud of anything.

The Lord Protector cast aside concerns that Aquilia was guaranteed by Great Britain and demanded an immediate Deregulation. The Silver Standard was already marching by the time he'd given the order, and the Tower of Gold realised for the first time that it was not truly a part of the decision making process any more.

http://imageshack.us/m/848/163/2011051700022.jpg

The Swiss were in entirely the wrong position to try and fight Great Britain directly. Even if the entire navy was called off anti-piracy duties and assembled in the Mediterranian, something the DOFAD-EITC refused to even contemplate, they would still lose to the Holy Navy of Great Britain.

And so the Director grudingly settled in for a war of attrition and waited until the British would be ready to negotiate a white peace.

http://imageshack.us/m/828/9521/2011051700024.jpg



But it was perhaps remorse that tugged at the Tyrant's heart when he realised he had just shown the Tower of Gold who had elected him Lord Protector just how irrelevent they were. Not wanting to antagonise his benefactors, who also just so happened to be the richest and most powerful men in Switzerland, the Director came to them in a most humble fashion and begged their advice. He had three proposals for the future of Switzerland and would have their advice on which he should make reality.


The Director has presented the Tower of Gold with three great schemes. These will forever define the future of Switzerland, so choose!

BILL 1: The Oath Of Office

The Director recognises that the power of his office could be abused, so he proposes establishing a formal constitution that shall guarantee basic rights and freedoms for all Swiss. Of course, to the Director these rights are suggestions rather than absolute commands, but having a single consistent reference point will be a great reassurance to the people and will provide a limit on the excesses of future Lord Protectors - as well as a legal provision to terminate them should the need arise.

Establishing appropriate legal and juditiary bodies will take time and effort, however, and dampen Swiss expansion in both Asia and Germany.

BILL 2: The Pan-Germanic Republic

The Empire has fallen and the City States are ripe for the taking. In order to wage war successfully on that scale, however, the Director is going to need a lot more able bodied men. An institution of compulsory military service would likely meet the Director's needs.

However, this system will permanently entrench the power of the Silver Standard in Switzerland, and create a permanently martial culture.

BILL 3: Integrated Empire Implementation

The DOFAD's territory is huge, just as populous as Switzerland but not as rich. Directing an empire with this many people is difficult, and the divides that run between the DOFAD and the Silver Standard are deep. A policy of fundamental engagement, unified religious, military and economic strategy and organisational integration could prevent the ultimate nightmare: A DOFAD secession and a Swiss civil war.

While this policy will stabilise an Empire that's tearing under it's own size and further encourage rapid annexation of India, it acknowledges that the DOFAD and the Silver Standard are the only two powers in Switzerland.


So vote, Swiss people: Who knows how often this chance will come again?

[Rustic Dude]

The Oath Of Office

It's the lesser evil for the liberty of our people.

[Narkis]

The oath of office

We created a monster. We must now try to restrain it, so that our children will have a chance to fix our mistake, and restore Switzerland to what it should be.

[Neon Knight]

The Pan-Germanic Republic. We're too far down the dark side to take half measures anymore.

___

Also, after reading the Great Powers update, I quite like this Poland a lot. That doomed nobility and valor have such a gallant, if dark, appeal to them.

[Grif]

We must steer away from this madness of dictatorship.

The Oath Of Office is a good start towards reestablishment of some semblance of sanity.


I find Naples to be most amusing. They apparently get territory for free!

[Misery Esquire]

My fellows of the Golden Tower, why do we ignore the larger issue once more? I had assumed that you would avoid the Director, but he was allowed his dictatorship, and now you look to give him guidelines as a way to preserve Switzerland? Nay. It is too late, and irrelevant. He can only live one life, and if his prodecessor is competent, we have no reason to fear. If he is incompetent, then we shall remove him. Our true issue at the moment, is DOFAD. Have the Swiss ever fought Swiss? Nay. And we should not, will not, be the ones to allow it to come to that. Intergrating the Empire is our next step.

[Artanis]

I support the Oath of Office. The current Director is one of history's greatest leaders, a modern-day Swiss Caesar Augustus whose talent and wisdom will be remembered for all eternity. However, you never know when we will end up with a Caligula that must be gotten rid of post haste, and if Switzerland is going to continue its rise in the future, we must be able to protect ourselves from such terrible rulers.


Also, the State of the World update is much appreciated, and it gives valuable information when it comes to making these decisions. It seems that we are in a much better position than I expected, since only one (as opposed to four) of the five greatest foreign powers in Europe is frothing at the mouth at the prospect of coming and kicking the crap out of us :smalltongue: .

[James the Dark]

It was already too late to stop the monster we created, so we did the best thing we could at the time. If we really understood how little the Oath of Office would have changed what was to come, we might have opted for something more radical, but nobody could see the future. Nobody could see what dark days lay in wait.

[Mewtarthio]

Hm... I sort of think we should integrate the empire, except that, from the standpoint of a reader, I kind of really want to watch the DOFAD civil war.

It's settled, then. Our glorious Director has struck down the Holy Roman Empire and mad Switzerland the foremost power in Western Europe! This is no time to balk at what must be done! This is the time to strike! This is the time to forge a Pan-Germanic Republic!

[Altaria87]

Fellow Swiss, is it not our fear of a DOFAD rebellion that lead us to support the Director in the first place? We must prevent a civil war at all costs, and Integrate the Empire.

[Murska]

As I was saying before, Pan-Germanic Republic it is. After that, we must inherit Lithuania. :smallamused:

[VonFenris]

Lsing the DOFAD-EITC territory would mean the end of Switzerland as we know it: therefore integrate the empire

[Raz_Fox]

The Oath of Office is the only sane measure we have in here that still allows us to somehow set off a hilarious civil war of epic proportions.

[Artanis]

A question: when you say "there's a chance of revolt", how big is that chance? Are we talking about an extant but negligible possibility, or are we talking about a guaranteed occurrence (if we don't choose Integrate the Empire), or is it somewhere in between? :smallconfused:

[Slipperychicken]

This, gentlemen, is the perfect opportunity to safeguard our country's future. A National Constitution, which is perhaps more important than the Oath of Office which would accompany it, has the potential, if properly authored, and with the support of the Protector, to sweep at least two of our greatest threats to nonexistence.


Firstly, it can give the Swiss people the power to check future Directors should they prove regulatory or incompetent.


Secondly, if the right provisions are added, it can rein in the looming possibility of a DOFAD revolt, by clearly establishing civilian control of the military and the colonies. We must take care, though, to avoid provoking a revolt prematurely the Director should put his weight behind the document, and, if necessary, placate the DOFAD by allowing it to continue deregulation of Asia until (or perhaps long after) the constitutions legitimacy is fully solidified.


Blasphemous as it sounds, my brothers, times are changing, and regulation may well prove the best defense against regulation.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Oath of Office is necessary. It is never too late to turn back from past mistakes.

[Fluff & Napalm]

Integrate the empire. After all this work to colonize why let it slip away?

[Aragehaor]

If the DOFAD is disloyal enough that it would consider succeeding from the Glorious Swiss Republic then they must be shown how foolish a gesture that would be. Increase the Silver Standard's power to such lengths that a DOFAD succession would be destroyed by no more then half our army with ease!

And for those of you who seek to get a guarantee of basic rights and freedoms, i ask you this. What will those rights do you when the DOFAD rebels? Without increasing the Silver Standard's power the DOFAD are capable of besting us, losing those colonies would be disastrous. Not only to the stability and wealth of the swiss republic, but also to our reputation. What will our enemies see when our pitiful colonies are capable of succeeding from our glorious republic? A target. Our enemies will rally and the end of our glorious republic will have arrived, so i ask you this.

Is a guarantee of basic rights worth the ultimate destruction of all we have worked for? I say nay. Support the The Pan-Germanic Republic! and we shall no longer be in danger from our enemies or DOFAD succession! Commerce shall increase tenfold!

[Shadowy]

The empire ahs fallen and glory waits in arm's reach to be seized.
Vote the The Pan-Germanic Republic for the only glory that is deserved of great Switzerland!

(on another note I've been reading your let's play and find it quite entertaining so far.)

[Thanqol]

A question: when you say "there's a chance of revolt", how big is that chance? Are we talking about an extant but negligible possibility, or are we talking about a guaranteed occurrence (if we don't choose Integrate the Empire), or is it somewhere in between? :smallconfused:

That chance is "As soon as it's narratively convenient". A bad ruler is most likely to set it off.

[Artanis]

In that case, I change my vote to Integrate the Empire :smalleek:

[SiuiS]

Fools. Fools!

First you chose to Abandon responsibility forthe greates power the world has ever known. You forsook and dishonored the DOFAD, and turned your eyes away.
The heavens gave us power yet, in the form of our Director. And after he has done what you wanted, you would shackle the beast? With words? nay. I say nay.

We have become the bogeymen of the world. We have known this since we first began deregulation. You have become comfortable with the meats, but not the slaughter. Well not I. I know we have created a monster. I at least accept that.

This is a time for monsters. The world is still up for grabs, my fellows! United, the DOFAD and the SS would ensure Swiss supremacy for the ages! Who cares that they become our only choices, when they are all we have ever chosen?!

I cast my vote.
BILL 3: Integrated Empire Implementation.

I pray the half of you who speak of this constitutional nonsense will come to see reason. In a world where to be Swiss is to be either feared or destroyed, I choose feared.

[Klose_the_Sith]

I too, am concerned by this knee-jerk reaction that's on display.

What matters most here is the welfare of SWITZERLAND - not your precious delusions about our ability to save face. The Director is smart enough to know that the days of dynastic rule in Switzerland are over and when the crisis has passed, we shall have forged the greatest nation ever seen.

Integrated Empire Integration. It's the Reich idea.

[Kurgan]

I must put my voice in support of Integrating the Empire. Dofad has done us too much good to just ignore them. Putting them in a position where they share power with the Director and his party sounds like a good compromise to me. Between both parties, we will be unstoppable, but before we can get there, we must encourage them to work together for the greater good. The greater Switzerland!

So....I guessing that Naples is a "lucky" nation? Seem to remember you mentioning that you set that to random.

[Thanqol]

So....I guessing that Naples is a "lucky" nation? Seem to remember you mentioning that you set that to random.

Game Concept: Lucky nations
In EU3 there's a hidden statistic called "Lucky" which can be set to Historical, Random or None. "Lucky" gives it's nation a bunch of advantages - extra troops, cash, prestige and merchants. Essentially, the idea is to make sure that the game ends up with 5-6 superpowers so there'll always be a decent challenge for the player. Note only computers get these advantages.

Historically, the Lucky Nations are England, Portugal, Spain, France, Austria - and a few others that change around depending on history (Portugal eventually loses it's Lucky status to Prussia, for example). Having Lucky Nations set to random (which can only be done in the pre-game options screen) gives these super powers to randoms - hence the reason why Lithuania and Naples have gone batsh*t in this game. If we were to completely annex Naples tomorrow, though, some other nation would get the Lucky tag.

I have seen Crete once get lucky and wind up annexing Mexico and going on to conquer the majority of North America. Alas, the days before I thought to take screenshots.

[Martok]

Thangol, this is a bloody fantastic AAR you've got going so far. I started following it about a third of the way in, and I can honestly say I've been enjoying every minute of it! In fact, it's inspired me to fire up my own copy of EU3 -- a game I've been struggling to get into (but very much want to like) for a while now -- for the first time in weeks. :smallsmile:


With that being said, I cast my vote for Integrated Empire Implementation. The DOFAD has done too much for us to risk letting them split off and effectively destroy our empire, and to fetter The Director with any sort of "oath" would simply shackle his genius -- a genius that our glorious nation very much needs!

[Thanqol]

Thangol, this is a bloody fantastic AAR you've got going so far. I started following it about a third of the way in, and I can honestly say I've been enjoying every minute of it! In fact, it's inspired me to fire up my own copy of EU3 -- a game I've been struggling to get into (but very much want to like) for a while now -- for the first time in weeks. :smallsmile:

The best thing about doing this LP is convincing people to give EU3 a shot. It's my favourite game of all time and once you can get over the learning wall everything just works. Hope you have as much fun with it as I have :smallsmile:

Voting will close in 2-3 hours.

[Sithis]

Firstly, dammit Thanqol, your LP got me to buy EU3. So much for getting anything accomplished in the near future. (Also, who knew that attempting to annex Luxomburg as Burgundy would lead to a five year war between myself and 8 other nations. That I could win. :smallcool:)

As far as the vote goes, we must keep Switzerland from becoming a tyranny. And to that end, we must have The Oath of Office.

[Pathicus]

Integrated Empire Implementation. Because it should be the name of an Exalted Charm.

[Grif]

The best thing about doing this LP is convincing people to give EU3 a shot. It's my favourite game of all time and once you can get over the learning wall everything just works. Hope you have as much fun with it as I have :smallsmile:

Voting will close in 2-3 hours.

Well you certainly convinced me. I always been a sucker for grand strategy games, even if I usually suck at one.

At least my poor friend has someone to discuss EU3 with him now.

[Caewil]

Integrated Empire Implementation

Because we need to one-up naples.

EDIT: Has anyone tried MEIOU? It's an awesome mod for EU3. Less complicated than MMU but much better than vanilla. It also works with Divine Wind. Game balance is much better IMO.

[Darth Mario]

Integrated Empire Implementation

Because we need to one-up naples.

EDIT: Has anyone tried MEIOU? It's an awesome mod for EU3. Less complicated than MMU but much better than vanilla. It also works with Divine Wind. Game balance is much better IMO.

Balance? In my EU3?

[Thanqol]

VOTING CLOSED!

Oath of Office: 8
Pan-Germanic Republic: 5
Integrated Empire Implementation: 11

Thank god, now I don't have to go through the long and tedious process of modding in the DOFAD :smallwink:

I just want to take this moment to say thank you to everyone who reads and votes: Your perspectives and input is really what makes this LP a joy to do.

Update coming.

[Thanqol]

1599-1630: Lord Protector Nicolas Sporri

In future centuries, many would come to regret that the Swiss people had chosen not champion the Oath of Office, but none could ever say that they had made a bad decision. The debate was close, but pride and pragmatism won out against idealism and recklessness. As bad as a rogue Dictator could be, thought the Swiss people, a civil war with India could end Switzerland forever.

And so, they urged the greatest mind who had ever graced Swiss politics to spend the next forty years of his life healing the rifts between East and West, uniting a country that had grown apart.

The Swiss asked for stability, and the Director, Nicolas Sporri, obeyed.

http://imageshack.us/m/692/9356/2011051800001.jpg

Soon afterwards, the Director departed for India. He personally lead several long delayed deregulations and began winning the DOFAD-EITC's trust with his leadership and humility. He voluntarily placed himself under DOFAD-EITC command while fighting the natives, and proved himself in a series of great victories. In so doing, he built up personal relationships with the Chairmen of the DOFAD-EITC.

The Director then began a campaign of job swaps. He would offer individual Chairmen promotions and lavish and powerful jobs in Switzerland if they would allow allow a Silver Standard man to take their place. In this way the lines between the two organisations began to blur.

http://imageshack.us/m/52/1472/2011051800004.jpg

Not all went well, though. The Director, while visiting newly colonised Australia, was informed by Swiss Secret Service agents that a coup was planned against his life by pro-democracy agents. They urged a complete crackdown in Bern and the deregulation of several prominent families.

But the Director refused.

"The Swiss people voted me to power, voted me my command, and gave me a mission. I owe them everything I have and I am their servant. They would no more strike me down than they would cut off their own hands,"

And he was right. The coup fell into squabbling and disagreements of philosophy and the assassination attempt never happened.

How does one kill a man who is beloved by all?

http://imageshack.us/m/31/9625/2011051800005.jpg

The ongoing war with Great Britain went from bad to worse. The Swiss navy still could not challenge the Crusaders of the Sea, and the British used this advantage to besiege and capture Switzerland's island possessions. The Swiss Silver Standard army was more than a match for the British one on the ground, but the Swiss were beginning to realise just how worthless that edge was in this kind of war.

http://imageshack.us/m/813/9759/2011051800006.jpg

Working with the DOFAD commanders, the Director turned his attention to a total reformation of the Swiss navy. The reforms discussed would take decades to finish, but one day Switzerland would be able to fight Great Britain on her own terms.

http://imageshack.us/m/268/5079/2011051800011.jpg

Where the Director was truly merciless was when it came to corruption. Upon hearing that one of the DOFAD Chairmen who had been convinced to return to Bern was stealing from the Tower of Gold, the Director challenged him to a duel and shot him dead with a single pistol shot to the heart. The act shocked a complacent Switzerland but the fact that Sporri had dealt with the matter through a duel of honour rather than the Secret Service won him a great deal of respect.

http://imageshack.us/m/714/1324/2011051800013.jpg

New Bern in Northern Australia became the first of the Swiss colonies to strike big - Gold! Prospectors began to flock to the colony to try and make their fortune, and the Tower of Gold began to reassess Australia's strategic priority. If the entire country was as mineral rich as New Bern it would perhaps be a place worth contesting.

http://imageshack.us/m/707/531/2011051800015.jpg

The aboriginal folk in the Australian colony of Baltharsar, however, had become impossible to tolerate due to their demented insistence on their backwards regulations, religious and economic. An outright raid was launched on the settlement and the colonists petitioned the DOFAD for a military intervention.

http://imageshack.us/m/862/9036/2011051800016.jpg

The DOFAD was used to dealing with such things and dispatched a transport fleet, the DOFAD Aqua battlegroup and 9000 soldiers to run mop up duty. Unfortunately, they were intercepted en route by the British and massacred off the coast of Cape Howe. It was one of the most famous naval battles and military defeats in Swiss history - the DOFAD transport ships were unprepared for fighting anything more serious than a pirate raider or a savage war canoe. At the end of the day, 13,000 Swiss men rested on the bottom of the ocean.

This was the blow that caused the DOFAD to wake up and realise it could not just ignore Europe as it had hoped. No matter how isolated they thought they were in Southeast Asia, the British could simply sail down and invade.

The DOFAD needed the Silver Standard to stop this ever happening again. A pity it took thirteen thousand lives to learn that lesson.

Remember Cape Howe. 14/12/1604

http://imageshack.us/m/121/1671/2011051800018.jpg

Not long after, New Bern and Baltharsar were unlawfully seized by the British, taking with them the gold and thousands of Swiss settlers.

http://imageshack.us/m/219/3966/2011051800019.jpg

Finally, the Swiss negotiated a surrender to the British. Switzerland was forced to sign the Treaty of Wessex which forced Switzerland into a thirty year pledge to cease it's expansion in Europe. It was a humiliating blow to Swiss pride and many from both DOFAD and the Silver Standard howled at Sporri in fury.

Sporri's response, which quieted a lot of rage, was "Think about how many warships we can build in thirty years."

http://imageshack.us/m/811/4315/2011051800020.jpg

With the DOFAD integrated into Swiss politics again, it was TIME FOR A RETURN OF CHARTS AND GRAPHS! The Swiss Strategic Charts and Graphs Depository doubled it's size over Sporri's reign.

http://imageshack.us/m/146/4121/2011051800021.jpg

Although the war with England was over, not all the English got the memo. Landless Sea Crusaders set up piracy operations in Indonesia. The DOFAD navy had been crippled by England and was only able to deal with the problem in the most piecemeal way. The DOFAD begged for an immediate expansion of the Swiss navy to deal with the problem, but the Director refused - Switzerland was just years away from a breakthrough in naval technology and production, and the Director refused to invest in almost obsolete technology.

The DOFAD was eventually able to clear the pirates from their waters through the commissioning of multiple Swiss privateers, and their heroic battles against the Knights Templar are one of the most popular forms of Swiss novel.

http://imageshack.us/m/852/3711/2011051800022.jpg

Pisa was Deregulated entirely. Sporri's ambitions in Germany had proven unpopular with the Tower of Gold, so he focused long term deregulation efforts on the rich and stable Italy.

This had the added advantage of encroaching on Naples' territory.

http://imageshack.us/m/33/3489/2011051800023.jpg

A full scale Deregulation of India was launched. The Silver Standard and DOFAD worked side by side to make it one of the fastest and most efficient in Swiss history.

http://imageshack.us/m/842/7825/2011051800024.jpg

It turned out the DOFAD and the Silver Standard had a lot to say to each other. The Silver Standard had unique insight about fighting land wars with gunpowder weapons, which the Indians were gradually acquiring and the DOFAD was having a difficult time adapting to due to the infrequency of encountering them. The DOFAD had unique insight about logistics, multi-front battles and counterterrorism.

As the two empires mixed and mingled, they taught each other many things, including about their own limitations.

http://imageshack.us/m/850/8242/2011051800025.jpg

Unfortunately, one of the things they taught each other was that the DOFAD currency was dangerously debased, often tainted by primative Indian minting practices and a lack of proper forges or standardisation. The DOFAD, predictably, stood by their currency and resented the arrival - some said invasion - of 5,000 Tower of Gold Bureaucrats to fix the problem.

http://imageshack.us/m/709/1754/2011051800027.jpg

One of Sporri's greatest weaknesses was architecture, and finally he was able to rebuild more than just the capital. The Sporri Romanic style began to spread like wildfire, especially in India where a great deal of construction was underway. The gleaming white buildings and sharp right angles have since become some of India's most famous attractions - though at the time, they were detested as symbols of colonial oppression.

http://imageshack.us/m/200/2211/2011051800029.jpg

In 1619 the Swiss accidentally completely destabilised the Catholic Faith and empowered their archenemy beyond their wildest dreams. They annexed the Papal State and instituted a Swiss government in Rome, confining the Pope to the Vatican and it's surroundings. This hardly seemed a major step - one more beaucratic step towards total integration. The Pope had been a Swiss vassal for 200 years now, so the Swiss hardly expected anyone to notice.

http://imageshack.us/m/7/8119/2011051800030.jpg

The British noticed all right.

http://imageshack.us/m/705/1079/2011051800032.jpg

Game Concept: The Papal State
Yes! I was hoping this would happen!

The Papal State is where the Pope lives. If the Papal State is annexed, a random Catholic Theocracy becomes the Papal State instead, and the Pope moves the Curia there. I changed England to a Theocracy several updates ago and my gamble paid off: The Pope is now the head of the English state and has suddenly gone from a Swiss vassal to the head of the most powerful nation on Earth.

We are so screwed :smallbiggrin:

The English announced that the Pope in Rome was to be excommunicated. They said that no pathetic servant of Reformed heretics was worthy of leading the Catholic faith. They anointed Pope George William III of Great Britain leader of the Catholic Faith and the Knights Templar.

For a moment, it looked like this would cause a schism within the Catholic faith, but for the arrival of the Roman Pope in England. He had slipped away from the Vatican and his Swiss guards under the cover of night and proclaimed his full support and allegiance to the Holy Nation of England and their new Pope.

The Heretic shall fall, and Christ shall rise again.

The Pope arrives in London. (http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=templar+mass#/delnqt)

http://imageshack.us/m/146/1672/2011051800033.jpg

The Swiss didn't panic at the realisation that they'd just unchained the Catholic faith and lost their one bargaining chip with the English.

They hired the greatest fortification architect in Europe for completely unrelated reasons.

http://imageshack.us/m/864/6476/2011051800034.jpg

Sporri was also very deliberate about not panicking, but he also redirected thousands of ducats from the army to the navy.

http://imageshack.us/m/535/5669/2011051800035.jpg

In fact, the entire nation took the news absolutely calmly and without the least bit of worry. In fact, there was even an upturn in the economy! A lot of people began investing money in Swiss capital.

In fact, firarms manufacturing industries, earthworks and forts experienced 400% growth in some regions!

http://imageshack.us/m/844/4049/2011051800037.jpg

Finally, the naval expansion Sporri had overseen was ready for a field test. The northern Italian coast was now a huge complex of shipyards, drydocks and naval bases. A new design of Wargalleon, two decades more advanced than than anything seen in the rest of the world, had entered mass production. A live fire test was organised too, under the guise of "Assisting" the French with their crusade against the Ottomans.

Not that the French especially needed Swiss assistance.

http://imageshack.us/m/121/3240/2011051800039.jpg

The Swiss took the moment to sieze the city of Jeruselum. Sources are unclear as to why, and in fact the reports seem disorganised as to who ordered the city claimed. It was well outside the Swiss sphere of influence and would likely bring a lot more trouble with it than it was worth.

The most likely case was a desperate need to validate Swiss belief in the Reformed Faith by taking the Holy City, and perhaps provide insurance against the British Pope.

http://imageshack.us/m/845/2097/2011051800042.jpg

In fact, there were a lot of religious reforms happening at the time. Few things in history had ever spooked the Swiss half as much. Financial incentives were even offered to those who would speak out against Catholic spies.

http://imageshack.us/m/845/7493/2011051800043.jpg

Note: Lithania's been converting every province it captured. By now, the Reformed Faith is #1 in the entire world. Go Lithuania!

But in the end, Nicolas Sporri, the First Tyrant, was able to deliver on his promise. The DOFAD and the Silver Standard have become so closely tied, economically and politically, that there is no divide between them. East and West Switzerland are one in the same. The Republic is united, under God, under Gold, a gleaming bastion of Deregulation throughout Europe. An absolute golden age has taken place, with huge infrastructure investments, a collossal expansion of the navy, complete dominance over Northern India, and nearly 40 years of continuous peace, stability and cultural development.

The reign of Lord Protector Nicolas Sporri, the Director of Switzerland, was a golden age. Switzerland's economy is booming, her people are happy, her armies are strong, her navies are glorious, her people stand together.

Once again, the Swiss can speak the words "All for One, One for All" without the faintest trepidation or sense of irony.

And when he passed away at the age of 85, the whole country mourned him. This man had never been betrayed by his people, and had never betrayed his people. He had been a Tyrant, and the first in a line of Tyrants, but the world envied Switzerland her Tyrants.

http://imageshack.us/m/810/8128/2011051800046.jpg

Hopefully his successor will be half as glorious.

http://imageshack.us/m/219/2483/2011051800047.jpg

... or he could be the worst ruler Switzerland has ever experienced.



THE QUESTION:

While public elections are no longer held, the DOFAD and Silver Standard have a collection of extremely powerful men who are capable of shaping a national policy even in the presence of an all-powerful dictator. The new Dictator will likely work at cross purposes with us, though, so we need to create a new cultural movement, one we have control over and which may force the Lord Protector's hand.


What should our approach to ensuring our power stands be?


Consolidate the Cabinet: (Diplomatic)

http://www.flyingpioneers.com/pixsm/s06560_t.jpg

Power flows from the Top.

By forming a single, unified collective we will be able to contest the Lord Protector's most foolish decisions. By submerging ourselves in politics we will be able to wield a great deal of direct control over Switzerland and make the nation reliant on a collective of elite statesmen rather than a lone dictator.

Not only will this ensure the country is excellently managed, our foreign policy and expansion continue to go smoothly, and our incompetent new Dictator won't get us into a war we can't win.

The other options tempt you with airy promises of glory and wealth, but we make but one promise: This way will work.

If you vote to Consolidate the Cabinet expect to see:
- Balanced foreign policy
- Stable diplomacy and excellent administration
- A weakened dictator

The Industrial Awakening: (Administrative)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2073/2121487586_f3af3a15ae.jpg

A beast slumbers beneath Switzerland's mountains.

Her name is Industry.

Foreign policy, diplomacy - pah! All these things all serve one true purpose: To acquire more resources, more goods, more wealth. But we are the Swiss. And we can make that wealth ourselves.

Watch as we ignite the fires of industry! Watch as our factories consume the petty economies of Europe one after another! When Switzerland wakes, we shall not need trade any more - we shall produce everything we require at home!

Imagine! The shipyards of Nice working twenty four hours a day to produce the ships that shall break England! Imagine! The gold mines under Austria tripling their output! Imagine! The spice and sugar plantations of our colonies expanding beyond all reckoning!

If you vote for the Industrial Awakening expect to see:
- Isolationist foreign policy
- Manufactories and industry!
- Infrastructure!

The Opened Eyes: (Military)

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/132/e/1/warning___science_ahead_by_dejitarudavis-d3g4dv4.jpg

We stand on the edge of the greatest scientific revolution ever seen by the world.

The Director's genius, and the merging of DOFAD and SS ideas, has brought us to this point. Endless naval engineering and innovation has set the mood. The Eyes of the Mountain are opening, and through them, we can see the universe.

We can't stop. We can't stop, slow, or fall behind. We're already a decade ahead of Europe and must get further ahead. It doesn't matter how badly we're managed, it doesn't matter what wars we get into, as long as we're the nation that brings a gun to a sword fight. We'll be the best, we'll be the brightest, and we'll be the winners.

If you take the lid off the scientific revolution, then you throw the cards in the air and who knows where power will land?

If you vote to Open the Eyes expect to see:
- Uncontrolled and unwise foreign policy
- All kinds of science and science by-products
- A strengthened Dictator OR a completely crippled/removed dictator.


Vote!

[Neon Knight]

The Opened Eyes. Let's become insane mad scientists bent only on conquest! It'll be fun!

[VonFenris]

the Opened Eyes For Fun! For Science!

[Martok]

War with the British Papal State is coming. To win, we must invest in ourselves -- our factories (so that we are less reliant on foreign goods), our shipyards (so that we may finally defeat and humiliate the accursed "Holy" Navy), and our infrastructure (to help support the first two).

It is time for those accursed sourpusses in London to tremble before our might! It is time for The Industrial Awakening!

[James the Dark]

That was a triumph. History took great note of the huge success. In fact, it was quite hard to overstate Switzerland's satisfaction with the first of its Tyrants. But with the second, The Open Eyes had to do what they must, because, they could, for the good of all the Swiss... except the ones who were dead.
Still, history would not mourn the fallen from that heady time; in fact, they could only continue, until the chocolate had run out and the most interesting firearms could be supplied to the waiting hands of those who yet remained alive.

[Altaria87]

We Swiss may be traders my heritage, but the DOFAD and the Silver Standard bring to bear Swiss military might, eventually, few will trade with us. The Industrial Awakening will minimise this problem, and make our war with the Papal States much more climatic, with the advanced industry and all.

[Hawkflight]

I vote for The Opened Eyes, on one conition: You work a GLaDOS reference in there somewhere.

[Artanis]

As terrible as Gruneisen is, we are on the verge of another war with Great Britain, and we need more ships. LOTS more ships. The only way to get enough ships to stand a chance against the Pope's cronies to the north is through an Industrial Awakening.


Also: Lithuania is taking chunks of Africa now? Thank God they're on our side :smalleek:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Industrial Awesome, pleez.

[Grif]

The Opened Eyes will be the leaders of a new scientific revolution. This merits my wholehearted support.

Papal States? When the Pope gives you lemons, we shall give him combustible lemons in return. For Science!

[Shadowy]

The Opened Eyes. We should just keep on trying till we run out of cake.

[Kurgan]

Come now my friends! We have the most pathetic ruler that Switzerland has ever had the misfortune to see! Tell me, what happens if we get another like him, or god forbid, someone worse? No, we need checks and balances to make sure the Dictator doesn't do anything too stupid, and lets face it, if we leave him to his own devices, he will. We must Consolidate the Cabinet. Between the genius of the Silver Standard and Dofad, we will be able to guide the Dictator through more sensible paths, and set a precedent for managing unruly and foolhardy leaders.

[Klose_the_Sith]

(We can ... we can manage an entire industrial revolution in the sixteenth century? :smalleek:)

Industrial Awakening

The great director may be gone, but his vision for Switzerland shall never die. Ours is clearly the most sophisticated and refined culture in all the world, let us light fires that shall never die and drive the English off the continent forever.

[Mewtarthio]

Um, a bit off-topic, but speaking of EU3:

How do I change the National Focus? I can't seem to find a way to make that work right now, and I'd really like to do so.

Also:
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9240/eu31c.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/90/eu31c.png/)

Are the little tyke's stats going to improve at all when he grows up?

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Um, a bit off-topic, but speaking of EU3:


1. Click on the province you want to change it too. Right next to the province name, are two little greyed out crowns. Clicking on the wider one will move it to that province. After that, you have to wait some time before you can move it again.

2. 'fraid not :smallamused:

[Thanqol]

(We can ... we can manage an entire industrial revolution in the sixteenth century? :smalleek:)

We can certainly start! The idea in question is Smithsonian Ethics which increases our productivity by 20%!


Um, a bit off-topic, but speaking of EU3:

How do I change the National Focus? I can't seem to find a way to make that work right now, and I'd really like to do so.

Also:
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9240/eu31c.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/90/eu31c.png/)

Are the little tyke's stats going to improve at all when he grows up?

Gwyn said how to move the focus, so I'll just say you want to move it to a province with maximum number of adjacent provinces. Bern's had our National Focus the entire game because it borders like 8-9 provinces.

Also, nope, you're screwed mate. Republics occasionally produce bad leaders, but they produce less bad leaders than monarchies. Monarchies occasionally spit out a 0/0/0 dud who'll go on to live for 70 years.

There are some leaders you want to live forever in a cast iron bunker. And there are some who you attach to a 1000 strong stack of infantry and send on suicide missions.

EDIT: Also, OUCH, 14 years of a 0/0/0 Recency Council. Ouch.

EDIT EDIT: Oh yeah, world map (http://imageshack.us/m/684/8504/eu3mapswi16306231.jpg)

lithuanian africa is looking pretty good

[Aragehaor]

Why worry about the outside world? We are Swiss, and we are wealthy. But the question is, are we wealthy enough?

I say nay, we must continue to expand our economy, increase gold output, and build a mighty fleet so that we may one day take the British isle from the influence of the Pope.

I vote for The Industrial Awakening, for there is no other choice worth consideration!

[Narkis]

I already regret not having an oath of office, but I really can't say consolidating was a bad decision after all. But we have to look to the future now. And this can only be done with Opened Eyes. For Switzerland! For Science! And for delicious Cake!

[Klose_the_Sith]

We can certainly start! The idea in question is Smithsonian Ethics which increases our productivity by 20%!

If you've got serious industry before 1750 I'm going to have to backhand this game for reasons beyond my sucking at it :smalltongue:


Also, nope, you're screwed mate. Republics occasionally produce bad leaders, but they produce less bad leaders than monarchies. Monarchies occasionally spit out a 0/0/0 dud who'll go on to live for 70 years.

This is unrealistic, truly. How can one not appreciate the divine right to rule and the inherent wisdom of good sovereign kings?

This game is heretical propaganda I tells you. Monarchies are both flawless and incest-free :smallamused:


world map (http://imageshack.us/m/684/8504/eu3mapswi16306231.jpg)

lithuanian africa is looking pretty good

The Papal States being arguably the worlds foremost colonial power is terrifying. I cannot make that clear enough.

[Artanis]

EDIT EDIT: Oh yeah, world map (http://imageshack.us/m/684/8504/eu3mapswi16306231.jpg)

lithuanian africa is looking pretty good

Oooh, thank you! :smallbiggrin:


Geez, Britain The Papal State just keeps growing faster and faster, doesn't it? :smalleek:

[Thanqol]

If you've got serious industry before 1750 I'm going to have to backhand this game for reasons beyond my sucking at it :smalltongue:

In Victoria II (1830-1930) some nations start with 30-120 factories (and end the game with over nine thousand), and that's the kind of "Scale" EU3 can represent.

Serious industry doesn't kick in until that period, but people can get started. And getting started is 20% cooler than not!


This is unrealistic, truly. How can one not appreciate the divine right to rule and the inherent wisdom of good sovereign kings?

This game is heretical propaganda I tells you. Monarchies are both flawless and incest-free :smallamused:

Obviously because historically some flawless monarchies have been replaced by even more flawless monarchies.


The Papal States being arguably the worlds foremost colonial power is terrifying. I cannot make that clear enough.

God yes :smallbiggrin:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

God yes :smallbiggrin:

In every way possible.

[Neon Knight]

So, as someone interested in trying to get into Europa Universalis, is it worth buying the full set of Complete plus Heir to the Throne/Divine Wind? I mean, obviously, if it turns out I love the game I'll snag them, but I'm wondering how much they change/improve the experience.

[Thanqol]

So, as someone interested in trying to get into Europa Universalis, is it worth buying the full set of Complete plus Heir to the Throne/Divine Wind? I mean, obviously, if it turns out I love the game I'll snag them, but I'm wondering how much they change/improve the experience.

"Chronicles" is a pack that has all the expansions, it's on Steam.

I find that HTTT was fundamentally worth it for the Casus Belli system, which I can scarcely imagine playing a game without these days. Divine Wind isn't a critical expansion but I love it in a lot of ways, probably most for how much prettier the maps are. It fixes a lot of small things and adds flavour to a lot of neglected areas, and I am really glad I have it.

I also reccommend buying it on Steam; autoupdates are just convenient.

[RPharazon]

Coming out of lurking to finally make a vote. (Absolutely great LP, by the way. One of the best I've ever seen!)

The Opened Eyes is Switzerland's best option for the future. Britain's transition into becoming a new Papal State is absolutely terrifying. How is Switzerland supposed to become a scientific or industrial power if the Pope feels that he can be safe in the British Isles? How can Switzerland have that mongrel of a nation, controlled by supposedly religious figures, growing rich, fat, and powerful on ill-gotten Swiss gold? Switzerland must do everything it can to destroy Old Britain and its Pope, and to retake its rightful Australian colonies.

[Caewil]

We already tech fast enough. Beyond a certain point, you're going to get seriously diminishing returns on that. For that reason, I'm voting for the Industrial Awakening.

[Hussam B.]

Consolidate the Cabinet

[drakir_nosslin]

This is a wonderful lets play, and even though I'd love to see me some portal references in it, science is not what will defeat the papal state. More ships on the other hand... Industrial Awakening!

Oh, and GO GOTLAND! :smallbiggrin:

[Rustic Dude]

I guess is time to Awake that lazy Industry.

[Thanqol]

The Industrial Awakening snatches it at the last minute! Voting closed!

OE: 8
IA: 9
CC: 2

WHO NEEDS SLEEP GOTTA UPDATE LPS

EDIT: Well, the bad news is I forgot to save after last time. The good news is that the game autosaves every year! The bad news is that Sporri lived two more years. The good news is that our new ruler is a 7/6/7!

So just ignore the last screenshot of the last update and we're good.

[Artanis]

Sweet, glad the vote went against consolidating the cabinet in that case :smalltongue: