Question about levies. @Paradox

[Sad Lad]

Numerous games across different patches I always seem to be behind in levies. Despite not going to war, developing my own country, converting my own people to my primary culture and religion, I am always behind. No matter what laws I pass or even requests from estates that I do, nothing matters.

Could someone please explain it to me as if I am 5 years old on what to do different?

It just seems as if I am third partying every time trying to get my share of expansion until I am able to build an eco and maintain a standing army but that is probably 1600's.

[Sergentmarine]

Originally posted by Sad Lad:

Numerous games across different patches I always seem to be behind in levies. Despite not going to war, developing my own country, converting my own people to my primary culture and religion, I am always behind. No matter what laws I pass or even requests from estates that I do, nothing matters.

Could someone please explain it to me as if I am 5 years old on what to do different?

It just seems as if I am third partying every time trying to get my share of expansion until I am able to build an eco and maintain a standing army but that is probably 1600's.

Well it depends on your policies, society values and most importantly, population size, levies are a % of your population, this is further increased by your policies choices, things like giving privileges and so on.

Before we continue you should know levies aren't meant to be used for combat outside the first 100 years, and that's already squeezing them to the max, you should try to get a standing army as soon as your economy allows.

THIS does not mean levies are bad, they are very useful for the following reasons:

"Sieges while your standing army goes arround stack wiping the enemy troops"

"Replenishing captured castles garrison as you capture them"

"Carpet sieging if the enemy is weak enough"

Said this, the best way to increase levy size in 1.4 atleast is going in society values: "Serfdom" in estate privileges: "Auxilium et Consilium, Common Militias, Nihil Novi"

The rest is in policies which I don't know how many there are, BUT just a raw boost to levies is always to have more population overall, hope this helped.

[Sad Lad]

I appreciate your reply Sergentmarine. It just seems as if every time people near me early game are able to build an army while ALSO expanding. I have seen instances where I have taken land, put cities on them, made them my people, and the enemies STILL have more than me.

My last instance I had the militia privilege's for commons and max serfdom as Sweden. Novgorod while getting kicked in by Muscovy declared on me and came to push me in. I had more people, more dev, yet he just had more men.

Levies just seem too fickle as enemies seem to form around me despite me just growing taller. Then my developed tiles get taken out OR my allies provide me a security blanket and I just sit on my hands.

[tonypa]

Maybe you just play wrong nations? Try Bohemia or France.

But seriously, changing amount of pops is extremely slow. You should avoid using levies and go straight to professional armies (these are basically capped by cash only).

[Sad Lad]

I appreciate your advice Tonypa but the game is NOT fun if you're spawning in as a big nation IMHO. My enjoyment comes from seeing small nations grow big or achievements. Seeing just the available levies dropping month to month ticks, why? There is just no explanation for it I suppose or little clarifying on how to make more. Build an eco and NPCs will gobble you, expand out and NPCs will gobble you. Just early EU5 just seems to be sitting idle and waiting to see who is weak, dogpile before repeating.

[Krozan]

But why would a small country become a superpower?

If you become one by 1600, that's clearly not so bad.

If you want to become one earlier, you can play meta, but it will certainly be less immersive. Or you can use mods with multiplier or some cheats.

[Sad Lad]

By end game? I think a lot of correct decisions a OPM can surely become top eight in almost 500 years. Cycles that I am speaking about are early game examples.

How could two similar provinces ANYWHERE on the earth have vastly differing levies? I would like to think if I have more people, I should have more people able to be called a levy. There are just numerous instances in my own playing that it just doesn't make sense. Areas I have developed, built cities, expanded soldiers, increased control, the whole lot is somehow getting out drafted by a farm tile that has NO mil buildings, lower satisfaction, lower pop.

That doesn't make sense to me.

[Sergentmarine]

Originally posted by Sad Lad:

By end game? I think a lot of correct decisions a OPM can surely become top eight in almost 500 years. Cycles that I am speaking about are early game examples.

How could two similar provinces ANYWHERE on the earth have vastly differing levies? I would like to think if I have more people, I should have more people able to be called a levy. There are just numerous instances in my own playing that it just doesn't make sense. Areas I have developed, built cities, expanded soldiers, increased control, the whole lot is somehow getting out drafted by a farm tile that has NO mil buildings, lower satisfaction, lower pop.

That doesn't make sense to me.

Try out the Golden Horde, (Don't know if its as OP as in 1.3) but its a power fantasy in early game, and a super power late game if done correctly, if you want to let go of that frustration, try that nation, just one advice, try to get as much horde unity as possible, it is extremly important for hordes

[Krozan]

They come from estate, so its just about privilege and satisfaction.
And always tech military first if you want more and better.

[cråck]

Originally posted by tonypa:

Maybe you just play wrong nations? Try Bohemia or France.

But seriously, changing amount of pops is extremely slow. You should avoid using levies and go straight to professional armies (these are basically capped by cash only).

france in 1.4 has 17k levies and is a very challenging start, don't do that if you're already strugeling with some game mechanics

Originally posted by Sad Lad:

My last instance I had the militia privilege's for commons and max serfdom as Sweden. Novgorod while getting kicked in by Muscovy declared on me and came to push me in. I had more people, more dev, yet he just had more men.

in the patch 1.4 the amount of levies is mostly tied to control
in the patch 1.3 the multiplier for control was way lower you could raise lot of leveis from 5% control land, this is (will) not the case anymore
the control multiplier is scaling from 1 to 0, to make it simple every 10% control = 10% levies

serfdom at max value incrases levies by 20%
peasant militia privilege is one of the most importent early game since it incrases your levies size by 20%
the law : peasant levies adds an other 10%

these last 2 will incrase your quantinty value witch gives you extra 10% levies every 20 points
BUT both the law and the quantity value are decrasing your combat efficiency
it is way better to hold the nobles levies law have extra nobles levies (witch are better quality) then some extra peasants with -10% penality to combat efficiency

lot of ai nations are ruling with peasants levies law meaning they naturaly push towards quantinty aswell as less combat efficiency, meaning they apear being more numerous despite being bad at combat

novgorod capital city gives an excelent early game control, if you are playing on a beta 1.4 patch this explains why they have more troops
if you are playing on the patch 1.3 it simply means they can raise levies from their numerous arctic locations with zero control
in anycase, novgorod (or danemark) are way "stronger" then sweden early game
the easy way is to let them attrition by going trought your land and kill them in stockholm

eighter way you should be using mercs asap and have some regulars whenever you can afford the manpower for them since it prevents your pop loses aswell as "raised levies" penalities of the locations

[Sad Lad]

Hey Crack, I really appreciate your reply. That would make more sense as I am playing on 1.4 beta and really enjoying it. Though I may be wrong I thought that the one priviledge you grant to the commons for the militia just increased their levies while also their power. Interesting to think as my previous play though as Lower Bavaria in 1.4 I was winning lower number engagements but I thought it was just due to my placement in the mountains or other factors.

This example of Sweden vs Novgorod we were probably about 1550ish as I had a decent colony in Canada at the time. Perhaps you are also correct and I just played incorrectly. Looking though a different POV I should have left Estonia sieged, sat on the war goal and let Muscovy kick them in. My thought was just "Oh they are fighting them and they declared on me, better do my best to secure some land." Then in tile near St.Petersberg, which I owned having a fort, they won and chased me down able to stack wipe me.