Figured I would post this in case anyone still plays this mod and wants to try Genoa
I recently re downloaded this mod to play and decided to play as Genoa as Italy is a cool spot with lots of different things happening in the center of the map. This is for Gracul AI.
When you start a new game with Genoa you have to go all out in the first 30 turns or your hooped. I probably failed at least 20 times before I got passed turn 30 and turned my game into an eventual win (currently At 30ish regions with Venice finally almost toast). When you start you have to be calculated and do some siege tricks causing the AI to sally forth to their peril, plus keep good with your neighbours and especially the papal states.
First turn you should have the general in Ajaccio go with 2 units to the castle island below and only siege it with the general alone. Next have your diplomat take a calculated route via ship to Rome and get an alliance. Personally I like to let my Leader get the Lord of Genoa Ret and have the prince with 2 Calvary militia and 3 spears sail to Pisa and lay siege. Next get your army near Pisa as its off to Venice right after. Before you end your turn sell everything in Caffa, send the merchant to the silk at Constantinople and then have your troops sent to Sinope and only siege with the general. Also from here on out, prioritize barracks and armour in all cities besides Genoa, go for economy there. You can only use militia but at least their not bad. On BGR IV real recruitment this is really tough, I took it off to get better troops as the AI can just totally mess you up while it takes you forever to spawn anything good. Oh btw, make sure you build at catapult at Genoa. You can now end your turn.
You will most likely trigger 3 AI rebel Sally froths. For the two with solo generals, hit 6x and run off to a corner of the map, the AI will chase and then run all the way to the city center and wait out a 5min victory. For any critics who say this is lame, piss off lol. You'll have to fight a tough fight over Pisa but it can be done if you kill the general early. When you take Sinop sell everything in it and then use it for trade bait with the HRE.
Next turn send the general at the other island castle to Marseille while leaving those 2 units in the castle to avoid a rebellion. You may not get there in one turn. Next have your diplomat go to Siciliy and give up Caffa for an alliance. You will have to trade in the early game as the AI will no longer form alliances straight up on balanced deals once your at war (Turkey). Don't worry about taking back Caffa as if Sicily holds it, the Mongols will eventually take it around turn 100ish. Next things next, march for Venice with the entire army.
Next turn sell Sinop to the HRE for an alliance and do your best to never have your troops in Bologna's region as it will cause AI HRE to hate you. By this time the general should be laying siege at Mariselle. Position your army so it can attack Venice right away. Sale the troops for Sinop near Cornith, Athens and Thesconnia as these will provide good trade bait plus good loot money. End Turn.
AI battle with Mariselle, just run to the corner and back. Afterwords loot it, sell everything and then you come to a tough choice. Two possible routes here, either DOW Venice and take Venice with a decent battle. OR gift Mariselle to the pope, ask for a crusade on Ciaro, wait for the Vencie army to scamper off, then take it. Both options will break the alliance with the Papal states. The best option is option two as it give you time to buy a merc galley, park your army by venice, take it when no one is there, then sail down to Acrona and take that place too in one turn. This allows you to avoid the whole ceasefire or excommunication. All the while you do this, you want your general near Greece to watch for the AI rebels to leave one of those three cities/fortresses and take it for look and a little base. Try to hold Cornith and Athens. Once you take Thesconnia, if your relationship with HRE is good you can trade it straight up for Bolonga. Also send some folks to take Milan before HRE does.
After this you'll have a nice little set up. Try to get alliances with Hungary, Poland, France, Aragon, Spain and basically anyone else Catholic. Build up defences around Italy and do your best to regain the alliance of the Papacy. After you implement this strategy your biggest threat is the Papal States for the time being. Basically if your relationship plummets and go to 0 crosses they will DOW you and kick your ass with their better units. You will loose. To avoid this, do your best to get a cease fire against Venice, ally the Papacy and then only DOW Muslim factions. The catholic AI's will increase their relationship status with you the more you take these settlements. Don't stretch yourself to thin as with VH VH Gracul, the AI will backstab.
From here on out its all statecraft until your powerful enough to DOW anyone straight up. What I personally did was this. Keep a good relationship with Hungary, Venice and HRE. Take regions like Benghazi and the rest of North Africa east of Tunis and sell them/trade them for settlements. I traded these straight up Innsbruck, Gergen and Ivaness which soltified the alps causing me to only go to war in the north around turn 150 by the English.
I would recommend keeping good with catholic factions and accumulate Muslim and the Greek regions. Youll loose alliances and have to choose sides but go about it smartly and pick off different factions.
Follow this guide and get good at fighting professional armies with Militias and you can win!
Good luck as this has taken me over a few months.