Is it bad to play on very easy?

**NaptownKnight** · July 13, 2007, 03:48 PM

Well I haven't had much success on normal yet, most of my problems are coming from focusing on war maneuvers and forgetting everything else. So I played on very easy, and of course, I am having a lot more success. Is it good for me to play on this difficulty to learn it or should I actually keep trying and learning from my mistakes on normal.

**William the Bastard** · July 13, 2007, 05:34 PM

.......... Well I would recommend that you practice the game to learn how to play it (obviously

) but personally I find it best to learn from having a challenge ahead of you. It sounds like you are being a war monger. Try slowing it down a little. This is more of a political and diplomatic game. It is not TW.

**NaptownKnight** · July 13, 2007, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by William the Bastard

.......... Well I would recommend that you practice the game to learn how to play it (obviously

) but personally I find it best to learn from having a challenge ahead of you. It sounds like you are being a war monger. Try slowing it down a little. This is more of a political and diplomatic game. It is not TW.

Well I have tried diplo-annexing but it never works. I have a 200 relation with a country and they still refuse me everytime. So far I have got one small vassal to accept, and that was Corfu during my Venice campaighn. If there is some kind of clear cut strategy could you tell me? With Venice it's even harder, as I can't do royal marriages, and with my stability level at -2 I can't afford to change governments.

**Fabolous** · July 13, 2007, 08:20 PM

Yes it is bad to play on very easy and the good Lord will smite you for your error.

Anyways, I'd really recommend playing on normal. Once you get used to it you're fine. If you play on a lesser level you won't be able to effectively move up, and so you'll have to relearn all over again.

As for diplo-annexing, there are a few key points to acceptence. The first is your relationship, obviously. Hit 200, I'd recommend. Also playing key factors are your reputation, your prestige, and your monarch. For your rep, you want as little as possible, so obviously having no BB is preferred. Prestige, obviously the higher the better. Often overlooked, but extremely important is your king (or whatever your ruling body dependent on your government type). If your diplomacy rating isn't 6, I don't give you very good odds. If its something very high, like 8, then you're in the money, and can probably annex with abandon.

**William the Bastard** · July 14, 2007, 11:09 AM

Also the length of time they have been a vassal is helpful to diplo-annexation. The longer the better but after 30 years you won't gain any more advantage.

The way I play the game is to constantly have AI vassals as allies at any one time Diplo-annexing as I go along. If you take a nation "hostage" early on ally to it and use them to help gain another. When you have a few and a decent chance to annex then a attempt it. I always wait until it says "Maybe" otherwise there is little point in trying. I have had it work on "Unlikely" but I was very lucky getting it to work.

**Kanaric** · July 13, 2007, 06:56 PM

i almost always play on normal on any paradox game, even if its my first time.

Difficulty already exists depending on what nation you choose.

Like England is obviously very easy.

**NaptownKnight** · July 14, 2007, 11:57 AM

Right now I have Milan at 200 relations, and they have been my vassals for a good ten to fifteen years. My prestige is at 16, and I believe my BB is at 8 or 10. I think I will start over on normal, and see how I do now that I basically know how to play. Thanks Fabolous and Will.

**William the Bastard** · July 14, 2007, 12:20 PM

A Venetian campaign I take it? Best advice for the early game is to vassalise without taking a province off Milan. You won't get any BB that way and when it comes to the Diplo-Annex then all you will get is 2 BB. Until that point you will have a quite powerful ally (as long as you ally with them a month after vassalisation that is

)

For future wars. I wouldn't annex Corfu either. Ally with them and let them help you as much as they can. In one campaign I gained Cyprus, Sardinia and Naxos as vassals due to Corfu landing a single regiment on each and successfully defeating them in turn. Your alliance with Sicily can be beneficial too as you are leader of this alliance any gains they make you can make your own. They tend to have a crack at the Papal States early on. If the Pope is allied to another Italian state then you may find yourself with most of the Italian States as vassals very quickly.

**NaptownKnight** · July 14, 2007, 02:29 PM

Ok so I did take one of their provinces, so I won't this time around. Before I start another campaighn I'd like to ask is what is the easiest country to form Italy with?

**William the Bastard** · July 14, 2007, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by NaptownKnight

Ok so I did take one of their provinces, so I won't this time around. Before I start another campaighn I'd like to ask is what is the easiest country to form Italy with?

Best bet is Venice. You are powerful enough from the start (alliance with Sicily and Milan is an easy vassal to procure). Watch out for the Austrians and the French though.

Here is the Wiki on how to form it. Have fun.

**The Walrus** · July 14, 2007, 02:53 PM

Yes play on normal. You have to relearn some tactics if you go from very easy to normal

**nnnm** · July 23, 2007, 12:01 PM

I prefer VH\VH

**Sidus Preclarum** · July 23, 2007, 12:27 PM

is there an AI agressivity setting on EU III ? I used to play VH/Coward (so that all those tiny german and all. states didn't DOW you suicidally) on EU II, I was wondering about EU III...