Ethiopia Help

[Solitus]

I wanted to give Vicky2 a try, especially with the poor reviews on Vicky3. I had just played an Ethiopia game in EU4, so I wanted to try Ethiopia in Vicky2.

I don't understand how to survive. I know I can attack Egypt when they are in/lose their war with the Ottomans; but I can only field irregulars. I need wool to keep them fully supplied. I can't get enough wool to supply them.

So am I really just supposed to sit at speed 5, encouraging clergy in my capital state (largest pop) until I pass some reforms, and then attack Egypt 50 years into a 100 year long game?

Just feel like I am missing something basic. Either that this is just how Ethiopia plays, or some fundamental mechanic that will let my economy not suck.

[Vuyek]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vic+2+ethiopia

[Solitus]

I already watched those; and they are either:

Imported EUIV game
HFM/HPM mod
HFM mod where they guy loses to Gonder and then tag switches.

Couldn't find a vanilla vic 2 ethiopia video; which is why I posted here.

[Sinistus]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2885838284
Disclaimer: i used the cheat code, event 18540 so to not waste my time save scumming.

This is the state of current vanilla ethiopia run.

What you want to do is tax your pop to the max, put tarrifs all the way up and reduce your adminstration and education spending, so you just get enough money to sparely import wool for your troops.
We are doing this becuase we are going to westernize not through education but through conquest.

Now you want to get a justification on Omans african provinces. Why Oman, because they are hella weak, weak enough for us to pick on. I picked Oman-Somaliland first because it is close by and only one province to occupy. Peace them out and get your first military reform which grants more research through conquest. After that we repeat picking off all Omani-African provinces.
Remember that those are a lot of justifications and not all will go your way, that is why I used event 18540 to reduce my infamy everytime the RNG was bad or just not good enough.

Spend your diplo on improving relations wtih your european neighbours to about a little more than 100 so they don't just start to justificate on you. Do this first with the portuguese.

After getting all of Omans stuff Egypt should be pretty beaten up by the Ottomans by now, and that is our time to strike. We are going to get justification on Kordofan why? because they got wool which we really need. Beware they may be weak but they can still mobilize alot of troops, meaning you want to run around egypt for a little while and pick of those troops as they spawn. You can NOT ALLOW Egypt to gather their troops into a big blop or they will beat you. Focus on sieging everything around Cairo because this is where most of their troops and money comes from. If the war goes well you can take Sudan and your cores that you get from the decision in this war as well.

After you beat Egypt you can build some clippers and start conquering other primitives and bully Egypt a few more times. If everything went well you should be able to westernize around 1870. Preferebly you want to conquer as much as possible before westernizing, because everything you conquered will be a full state and not a colony after you westernize.

Now you are good to go and can do whaterver you want, get your industrie running or conquer more primitives in Asia.

Happy conquering.

[Solitus]

Originally posted by Sinistus:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2885838284
Disclaimer: i used the cheat code, event 18540 so to not waste my time save scumming.

This is the state of current vanilla ethiopia run.

What you want to do is tax your pop to the max, put tarrifs all the way up and reduce your adminstration and education spending, so you just get enough money to sparely import wool for your troops.
We are doing this becuase we are going to westernize not through education but through conquest.

Now you want to get a justification on Omans african provinces. Why Oman, because they are hella weak, weak enough for us to pick on. I picked Oman-Somaliland first because it is close by and only one province to occupy. Peace them out and get your first military reform which grants more research through conquest. After that we repeat picking off all Omani-African provinces.
Remember that those are a lot of justifications and not all will go your way, that is why I used event 18540 to reduce my infamy everytime the RNG was bad or just not good enough.

Spend your diplo on improving relations wtih your european neighbours to about a little more than 100 so they don't just start to justificate on you. Do this first with the portuguese.

After getting all of Omans stuff Egypt should be pretty beaten up by the Ottomans by now, and that is our time to strike. We are going to get justification on Kordofan why? because they got wool which we really need. Beware they may be weak but they can still mobilize alot of troops, meaning you want to run around egypt for a little while and pick of those troops as they spawn. You can NOT ALLOW Egypt to gather their troops into a big blop or they will beat you. Focus on sieging everything around Cairo because this is where most of their troops and money comes from. If the war goes well you can take Sudan and your cores that you get from the decision in this war as well.

After you beat Egypt you can build some clippers and start conquering other primitives and bully Egypt a few more times. If everything went well you should be able to westernize around 1870. Preferebly you want to conquer as much as possible before westernizing, because everything you conquered will be a full state and not a colony after you westernize.

Now you are good to go and can do whaterver you want, get your industrie running or conquer more primitives in Asia.

Happy conquering.:eagleeye:

omg thank you so much for this. It feels silly that I needed someone to spell it out but I guess I did. I kept focusing so much on the encourage clergymen that my pops couldn't purchase wool. And I need to remind myself that my Vicky2 Ethiopia is not the military powerhouse it is in EU4.

[Solitus]

lol this amazing. Used a conquest CB on Yemen. They were allied to Hedjaz, who I added a war goal to annex Hedjaz as well. Have fully occupied and annexed both countied. 47 Infamy. The Ottomans have intervened on behalf of Yemen and Hedjaz, and they are demanding I return the provinces. But they don't have military access to me because they Egypt hates them and won't give access through their lands.

So I am sitting in this war now, waiting for the "failed to acquire goal" to tick up till I can peace out the ottobros.

Though as I type this, I have a feeling that the Ottoman/Egypt truce will run out before I can end my war with the ottomans, meaning then they WILL have access to my newly conquered lands. Oh well, here's hoping!

[bri]

If you are sitting on 40+ infamy the Ottomans won't be your only problem for long...

[Solitus]

Originally posted by bri:

If you are sitting on 40+ infamy the Ottomans won't be your only problem for long...

yeah, I ended up declaring war on egypt for my cores after that war (had ticked down to 34 infamy (still above 25) and Russia decided they needed to contain me.

so I rolled back to a save I had made previously (I am ok with this, still learning Vic2) and peaced out Egypt for just more cores to get out of the war.

I thought Defensive pacts in CK2 and aggressive expansion in EU4 were bad, but infamy is no joke! I think I feel rushed because the timeframe is only 100 years...doesn't feel long enough to play....need to expand faster!

[Vuyek]

"need to expand faster!"

yeah well about that....

I usually play Peru, and after the first crazy war years, I concentrate on making that country into the industrial powerhouse. This involves attracting immigrants from everywhere to buff up the POPs.

Conquering clay is just one way to play this game.
Hence the love for this game, and why it is still a classic.

[Solitus]

...I didn't even think about Peru. Loved them in EU4.

I am learning very fast that in Vic2, taking things in a peace deal you did not fabricate on is certain death. I restarted my run, still took Yemen, but this time left Hedjaz alone (since the Ottomans keep defending them)

In my war against Egypt, took my cores and fabricated to take a state, and took Korfudan; since I needed a source of wool for my irregulars.

Once the truce timer is up, I will go after Sudan.

Originally posted by Vuyek:

"need to expand faster!"

yeah well about that....

I usually play Peru, and after the first crazy war years, I concentrate on making that country into the industrial powerhouse. This involves attracting immigrants from everywhere to buff up the POPs.

Conquering clay is just one way to play this game.
Hence the love for this game, and why it is still a classic.

I want to build factories and become an industrial powerhouse...but I have to westernize first. Really loving the pacing of Victoria 2 so far! :D

[Vuyek]

infamy is, correct me if I am wrong, only dangerous over 22.

up to that number, you're OK.

[Solitus]

Originally posted by Vuyek:

infamy is, correct me if I am wrong, only dangerous over 22.

up to that number, you're OK.

I think it is over 25. But I am having to fight my natural urge of "enemy is weak, kill them off now, don't let them get back up again".

I know I am preaching to the choir; but I love how in this game, what the province produces _MATTERS_. Fielding irrgulars? you need wool. Fielding regular armies? you need Opium. I was first exposed to this type of system in IR; but in IR it feels so _bad_. But here...it feels so good.

Ok. I'm done ranting for a bit haha. Thank you all who took the time to read and reply to my thread :)

[Vuyek]

there is a world market.

the more powerful the nation, they get first dibs on stuff.

of course, if you're in a sphere of a powerful nation, you have a common market with them - so you jump in queue for buying stuff over others.

[Solitus]

This is horsesh*t. Egypt isn't sphered by the UK or Russia. They aren't allied with the UK or Russia. But every time I try and declare war on Egypt, one of them (or both) intervene in the war on Egypts behalf. I don't even have 25 infamy. They let the Ottomans eat Egypt (who is a secondary power now) but won't let me eat them. I need to conquer a few more states to finish westernizing!

Why do they keep intervening on behalf of Egypt, who is only an Uncivilized Nation? Annoying because I sunk all those diplo points into raising relations with the UK and then this just pisses it away.

[bri]

Originally posted by Solitus:

This is horsesh*t. Egypt isn't sphered by the UK or Russia. They aren't allied with the UK or Russia. But every time I try and declare war on Egypt, one of them (or both) intervene in the war on Egypts behalf. I don't even have 25 infamy. They let the Ottomans eat Egypt (who is a secondary power now) but won't let me eat them. I need to conquer a few more states to finish westernizing!

Why do they keep intervening on behalf of Egypt, who is only an Uncivilized Nation? Annoying because I sunk all those diplo points into raising relations with the UK and then this just pisses it away.

If a nation is up to friendly relations (the step below being sphered) then great powers can, and generally will, intervene in wars attacking them that don't involve nations they fear. They can only do so to enforce status quo and only if the nation they support is losing the war. At times you can game your way around it by intentionally starting a war out falling behind on war score. If the defender declares any war goal then the great powers can no longer intervene and you then can beat the heck out of them without interference.

[Solitus]

Originally posted by bri:

Originally posted by Solitus:

This is horsesh*t. Egypt isn't sphered by the UK or Russia. They aren't allied with the UK or Russia. But every time I try and declare war on Egypt, one of them (or both) intervene in the war on Egypts behalf. I don't even have 25 infamy. They let the Ottomans eat Egypt (who is a secondary power now) but won't let me eat them. I need to conquer a few more states to finish westernizing!

Why do they keep intervening on behalf of Egypt, who is only an Uncivilized Nation? Annoying because I sunk all those diplo points into raising relations with the UK and then this just pisses it away.

If a nation is up to friendly relations (the step below being sphered) then great powers can, and generally will, intervene in wars attacking them that don't involve nations they fear. They can only do so to enforce status quo and only if the nation they support is losing the war. At times you can game your way around it by intentionally starting a war out falling behind on war score. If the defender declares any war goal then the great powers can no longer intervene and you then can beat the heck out of them without interference.

oh! that is a good trick. I'll just let them occupy their old territory I took until they add the wargoal to take it back. I can see where this might be an instant where I want to take an extra state (and 11 infamy) as long as I am belong 25, because this is kind of a pita to work around.